Lee Jun-ki

(이준기)

 Date of birth : Apr 17, 1982
Profession : Actor
Height : 178cm
Weight : 63kg 

Biography

Lee Jun Ki (Hangul: 이준기, Hanja: 李準基, born April 17, 1982, in Busan, South Korea) is a South Korean actor, singer and model. He rose to fame as Gong-gil in The King and the Clown. He has a mother, father, and one younger sister. He graduated from the Seoul Arts College with a major in Acting, and is a 1st degree in both Hapkido and Taekyon, and 3rd degree in Taekwondo. Besides Korean, Lee also speaks some Japanese and English.

Modeling

Lee Jun Ki (right) in King and the Clown
Lee Jun Ki (left) in King and the ClownLee Jun Ki started out as a model and held minor roles in Korean dramas. In 2001, he first appeared in the television commercial for the So Basic fashion label.

Acting
His first drama appearance was as a dissatisfied teenager in the KBS drama What should I do? He later appeared with a minor role in Star"s Echo, a drama by MBC and Fuji TV in 2004.

In 2005, his first major acting role came in The King and the Clown (왕의 남자), where he took on the role of a feminine-appearing entertainer forced to satisfy King Yeonsan"s sexual and emotional cravings taking place the late 15th century. The film became one of the highest grossing South Korean-made movies in South Korea, unexpectedly replacing Taegukgi as the most-watched film in Korean history with over 12.3 million viewers, despite the low amount Lee was paid of just over $100,000 for the role.[1][2] Lee was against the halving of screen quotas in South Korea that allows foreign films to be shown in theaters on certain days, while domestic films are alloted another amount of days. He believed that without the screen quotas, The King and the Clown would not have been as successful in competing against foreign films.[3][4] He earned many Best Male New Comer awards for his role as Gong-gil in The King and the Clown in 2006.

His next role was as the supporting character on the Korean drama SBS"s My Girl together with Miss Korea, Park Si Yeon, Lee Da Hae, and Lee Dong Wook. His movie, Fly, Daddy, Fly which was released as well, garnered much attention and media coverage due to Lee"s overwhelming popularity.[5]

Lee"s popularity overseas is also noted, where in the 19th Tokyo International Film Festival, he was recognized as a top star.[6] In China, Lee was the only Korean among 300 Asian stars invited to attend a Chinese television show which celebrated the Chinese New Year[7]. During the Shanghai International Film Festival, Lee was approached by acclaimed Chinese director Chen Kaige, who proposed that the two should make a film together in China, which Lee thought was a great idea. "I"d love to make the movie if the script is good and the character is right," Lee said.[8]

Lee"s 2007 joint Korea-Japan film movie, Virgin Snow with Japanese actress Aoi Miyazaki, which he plays a Korean university student also garnered him much attention[9] and Lee held his first meeting with his Japanese fans on March 10, 2007 in Osaka, Japan. The next day he talked about his acting career during a talk show that was recorded at the Swiss Hotel in Osaka later.[10] Virgin Snow prove to be a success and was able to place 9th at the box office[11], setting a record for a Korean film released in Japan.

Currently, Lee"s action drama, Time Between Dog And Wolf is airing on MBC. It would be his first drama ever as the lead role. Though ratings were low when it first started, the ratings gradually increase, getting second and third on some nights.

Movies
2004: Hotel Venus (호텔 비너스) (Japanese)
2004: Flying Boys (발레교습소)
2005: The King and the Clown (왕의 남자)
2006: Fly, Daddy, Fly (플라이대디)
2006: The Magnificent Trip
2007: Virgin Snow (ヴァ?ジンスノ?) (Korea/Japan Co-production)

Television dramas
2004: Star"s Echo (MBC/Fuji TV)
2004: Drama City, Episode #234: What Should I Do? (KBS)
2005: My Girl (SBS)
2006: A short appearance in 101 Proposal
2007: Time Between Dog And Wolf (MBC)

Music videos
Clazziquai: "Sweety"
Kang Sung Hoon: "Precious Story"
Lee Soo Young: "Grace Part I"
Lee Soo Young: "Grace Part II"
Lee Soo Young: "Secret"
Lee Jun Ki: "Just One Word.."
Lee Hyori: "Anystar"