# Lee Joon-gi filmography
**Lee Joon-gi** (이준기) is a South Korean actor whose screen work spans Korean film, Korean television drama, Japanese productions, and international co-productions. Born in 1982 in Busan, he debuted as a print model for the fashion brand So Basic in 2001 and broke through with the 2005 film *The King and the Clown*, which sold 12.3 million tickets and was the highest grossing Korean film of its time.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) His filmography since then pairs historical and action roles on television with occasional film work, including the Hollywood production *[Resident Evil: The Final Chapter](https://www.edgepedia.org/resident-evil-the-final-chapter)* (2017).[2](https://cine21.com/db/person/info/?person_id=20961)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Screen debut | First substantive role in *Star's Echo* (MBC–Fuji TV co-production, 2004); film debut in the Japanese film *The Hotel Venus* (2004)[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) |
| Breakthrough | *The King and the Clown* (2005) as the clown Gong-gil; 12.3 million tickets sold, the highest grossing film of its time[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) |
| Concurrent hit | SBS drama *My Girl* (2005–2006) aired while the film was in theaters, making him one of the most popular actors in Asia[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) |
| Military service | Enlisted May 3, 2010; discharged February 16, 2012, dropping out of *Grand Prix* and *Faith* to serve[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) |
| Signature TV roles | Wang So in *Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo* (2016), Bong Sang-pil in *Lawless Lawyer* (2018), Baek Hee-sung in *Flower of Evil* (2020)[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) |
| International work | *The Hotel Venus* (Japan, 2004), *Virgin Snow* (Korea–Japan, 2007), *Never Said Goodbye* (China, 2016), *Resident Evil: The Final Chapter* (2017)[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) • [3](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/kofic/200_actors/Lee_Joongi.jsp) |
| Upcoming | *Kidnap Game* (Fuji TV–Channel A, 2026) as Han Ki-ju; *Dochabi* (2027) as Yi Do-gwan[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) |
## Early work, 2004–2005
Lee entered acting through a modeling debut in 2001 and spent two years in commercials, music videos, and auditions before landing his first substantive role in *Star's Echo*, a 2004 drama co-produced by MBC and Fuji TV.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) The same year he won a role against roughly 2,000 other applicants in the Japanese film *The Hotel Venus*, which sold 2.8 million tickets in Japan, and shot his first Korean film, *Flying Boys* (2004), in which he played Dong-wan.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) • [4](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView2.jsp?peopleCd=10057469)
## The King and the Clown and stardom
**The 2005 breakthrough.** Lee won the role of the clown Gong-gil in *The King and the Clown* after four separate auditions. The historical drama centers on two male clown performers, with Lee's character written with highly effeminate traits; he stayed in character off camera during filming, speaking in a higher pitched voice.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) Released with low expectations, the film sold 12.3 million tickets and became the highest grossing film of its time.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) The Korean Film Biz Zone records that the emergence of the character Gonggil and of Lee himself was considered a cultural phenomenon, contributing to a change in perception toward homosexuals in Korean society.[3](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/kofic/200_actors/Lee_Joongi.jsp)
The Cine21 profile notes that the role produced the so-called "pretty man" syndrome in Korean popular culture, and that his SBS drama *My Girl*, in which he played the playboy Seo Jung-woo, held first place in its time slot while the film was still in theaters.[2](https://cine21.com/db/person/info/?person_id=20961)
## Film career after the breakthrough
After *The King and the Clown*, Lee deliberately took on more masculine roles to avoid typecasting.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) His 2006–2007 film run comprised *Fly, Daddy, Fly* (2006, as Go Seung-suk), *May 18* (2007, as Kang Jin-woo), and *Virgin Snow* (2007, as Kim Min), a Korea–Japan romance co-production.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) • [4](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView2.jsp?peopleCd=10057469) KoBiz notes that both *First Snow* (the international title of *Virgin Snow*) and the 2016 Chinese film *Never Said Goodbye* were projects that started from Lee's star quality.[3](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/kofic/200_actors/Lee_Joongi.jsp)
His later film appearances have been sparse. They include Commander Chu in *Resident Evil: The Final Chapter* (2017) and Jun-ho in *Under the Sicily Sun* (*Never Said Goodbye*, 2016).[5](https://www.movist.com/movist3d/movist.asp?id=29162) • [6](https://ottrank.kr/person/122408)
## Television career
Television has been the mainstay of Lee's career since 2007. The sequence of leading roles runs:[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi)
- *Time Between Dog and Wolf* (MBC, 2007) as Lee Soo-hyun
- *Il Ji-Mae: The Phantom Thief* (SBS, 2008) as Il Ji-mae / Yong-yi
- *Hero* (MBC, 2009)
- *Arang and the Magistrate* (MBC, 2012) as Eun-oh
- *Two Weeks* (MBC, 2013) as Jang Tae-san
- *Gunman in Joseon* (KBS2, 2014) as Park Yoon-kang
- *Scholar Who Walks the Night* (MBC, 2015) as Kim Sung-yeol
- *Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo* (SBS, 2016) as Wang So, the fourth prince
- *Criminal Minds* (tvN, 2017) as Kim Hyun-joon
- *Lawless Lawyer* (tvN, 2018) as Bong Sang-pil
- *Flower of Evil* (tvN, 2020) as Baek Hee-sung / Do Hyun-soo
- *Again My Life* (SBS, 2022) as Kim Hee-woo
- *Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun* (tvN, 2023) as Eunseom and Saya, a dual role
He also made a guest appearance as an exorcist in *Hotel Del Luna* (tvN, 2019, episode 3) and a cameo as himself in *She Was Pretty* (MBC, 2015, episode 9).[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) The 2007–2008 pairing of *Time Between Dog and Wolf* and *Iljimae* is credited in the Cine21 profile with establishing his standing as an actor on both critical and commercial terms.[2](https://cine21.com/db/person/info/?person_id=20961)
## Military service and comeback
Lee began his mandatory military service on May 3, 2010. He had tried to postpone enlistment to finish the film *Grand Prix* and the SBS drama *Faith*, could not obtain an extension, and dropped out of both projects. He was discharged on February 16, 2012, and returned to television the same year with *Arang and the Magistrate*.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi)
## Upcoming projects
Two projects extend the filmography into 2026 and 2027. *Kidnap Game*, a crime thriller produced for Fuji TV with Channel A, casts Lee as Han Ki-ju alongside Japanese actor Kentaro Sakaguchi.[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) *Dochabi* (2027), listed by AsianWiki as a film with Lee in the role of Yi Do-gwan, is a Netflix production that has also cast Kim Do-hoon and [Jeon Jong-seo](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeon-jong-seo).[1](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi) • [7](https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/keywordList.do?keyword=leejoongi&pageIdx=1)
## References
1. [Lee Joon-Gi, AsianWiki](https://asianwiki.com/Lee_Joon-Gi)
2. [이준기 Lee Junki, Cine21](https://cine21.com/db/person/info/?person_id=20961)
3. [Lee Joongi, Korean Actors 200, KoBiz / Korean Film Council](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/kofic/200_actors/Lee_Joongi.jsp)
4. [LEE Joon-gi](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView2.jsp?peopleCd=10057469)
5. [이준기, MOVIST](https://www.movist.com/movist3d/movist.asp?id=29162)
6. [배우 이준기 프로필·필모그래피, 오뜨랑](https://ottrank.kr/person/122408)
7. [leejoongi keyword news list, SBS News](https://news.sbs.co.kr/news/keywordList.do?keyword=leejoongi&pageIdx=1)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Awards and screen reference › Individual filmographies › Western and East Asian filmographies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license