Lee's career began in 1991 after a KBS talent audition and making his debut in the television drama Asphalt My Hometown.[5] Lee drew attention with the action drama Asphalt Man and romantic film The Harmonium in My Memory,[6] but it was only in 2000 that he made his big breakthrough with Park Chan-wook's Joint Security Area. The film broke the box office record and became the highest grossing Korean film at the time.[7] Lee's role as a border-guard soldier won him the Best Actor award at the Busan Film Critics Awards.
In 2001, Lee's popularity continued to climb when he starred in melodramas Beautiful Days and Bungee Jumping of Their Own.[8] In 2003, he received the Grand Prize at the SBS Drama Awards and Best Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards for his role in the poker drama All In.[9] Due to his film and television roles, Lee experienced a rise in popularity across Asia, particularly Japan.[10][11]
Lee returned to television in late 2009 in the espionage action thriller Iris as a secret agent who finds himself at the center of an international conspiracy.[21] He reportedly received over 100 million won per episode for his role, the third highest in the country's drama history.[22]Iris was one of the most expensive shows ever produced, and was a smash hit across Asia.[23][24] Lee's performance earned him the Grand Prize at the KBS Drama Awards and Best Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards.[25][26]
Following his sex-chat scandal, Lee returned with the martial arts film Memories of the Sword in 2015. The film was shot in late 2013 and scheduled for release in 2014, but was postponed due to Lee's scandal.[39] He received praise for his "scene-stealing" role as a young and ambitious warrior with a lowly status, but the film failed to do well and was criticized for its plot.[40] The same year, Lee played a T-1000 in Terminator Genisys opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger.[41][42] He then starred in Woo Min-ho's political crime thriller Inside Men,[43] which became the top grossing R-rated movie of all-time at the Korean Box Office.[44] Touted as the "star" of the film, Lee won Best Actor awards at various film awards ceremonies.[45][46]
In 2018, Lee made his television comeback in Mr. Sunshine, a historical war drama written by Kim Eun-sook.[63] The series was a commercial and critical success, and Lee won the Grand Prize at the 6th APAN Star Awards.[64]
In September 2021, he appeared on Netflix's survival drama Squid Game as the Front Man.[71] At the 15th Asian Film Awards, he was awarded with Asian Film Excellence Award. He is the first Korean actor to be selected for the award, which is given for outstanding achievements in Asian cinema and culture.[72]
Lee formed a management company, BH Entertainment, which manages many actors including Han Hyo-joo, Go Soo, Jin Goo, Jinyoung and Han Ji-min.[76] He owns a shop, BHNC, which sells hats, scarves and wallets.[77]
Lee Byung-hun is noted in the video game industry for providing his likeness for the main character, Wayne Holden, in the 2006 game Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.[78]
In 2010, Lee was named California's tourism promotion ambassador to Korea.[79]
In 2013, Lee was selected as an honorary ambassador for that year's annual meeting of the Association of Film Commissioners International, a group dedicated to helping facilitate international coproductions.[80] The same year, he was appointed honorary ambassador to promote the 50th Daejong Film Awards.[81]
In February 2020, Lee donated 100 million won through the Fruit of Love of the Community Chest of Korea and his donation was used to provide sanitary products to vulnerable groups.[85] In October 2020, Lee made voice donation to multi-media type Braille sensory book by The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage.[86] On December 30, 2020, Lee donated 100 million won to the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation to help children from low-income families who are having difficulties in life due to COVID-19.[87]
On July 12, 2021, Lee donated 100 million won to Asan Children's Hospital in Seoul on his birthday.[88]
On March 6, 2022, Lee donated 100 million won to Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help residents affected by the Uljin and Samcheok wildfires and his donation is said to be quickly used to provide temporary shelter for the victims who are evacuating from their homes.[89]
Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea. He has a younger sister, Lee Eun-hee, who won the Miss Congeniality portion of Miss Korea in 1996.[6] He graduated from Hanyang University with a major in French Literature and the Graduate School of Chung-Ang University with a major in Theater and Cinematography.[5][90] In his spare time, Lee practices taekwondo.[91][92]
Lee was previously romantically linked with fellow All In lead Song Hye-kyo beginning in the early-2000s. The relationship, though kept completely low-key and rarely publicized, lasted fifteen months before they split in mid-June 2004.[93] Lee married actress Lee Min-jung on August 10, 2013, at the Grand Hyatt Seoul.[94] The couple had briefly dated in 2006, then resumed their relationship in 2012.[95] Lee's wife gave birth to their child, a son, Lee Joon-hoo, on March 31, 2015.[96] On August 4, 2023, Lee's wife confirmed that she is expecting their second child. They welcomed the birth of their second child, a daughter, born on December 21, 2023.[97]
After he had to clear some debts following his father's death, Lee fell into a depression. He then started to suffer panic disorders, and found it difficult to attend award ceremonies. Lee credits his wife with helping him overcome his mental health challenges.[98]
On December 9, 2009, Lee's ex-girlfriend Kwon Mi-yeon filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was tricked into having a sexual relationship with the star based on the promise of marriage. She claimed Lee caused her mental anguish and physical damage along with claims that Lee is a chronic gambler and sued for 100 million won. Lee's agency, BH Entertainment, countered that her claims were all false and that the lawsuit was retaliatory in nature due to the breakup. Lee countersued Kwon for defamation and extortion.[99][100]
Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, TV show host Kang Byung-kyu appeared on the set of the TV drama Iris that Lee was working on at the time. He was accused of bringing in gangsters and causing a disturbance due to a conflict with a producer that he claimed spread rumors that Kang was behind the feud between Lee and Kwon. Due to this incident, Kang was arrested on assault charges. Kang was also later indicted on charges of blackmail and defamation, with prosecutors alleging that Kang and Kwon colluded to blackmail Lee for large sums of money in November 2009, before Kwon went on to file her civil lawsuit in December, after Lee refused to pay.[101][102]
Lee was cleared of the illegal gambling charges on March 19, 2010, with prosecutors citing no evidence.[103] Kwon's claim for damages was eventually dropped in August 2010 due to her lack of participation in proceedings.[104] Kang was eventually sentenced to one year in prison and three years probation in 2013 on his fraud and assault charges.[105]
On August 28, 2014, Lee was blackmailed by singer Dahee from K-pop girl group GLAM[106] and model Lee Ji-yeon[107] for 5 billion won (about US$4,000,000) in exchange for not releasing, on the internet, a compromising video of him making sexual jokes while drinking with them on July 3.[108][109][110][111] Dahee and Lee Ji-yeon were arrested on September 1,[112] after Lee reported the crime to police when they handed him two suitcases to transport the money.[113] It was later revealed that the crime was fully intentional and pre-planned, as both Dahee and Lee Ji-yeon looked for plane tickets to escape to Europe[114] and purchased two suitcases to be used for transporting the money.[115] Moreover, the two women attempted to film an additional video of Lee hugging Lee Ji-yeon by secretly placing a smartphone in a kitchen sink, but they failed to do so.[116] However, Lee Ji-yeon claimed that the blackmailing was an impulsive act after Lee broke up with her,[117][118] for which Lee's agency released an official statement, stating that Lee had not once met her alone and that he mentioned to the two women that he wanted to stop meeting them when he sensed ulterior motives from them, after talking about their financial difficulties,[115] demanding he buy them a house.[119] The final trial was held at the Seoul District Court on January 15, 2015,[120] where Dahee was sentenced to a year in jail and Lee Ji-yeon to a year and two months.[121][122] In February, following the sentencing, Lee requested a pardon for the women, while the prosecution in charge felt that the sentence was too lenient.[123] In March, both women, who were in jail for six months, received a suspended sentence for two years, following Lee's pardon request.[124] The K-pop girl group GLAM was disbanded following the sentencing of Dahee.
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^Choi Young-joo (July 4, 2022). 사상 초유의 항공 재난 '비상선언' 8월 3일 개봉 [Unprecedented Aviation Disaster 'Declaration of Emergency' opens on August 3rd]. CBS No Cut News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
^Kim Ji-hye (September 30, 2021). 이병헌, 제15회 아시아영화엑설런스상 수상…한국 배우 최초 [Lee Byung-hun wins the 15th Asian Film Excellence Award... First Korean actor]. SBS Entertainment News (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
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^Nam Hye-yeon (November 3, 2011). 이병헌, 환아를 위한 따뜻한 재능기부 나섰다 [Lee Byung-hun, generous talent donation for sick children]. Sports Seoul (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022 – via Naver.
^Shin Young-eun (February 25, 2020). 유재석·이병헌·신민아→박서준·이영애·송가인, 코로나19 기부 행렬[종합] [Yoo Jae-seok, Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-ah → Park Seo-joon, Lee Young-ae, Song Ga-in, Corona 19 donation procession [comprehensive]]. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022 – via Naver.
^Park Ji-hyun (October 15, 2020). 소리로 소개하는 천연기념물 '동물' 점자감각책, 이병헌·한지민 목소리로 들어보세요 [The Braille sensory book, 'Animal', a natural monument introduced by sound, listen to the voices of Lee Byung-hun and Han Ji-min]. Financial News (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022 – via Naver.
^Jo Yeon-kyung (December 30, 2020). "따뜻한 아빠 마음" 이병헌, 저소득층 아동 돕기 '1억 기부'[공식] ["A warm father's heart" Lee Byung-hun, '100 million donation' to help low-income children [Official]]. Daily Sports (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim Ji-ho (July 12, 2021). "소아청소년 환우를 위해"…이병헌, 생일 맞이 1억원 기부 ["For pediatric patients"... Lee Byung-hun, donated 100 million won for his birthday]. Dispatch (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim Won-gyeom (March 6, 2022). 이병헌, 산불 피해 이재민 위해 희망브리지에 성금 1억원 기탁[공식] [Lee Byung-hun, donated 100 million won to Hope Bridge for the victims of forest fire [Official]]. Spotify News (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022 – via Naver.
^Moon, Dayoung (October 6, 2010). 이병헌과 전여친 관련, 강병규 공판 올해안에 안 끝난다 [Kang Byung-gyu's trial over Lee Byung-hun and his ex-girlfriend won't end within this year]. Newsen. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
^Yoon, Sung-yeol (September 2, 2014). '영장 신청' 글램 다희 "이병헌 협박혐의 인정..죄송". Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 22, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
^Lee, Yoo-jung (September 30, 2014). 배우 이병헌 '음담패설 동영상' 협박한 다희·이지연 구속기소. The Korea Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 22, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.