Lee Jong-Suk Biography 2026: Age, Early Life, Career, Awards & Facts
Lee Jong-suk is a South Korean actor and former runway model whose transition from Seoul Fashion Week to the centre of some of Korean television’s most-watched dramas made him one of the defining Hallyu stars of his generation. Born in 1989 and active since the mid-2000s, he built a career on a distinctive combination of boyish charm and measured intensity, earning two Grand Prizes (Daesang) at major network drama awards along the way.
As of November 2026, Lee remains a prominent figure in Korean entertainment. He headlined the 2025 legal drama Law and the City and returned to screens in Disney+’s The Remarried Empress in November 2026, while his personal life drew widespread attention following the confirmation of his breakup with singer-actress IU in July 2026.
Quick Facts Table
| Field | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Lee Jong-suk (이종석) |
| Date of Birth | 14 September 1989 |
| Place of Birth | Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea (some English-language sources list Yongin) |
| Age | 37 (as of November 2026) |
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Profession | Actor, model |
| Height | 186 cm (6 ft 1 in) |
| Education | Konkuk University, Film Studies (graduated 2016) |
| Debut | 2005 (runway model); 2010 (acting, Prosecutor Princess) |
| Years Active | 2005–present |
| Agency | Ace Factory |
| Major Awards | MBC Drama Awards Grand Prize (2016, 2022); Baeksang Arts Awards Most Popular Actor (2015) |
| Notable Works | School 2013, I Can Hear Your Voice, Pinocchio, W, While You Were Sleeping, Big Mouth, Law and the City, The Remarried Empress |
| Military Service | Social service agent, 8 March 2019 – 2 January 2021 |
| Relationship Status | Single (publicly dated IU 2022–2026) |
Table of Contents
Who Is Lee Jong-suk?
Lee Jong-suk (이종석) is a South Korean actor and model. He debuted as a runway model in 2005, became the youngest male model to walk the Seoul Collection at Seoul Fashion Week, and made his official acting debut in the 2010 SBS drama Prosecutor Princess. He is best known for leading roles in School 2013, I Can Hear Your Voice, Pinocchio, W, While You Were Sleeping, and Big Mouth.
Early Life and Education
Lee was born on 14 September 1989. There is a minor discrepancy across sources regarding his precise birthplace: Korean-language records, including Korean Wikipedia and KBS’s official profile, state Suwon in Gyeonggi Province, while a number of English-language databases list Yongin. He has said in interviews that he is “originally from Yongin” and grew up there, attending Yongma Elementary School and Yongdong Middle School before moving to Seoul for high school.
He is the eldest of three siblings — two sons and one daughter. In a 2010 interview, he described himself as a shy child and recalled that his father was strict with him as the eldest son. He began practising taekwondo at his father’s encouragement and eventually earned a fourth-degree black belt. A car accident during middle school left him with a torn cruciate ligament, an injury that would later shape his military service classification.
Lee studied at Yangjae High School and later entered Konkuk University, where he majored in Professional Motion Pictures and Art within the Film Studies programme. He graduated in February 2016 and was recognised by the university as an honorary ambassador.
Career
From the Runway to the Small Screen
Lee’s entry into entertainment came through modelling rather than acting. At 15, he debuted on the Seoul Collection walkway during Seoul Fashion Week in 2005, a feat widely reported as making him the youngest male model ever to participate in the event. He continued modelling for several years and briefly trained as an idol group member before quitting because the agency had not delivered on a promised acting debut.
His official acting debut came in 2010 through a small role in SBS’s Prosecutor Princess. That same year, he appeared in Secret Garden as a young composer, a supporting turn that raised his profile significantly. In 2011, he joined the sitcom High Kick! The Revenge of the Short Legged, further establishing his name with Korean audiences.
Breakthrough: School 2013 and I Can Hear Your Voice
The turning point came in 2012 with School 2013, a teen drama in which he played a student with a difficult past. The role earned him Best New Actor at the KBS Drama Awards and marked his transition from supporting player to leading man.
He followed this with I Can Hear Your Voice (2013), playing a young man with the ability to read minds opposite Lee Bo-young. The drama was both a critical and ratings success, and Lee won the Excellence Award in the male category at the Korea Drama Awards. His performance also earned him a nomination for Best Actor – Television at the Baeksang Arts Awards.
Mainstream Stardom: Pinocchio, W, and While You Were Sleeping
Between 2014 and 2017, Lee consolidated his position as a top-tier leading man. In Doctor Stranger (2014), he played a North Korean defector working as a doctor in the South; the drama performed strongly, particularly in China. Pinocchio (2014), opposite Park Shin-hye, was another major hit and won him the Male Top Excellence Award at the Korea Drama Awards, as well as Most Popular Actor – Television at the 51st Baeksang Arts Awards.
In 2016, he starred in MBC’s fantasy thriller W alongside Han Hyo-joo, playing a character who moves between a webtoon world and reality. The drama topped popularity charts in Korea and earned Lee his first Grand Prize (Daesang) at the MBC Drama Awards. The following year, While You Were Sleeping with Bae Suzy brought him the Top Excellence Actor Award at the SBS Drama Awards.
Military Service and Return
Lee began his mandatory military service on 8 March 2019. Because of the cruciate ligament injury from his childhood car accident, he received a Grade 4 ruling during his physical examination and served as a social service agent rather than on active duty. He was discharged on 2 January 2021.
He returned to acting with a cameo in The Witch: Part 2. The Other One (2021) and a leading role in the 2022 MBC drama Big Mouth, playing a struggling lawyer who becomes entangled in a murder case. The role earned him his second Grand Prize (Daesang) at the MBC Drama Awards.
Recent and Current Projects (2025–2026)
In 2025, Lee returned to television in Law and the City, a tvN legal drama in which he played an experienced lawyer at a Seoul firm, opposite Moon Ga-young. The series premiered on 5 July 2025.
In November 2026, he appeared in Disney+’s The Remarried Empress, a fantasy romance adaptation in which he plays Prince Heinrey of the Western Kingdom, alongside Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon, and Lee Se-young. The series premiered globally on 3 November 2026.
Lee had also been announced as the lead of the web-novel adaptation Iseop’s Romance, set in a shared universe with another drama led by Lee Jun-hyuk. However, in September 2026, his agency Ace Factory confirmed that he had withdrawn from the project due to scheduling conflicts arising from a production timeline shift.
Awards and Recognition
Lee’s two Grand Prizes anchor an awards record that spans network drama ceremonies, film and television critics’ awards, and popularity votes. His MBC Drama Awards Grand Prize for W (2016) was his first major daesang, and he repeated the feat in 2022 with Big Mouth — making him a two-time recipient of one of Korean television’s highest individual honours.
Beyond the daesangs, his recognition includes:
- Baeksang Arts Awards: Most Popular Actor – Television (Pinocchio, 2015).
- KBS Drama Awards: Best New Actor (School 2013, 2012).
- Korea Drama Awards: Excellence Award, Actor (I Can Hear Your Voice, 2013); Top Excellence Award, Actor (Pinocchio, 2015).
- SBS Drama Awards: Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries (I Can Hear Your Voice, 2013); Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Wednesday–Thursday Drama (While You Were Sleeping, 2017).
- Grimae Awards: Best Actor (Pinocchio, 2014), chosen by television cinematographers.
Personal Life
Lee is known to be close friends with fellow actor and former model Kim Woo-bin, a friendship that dates back to their modelling days. He previously owned a dining café called 89Mansion in Seoul, which closed permanently in September 2020.
In December 2022, Lee’s agency confirmed that he was in a relationship with singer-actress IU. The confirmation followed his acceptance speech at the 2022 MBC Drama Awards, where he thanked a “special someone,” prompting widespread speculation. Both agencies subsequently acknowledged the relationship, which they said had begun about four months before the public announcement.
In July 2026, both Lee’s agency Ace Factory and IU’s agency EDAM Entertainment confirmed that the couple had ended their relationship after approximately four years, stating that they had chosen to remain good colleagues.
Lee has been involved in philanthropic giving, including a 200 million won donation to the Korean Committee for UNICEF in 2016 to support underprivileged children, and a 100 million won donation to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association in 2022 for wildfire victims. A reliable, independently verified figure for his net worth is not available in public sources; estimates that circulate online should be treated with caution.
Public Image and Legacy
Lee’s career arc — from teenage runway model to two-time network daesang winner — reflects a broader shift in the Korean entertainment industry, where fashion and commercial modelling increasingly became a pathway to acting stardom. His filmography is notable for its concentration in character-driven television dramas rather than prestige films, and for the consistency with which he returned to leading roles after his military service.
His partnership with IU, one of the most commercially successful and critically respected figures in Korean music, made the couple one of the most closely followed pairings in the industry during their relationship. The confirmation of their breakup in 2026 marked the end of a four-year period that had drawn sustained media and public attention.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1989 | Born on 14 September in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. |
| 2005 | Debuts as a runway model at Seoul Fashion Week, reportedly the youngest male model to walk the Seoul Collection. |
| 2010 | Official acting debut in SBS’s Prosecutor Princess; appears in Secret Garden. |
| 2011 | Joins High Kick! The Revenge of the Short Legged; enters Konkuk University. |
| 2012 | Breakthrough role in School 2013; wins Best New Actor at KBS Drama Awards. |
| 2013 | Stars in I Can Hear Your Voice; wins Excellence Award at Korea Drama Awards. |
| 2014 | Leads Doctor Stranger and Pinocchio; wins Top Excellence Award at Korea Drama Awards and Best Actor at Grimae Awards. |
| 2015 | Wins Most Popular Actor – Television at Baeksang Arts Awards for Pinocchio. |
| 2016 | Graduates from Konkuk University; stars in W; wins first Grand Prize (Daesang) at MBC Drama Awards. |
| 2017 | Stars in While You Were Sleeping; wins Top Excellence Award at SBS Drama Awards. |
| 2019 | Begins social service agent duty on 8 March. |
| 2021 | Discharged from military service on 2 January. |
| 2022 | Stars in Big Mouth; wins second Grand Prize at MBC Drama Awards; publicly confirms relationship with IU in December. |
| 2025 | Returns to television in Law and the City. |
| 2026 | The Remarried Empress premieres on Disney+ in November; breakup with IU confirmed in July; exits Iseop’s Romance in September. |
13. FAQs
1. Who is Lee Jong-suk?
Lee Jong-suk is a South Korean actor and model known for leading roles in dramas such as School 2013, Pinocchio, W, and Big Mouth. He has won two Grand Prizes (Daesang) at the MBC Drama Awards.
2. How old is Lee Jong-suk?
Lee Jong-suk was born on 14 September 1989 and is 37 years old as of November 2026.
3. Where was Lee Jong-suk born?
Korean-language sources state he was born in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, while some English-language databases list Yongin. He has said he grew up in Yongin.
4. What is Lee Jong-suk known for?
He is known for his roles in hit Korean dramas including I Can Hear Your Voice, Pinocchio, W, While You Were Sleeping, and Big Mouth, as well as for his earlier career as a runway model.
5. Did Lee Jong-suk go to university?
Yes. He studied Film Studies at Konkuk University and graduated in February 2016.
6. When did Lee Jong-suk debut?
He debuted as a runway model in 2005 and made his official acting debut in the 2010 SBS drama Prosecutor Princess.
7. Did Lee Jong-suk serve in the military?
Yes. He served as a social service agent from 8 March 2019 to 2 January 2021, after receiving a Grade 4 ruling due to a cruciate ligament injury from a childhood car accident.
8. How many Grand Prizes has Lee Jong-suk won?
He has won two Grand Prizes (Daesang) at the MBC Drama Awards: one in 2016 for W and one in 2022 for Big Mouth.
9. Is Lee Jong-suk married?
No. Lee Jong-suk is not married. His most recent publicly confirmed relationship was with singer-actress IU, which ended in July 2026.
10. Who did Lee Jong-suk date?
He publicly dated singer-actress IU from late 2022 until their breakup was confirmed in July 2026.
11. What is Lee Jong-suk’s latest drama?
His most recent project is Disney+’s The Remarried Empress, which premiered on 3 November 2026. He also starred in the 2025 tvN drama Law and the City.
12. What is Lee Jong-suk’s net worth?
A reliable, independently verified figure for Lee Jong-suk’s net worth is not available in public sources. Estimates that appear online have not been confirmed by the actor or his agency.
13. Is Lee Jong-suk on Instagram?
Yes. His verified Instagram handle is @jongsuk0206.
14. What agency is Lee Jong-suk signed to?
Lee Jong-suk is signed to Ace Factory, an actor management and production company.
15. Did Lee Jong-suk leave Iseop’s Romance?
Yes. In September 2026, Ace Factory confirmed that Lee had withdrawn from the planned drama Iseop’s Romance due to scheduling conflicts after the production timeline changed.
