Lee Min-ki (born January 16, 1985) is a South Korean actor, singer, and model. Lee's first leading role in television was in the 2005 sports drama Taereung National Village. He has gone on to star in many television series, including Love Truly (2006), Dal-ja's Spring (2007), Because This Is My First Life (2017), The Beauty Inside (2018), My Liberation Notes (2022) and Behind Your Touch (2023). Lee has also starred in feature films, most notably in the box office hits Tidal Wave (2009), Quick (2011), Spellbound (2011) and Very Ordinary Couple (2013).

Career

Acting

After honing his acting in one-act dramas, Lee Min-ki first gained popularity on television in romantic comedies Love Truly (2006) and Dal-ja's Spring (2007). He then starred in the quirky low-rated cult series Evasive Inquiry Agency (2007) and alternated mainstream films with indies such as Oishii Man (2009). He gained favorable notices for his supporting roles in the thriller A Million as a hot-tempered Marine-turned-janitor who finds himself involved in a survival reality show, and the disaster film Tidal Wave, in which he plays a lifeguard who makes a heartbreaking sacrifice when a tsunami hits the Korean beach town of Haeundae. Lee then solidified his bona fide movie star status with his leading roles in the action film Quick and romantic comedy Spellbound. Lee starred alongside Kim Min-hee in the relationship drama Very Ordinary Couple (2013), a critically-acclaimed a box-office hit. He followed with leading roles in thriller Monster (2014), action noir For the Emperor (2014), and drama film Shoot Me in the Heart (2015), based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Jeong Yu-jeong. In 2017, Lee starred in the romantic-comedy drama Because This Is My First Life opposite Jung So-min, which had been his first television leading role in 10 years. This was followed with the fantasy melodrama The Beauty Inside (2018), based on the 2015 romantic comedy film of the same name. He played a man who suffers from prosopagnosia. In 2019, Lee returned to the small screen opposite Lee Yoo-young in the crime detective drama The Lies Within as detective Jo Tae-sik. On January 13, 2020, it was announced that Lee would star in the occult thriller film Three Days alongside Park Shin-yang and Lee Re. In 2021, Lee starred alongside Nana in the MBC romantic comedy Oh My Ladylord. After the contract with his former agency expired in September 2021, Lee signed a contract with Yeongsang ENT. The same year, he joined the JTBC television series My Liberation Notes which premiered in April 2022. He played the role of Yeom Chang-hee, the second of three siblings with no proper goal in life.

Singing

After performing a stylized version of "My Way" at the 2008 Mnet KM Music Festival, Lee lent his vocals to a track with Korean electronica/pop singer Sheean in a collaboration with Japanese electronica/Shibuya-kei artist FreeTEMPO. The song, titled "Power of Love," was released as a digital single, and Lee also appeared in the music video. On August 11, 2009, he unveiled his musical debut No Kidding, a six track EP with a very indie-electro rock sound. The album's title song "Eternal Summer" was the first and only single released. In 2013, he released two singles titled "Those Days I Had with You" and "Everything" in collaboration with Gold Coast.

Personal life

Lee enlisted for his mandatory military service on August 7, 2014, and was assigned as a public service worker. He was discharged in August 2016.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Music video appearances

Discography

Albums

Soundtrack

Awards and nominations