# Lee Sang-yoon
**Lee Sang-yoon** (이상윤) is a South Korean actor known for television dramas such as *My Daughter Seo-young*, *Liar Game*, *Twenty Again*, and *[One the Woman](https://www.edgepedia.org/one-the-woman)*, and for films including *Sex Is Zero 2* (2007), *INSANE* (2016), and *OK! MADAM* (2020).[1](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView2.jsp?peopleCd=20177460) Born in 1981 in Seoul, he is also known for having studied physics at [Seoul National University](https://www.edgepedia.org/seoul-national-university) before entering acting.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3718915/) • [3](https://movielupe.tistory.com/96)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981, Seoul, South Korea[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3718915/) |
| Education | Yeouido High School; bachelor's degree in physics, Seoul National University[3](https://movielupe.tistory.com/96) |
| Debut | Supporting role in the comedy film *Sex Is Zero 2* (2007)[1](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView2.jsp?peopleCd=20177460) |
| Breakthrough | Wider recognition in 2012 with *My Daughter Seo-young*; first male lead in *Santa Barbara* (2014)[4](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/mobile4/jsp/People/PeopleView.jsp?peopleCd=20177460) |
| Notable dramas | *Liar Game* (2014), *Twenty Again* (2015), *On the Way to the Airport* (2016), *Whisper* (2017), *One the Woman* (2021)[4](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/mobile4/jsp/People/PeopleView.jsp?peopleCd=20177460) • [5](https://web.ducksticket.com/actor/1861) |
| Notable films | *INSANE* (2016), *OK! MADAM* (2020), *SERVE THE PEOPLE* (2022)[1](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView2.jsp?peopleCd=20177460) |
| Theater | *Almost, Maine* (stage debut), *Freud's Last Session*, *Closer*, *Death of a Salesman*[6](https://en.snu.ac.kr/snunow/snu_media/news?bbsidx=127018&md=v) • [7](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250214/interview-lee-sang-yoon-falls-in-love-with-acting-through-death-of-a-salesman) |
## Education and entry into acting
Lee studied physics at Seoul National University, one of South Korea's most selective universities, and earned a bachelor's degree in the subject.[3](https://movielupe.tistory.com/96) His acting career began with a coincidental street casting while he was serving in the army. At first acting was little more than a part-time job, but he came to love it, and he has said that physics, with its logic and reason, helped him keep balance in a profession built on emotion.[6](https://en.snu.ac.kr/snunow/snu_media/news?bbsidx=127018&md=v) His SNU background drew public attention once it became known, and he was called an "um-chin-ah", a Korean term for the son of a friend who excels at everything.[8](https://cine21.com/db/person/info/?person_id=67767)
## Screen career
Lee debuted with a supporting role in the comedy film *Sex Is Zero 2* (2007) and then appeared in television series including *I Love You, Don't Cry* and *My Happy Home*.[4](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/mobile4/jsp/People/PeopleView.jsp?peopleCd=20177460) He gained wider recognition in 2012 with *My Daughter Seo-young*, was offered his first male lead in the film *Santa Barbara* (2014), and broke out of typecasting as the "perfect mom's son" with the thriller series *Liar Game* (2014).[4](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/mobile4/jsp/People/PeopleView.jsp?peopleCd=20177460) He reinvented himself again with *Twenty Again* (2015) and took major roles in the thriller film *INSANE* (2016) and the disaster comedy *OK! MADAM* (2020).[4](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/mobile4/jsp/People/PeopleView.jsp?peopleCd=20177460)
His drama credits span a wide range of genres, from the medical romance *Angel Eyes* and the fantasy *[About Time](https://www.edgepedia.org/about-time-tv-series)* to the legal thriller *[Whisper](https://www.edgepedia.org/whisper-tv-series)*, the office drama *VIP*, and the body-swap comedy *One the Woman* (2021), in which he co-starred with Honey Lee.[5](https://web.ducksticket.com/actor/1861) • [9](https://www.soompi.com/article/1501183wpp/lee-sang-yoon) In film, his credits include *Santa Barbara* (2014), *INSANE* (2016), *OK! MADAM* (2020), and *SERVE THE PEOPLE* (2022).[1](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView2.jsp?peopleCd=20177460)
## Theater
Lee made his first foray into theater with *Almost, Maine*, a collection of nine vignettes on love and loss whose proceeds were donated to a children's hospital.[6](https://en.snu.ac.kr/snunow/snu_media/news?bbsidx=127018&md=v) He has since built a steady stage career with productions including *Freud's Last Session* and *Closer*, and he credits *Freud's Last Session* as a turning point that reshaped his approach to acting; applying what he learned on stage to screen work made his performances feel richer, he said.[7](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250214/interview-lee-sang-yoon-falls-in-love-with-acting-through-death-of-a-salesman) In 2025 he was performing in *Death of a Salesman*, a role he approached by digging into the "why" behind each line of dialogue.[7](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250214/interview-lee-sang-yoon-falls-in-love-with-acting-through-death-of-a-salesman)
## Public image and other work
Lee has served his alma mater as an ambassador for Seoul National University's new Siheung campus, appearing in its promotional videos, and has advocated for a system in which working graduates mentor current students.[6](https://en.snu.ac.kr/snunow/snu_media/news?bbsidx=127018&md=v) He has also appeared on variety television, joining SBS's *[Master in the House](https://www.edgepedia.org/master-in-the-house)*, though he has said he finds variety work difficult because it is not something he particularly enjoys.[10](https://www.soompi.com/article/1374825wpp/lee-sang-yoon-says-working-on-variety-shows-is-difficult-for-him)
## References
1. [LEE Sang-yun, Korean Film Council (KOFIC) people database](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/peopleView2.jsp?peopleCd=20177460)
2. [Lee Sang-yoon, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3718915/)
3. [이상윤 프로필 및 필모그래피 (profile and filmography), MLUPE](https://movielupe.tistory.com/96)
4. [LEE Sang-yun, KOFIC people database (mobile)](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/mobile4/jsp/People/PeopleView.jsp?peopleCd=20177460)
5. [이상윤 배우 프로필·출연작, 덕스티켓](https://web.ducksticket.com/actor/1861)
6. [With Lee Sang-yoon, SNU NOW, Seoul National University](https://en.snu.ac.kr/snunow/snu_media/news?bbsidx=127018&md=v)
7. [Interview: Lee Sang-yoon falls in love with acting through 'Death of a Salesman', The Korea Times](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250214/interview-lee-sang-yoon-falls-in-love-with-acting-through-death-of-a-salesman)
8. [이상윤, 씨네21 인물 정보](https://cine21.com/db/person/info/?person_id=67767)
9. [Lee Sang Yoon Talks About The Success Of "One The Woman", Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1501183wpp/lee-sang-yoon)
10. [Lee Sang Yoon Says Working On Variety Shows Is Difficult For Him, Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1374825wpp/lee-sang-yoon-says-working-on-variety-shows-is-difficult-for-him)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of East and Southeast Asia › South Korean actors, 2000s onward › Surnames L*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license