Lee Jung-jae is a famous South Korean actor and former model, with a net worth of $12 million. He was born on December 15, 1972, in Seoul, South Korea. He became internationally famous for playing Seong Gi-hun in the popular Netflix series “Squid Game” (2021–present).
He has acted in more than 40 projects, including well-known films such as “Il Mare” (2000), “The Housemaid” (2010), “New World” (2013), and “Deliver Us from Evil” (2020). He has also appeared in TV shows like “Sandglass” (1995) and “Chief of Staff” (2019).
Besides acting, he got involved in the food business by opening a group of Italian restaurants in Seoul called Il Mare. He even worked on designing the interiors himself. In 2008, he started a real estate company named Seorim C&D.
He has worked on several business projects with his friend and co-star from “City of the Rising Sun,” Jung Woo-sung. Together, they started an entertainment company called the Artist Company in 2016. In 2001, Jung-jae received a Prime Minister’s Commendation.
Career
While working at a café in Apgujeong, Lee was discovered by a designer named Ha Yong-soo. He spent a few years modeling before rising to fame after starting his acting career on the TV show “Dinosaur Teacher” in 1993. In 1994, he played Han Joon on the series “Feelings” and acted in his first movie, “The Young Man.” In 1995, Jung-jae played Baek Jae-hee on the SBS drama “Sandglass.”
After that, he acted in the movies “Albatross” (1996), “Fire Bird” (1997), “Father vs. Son” (1997), “An Affair” (1998), “City of the Rising Sun” (1999), and “The Uprising” (1999), as well as the TV shows “Snail” (1997) and “White Nights 3.98” (1998).
In 2000, Lee played the lead in “Il Mare,” a romance about time travel that was later remade into “The Lake House” with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in 2006. He acted in “Interview” and “Asako in Ruby Shoes” that same year. In 2001, he played Jung Yong-ki in “Last Present” and Detective Oh in “The Last Witness.”
Lee Jung-jae (Credits: Getty Images)After starring in “Over the Rainbow” in 2002, Jung-jae acted alongside Lee Beom-soo in one of his most popular movies, “Oh! Brothers,” released in 2003. In 2005, he played Kang Se-jong in the action movie “Typhoon,” which earned about $26 million at the box office.
Jung-jae played Kim Ji-sung in the MBC drama “Air City” in 2007. The next year, he starred in the movie “The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan” and later appeared in the 2009 MBC series “Triple.”
In 2010, he acted in “The Housemaid,” a thriller that gained attention at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2012, he was part of the cast of “The Thieves,” which became the sixth highest-grossing Korean film ever, earning around $86 million. In 2013, Lee did voice work for the documentary “Contemporary Art, Bury the Boundary” and appeared in the movies “New World” and “The Face Reader.”
He kept doing well in movies like “Big Match” (2014), “Assassination” (2015), “Tik Tok” (2016), “Operation Chromite” (2016), and “Warriors of the Dawn” (2017). He played the God of Death (King Yeomra) in “Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds” (2017) and again in the sequel “Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days” (2018).
In 2019, Jung-jae acted as Jang Tae-joon in the JTBC drama “Chief of Staff” and came back briefly in a cameo for “Delayed Justice” in 2021. He appeared in “Svaha: The Sixth Finger” (2019) and “Deliver Us from Evil” (2020). In November 2021, Lee was chosen as a global ambassador for Gucci.
Squid Game
In 2021, Lee Jung-jae played the part of Seong Gi-hun in the Netflix hit “Squid Game.” Just a few months after it came out, “Squid Game” became the most-watched show on Netflix, with more than 142 million households watching it since its release in mid-September.
Lee Jung-jae (Credits: Getty Images)Personal Life
In 1999, Jung-jae accidentally hit a car in the next lane while driving his BMW and was charged with DUI after his blood alcohol level was found to be 0.222%. He faced another DUI charge in 2002. In 2008, he finished a master’s degree in theatre and film at Dongguk University’s Graduate School of Cultural Arts.
Shortly after, he made his stage debut in “Hamlet in Water” at the Lee Hae-rang Theater. In 2015, Jung-jae spoke about his relationship with Im Se-ryung, who is the executive director of the Daesang Group.
They met in 2005, and Jung-jae said, “As an entertainer, I think that getting attention from the public is a part of my job and I have to endure it to some extent. But Im Se-ryung is just a normal person and especially a mother of two children, so I want to prevent Im Se-ryung and her family from being hurt or their privacy being violated.”
Awards and Nominations
In 1994, Lee was nominated for Best New Actor for his role in “Feelings” at the KBS Drama Awards. The next year, he received several awards: he won Best New Actor for “Sandglass” at the SBS Drama Awards and received Best New Actor (TV) and Best New Actor (Film) at the Baeksang Arts Awards for “Sandglass” and “The Young Man.”
He was also given Best New Actor for “The Young Man” at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, Grand Bell Awards, and the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards.
In 1997, the Baeksang Arts Awards named Jung-jae the Most Popular Actor for “Firebird,” and in 1999, he was given the same title for “City of the Rising Sun.” That movie also got him a Best Actor award from the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards and a Best Leading Actor award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.
Lee Jung-jae (Credits: Getty Images)He was awarded Best Actor for “Asako in Ruby Shoes” at the 2002 Verona Love Screens Film Festival, for “Typhoon” at the 2006 Golden Cinematography Awards, and for “The Housemaid” at the 2011 Fantasporto Director’s Week.
In 2008, he received the Style Icon Actor award at the Style Icon Awards, and in 2010, he was chosen as the Most Influential Star at the Mnet 20’s Choice Awards. In 2013, he got a CJ CGV Star Award for “New World” and “The Face Reader” at the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards.
That year, he also won a Popularity Award at the Grand Bell Awards and a Best Supporting Actor award for “The Face Reader” at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.
In 2014, Jung-jae won awards for “The Face Reader” at both the KOFRA Film Awards and the Baeksang Arts Awards. The next year, he received an InStyle Fashionista Award from the Baeksang Arts Awards. He was also given the Marie Claire Asia Star Award for Actor of the Year and the Buil Film Award for Best Actor for his role in “Assassination.”
In 2018, he was named Super Icon (Male) at the Elle Style Awards, and “Deliver Us from Evil” won the Grand Prize (Daesang) for Film at the 2020 Asia Artist Awards.
For his role in “Squid Game,” he received the Fabulous Award for Actor, the Actor of the Year (Daesang), and the Hot Trend Award at the 2021 Asia Artist Awards. Jung-jae has also been nominated for awards for his work in “An Affair” (Blue Dragon Film Awards), “Last Present” (Grand Bell Awards), “Tik Tok” (Golden Lotus Awards), and “Chief of Staff” (Korea Drama Awards).
Lee Jung-jae’s impressive career shows his strong talent and wide range as an actor, starting from his early roles to his well-known part in “Squid Game.” With a net worth of $12 million, his achievements go beyond acting, including success in business through his restaurant and real estate projects.
His strong commitment to acting, along with his skill in managing different business activities, has made him one of South Korea’s most respected entertainers. As he keeps moving forward, Lee Jung-jae’s future looks promising, and his influence in both entertainment and business continues to grow.