Lee Jung-jae, a South Korean actor and former model, rose to global recognition for portraying Seong Gi-hun in the popular Netflix show “Squid Game” (2021-present). With over 40 acting roles, Jung-jae has appeared in acclaimed works such as “Il Mare” (2000), “The Housemaid” (2010), “New World” (2013), and “Deliver Us from Evil” (2020), as well as the TV drama “Sandglass” (1995) and “Chief of Staff” (2019).
Lee Jung-jae Quick Facts
Full name: Lee Jung-jae
Date of birth: December 15, 1972
Age: 51 years old (2024)
Gender: Male
Place of birth: Jung District, Seoul, South Korea
Alma mater: Dongguk University (MA)
Occupation: Actor
Marital status: In a relationship
Partner: Im Se-ryung
Early Life
Lee was first noticed by fashion designer Ha Yong-soo during his time at an Apgujeong café. After a few years of modeling, he rose to fame when he made his acting debut on the show “Dinosaur Teacher” in 1993.
In 1994, he took on the role of Han Joon in the TV drama “Feelings” and made his big-screen debut in “The Young Man.” A year later, Lee Jung-jae starred as Baek Jae-hee in the SBS show “Sandglass” and then proceeded to appear in several movies.
These included “Albatross” (1996), “Fire Bird” (1997), “Father vs. Son” (1997), “An Affair” (1998), “City of the Rising Sun” (1999), and “The Uprising” (1999). He also appeared in the TV series “Snail” (1997) and “White Nights 3.98” (1998).
Lee’s acting career in the early 2000s included roles in the time-travel love story “Il Mare,” which was later remade as “The Lake House” with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. He also appeared in “Interview” and “Asako in Ruby Shoes” in 2000, and took on the roles of Jung Yong-ki in “Last Present” and Detective Oh in “The Last Witness” in 2001.
Following his role in the 2002 film “Over the Rainbow,” Lee Jung-jae teamed up with Lee Beom-soo in his highly successful 2003 movie, “Oh! Brothers.” Two years later, Lee took on the lead role of Kang Se-jong in the action-packed “Typhoon,” which grossed a total of $26 million in ticket sales.
Career
In 2007, Lee Jung-jae took on the role of Kim Ji-sung in the MBC drama “Air City.” The following year, he was cast in the film “The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan” and the 2009 MBC series “Triple.”
In 2010, he landed the lead role in the provocative thriller “The Housemaid,” which was featured at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2012, he joined the cast of “The Thieves,” which became the sixth highest-grossing Korean film ever, earning an impressive $86 million.
In 2013, Lee lent his voice to the television documentary “Contemporary Art, Bury the Boundary” and made appearances in the films “New World” and “The Face Reader.” He also took on leading roles in “Big Match” (2014), “Assassination” (2015), “Tik Tok” (2016), “Operation Chromite” (2016), and “Warriors of the Dawn” (2017).
Additionally, he portrayed the God of Death (King Yeomra) in “Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds” (2017) and its sequel “Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days” (2018).
Lee Jung-jae’s acting career in 2019 included playing Jang Tae-joon on the JTBC show “Chief of Staff,”. He later made a guest appearance as the same character on “Delayed Justice” in 2021. He also had roles in the films “Svaha: The Sixth Finger” and “Deliver Us from Evil” in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Lee Jung-jae joined the cast of “Squid Game” on Netflix in 2021, playing the character of Seong Gi-hun. The show quickly became a sensation, surpassing all previous records on the platform and being watched by over 142 million households within just a few months of its September release.
Personal Life
In 2015, Jung-jae made public that he and Im Se-ryung, the executive director of the Daesang Group, were in a romantic relationship. They first met in 2005, and Lee has expressed his thoughts on their partnership as follows:
“As an entertainer, I think that getting attention from the public is a part of my job and I have to endure it to some extent. But Im Se-ryung is just a normal person and especially a mother of two children, so I want to prevent Im Se-ryung and her family from being hurt or their privacy being violated.”
Net Worth
Lee Jung-jae, a South Korean actor, has achieved a net worth of $12 million through his remarkable success in the entertainment industry and beyond. He has appeared in over 30 films and 15 TV shows, solidifying his position as one of the most renowned Korean celebrities globally.
