Lee Jung-jae Biography
Lee Jung-jae is a South Korean Actor, Filmmaker, and Entrepreneur well-known for appearing in many shows and films such as “Squid Game”, “Squid Game: The Challenge”, and “Hunt”. Some of the other shows he has appeared in are “Deliver Us From Evil”, “New World”, “The Face Reader”, and “Trade Your Love”
Lee Jung-jae Age
Jung-jae was born on December 15, 1972, in Seoul, South Korea. He is therefore 50 years old as of 2023 and celebrates her birthday on the 15th of December every year.
Lee Jung-jae Height
Jung-jae stands at an approximate height of 5 feet and 11 inches.
Lee Jung-jae Family
Jung-jae was born to Lee Chul-seong (father) and his mother whose name is unknown. He has an older brother, whose name is also unknown. Jung-jae once revealed that his brother has been suffering from severe autism for many years.
Lee Jung-jae Wife / Children
Jung-jae is a married man and his spouse is Lim Se-ryung, a former Vice Chairwoman of Daesang group. Lim is well-known as the ex-wife of the executive chairman of Samsung Electronics, Lee Jae-Yong, whom they divorced in the year 2009. Jung-jae has no kids at the moment. However, he is the stepfather to Lim Se-ryung’s kids, Lee Ji-ho (boy-firstborn) and Lee Won-joo (girl). Lim got the 2 kids from her previous marriage with Lee Jae-Yong.
Lee Jung-jae Net Worth
Jung-jae has an estimated net worth of between $1 Million-$5 Million which he has earned through his successful career as an Actor, Filmmaker, and Entrepreneur.
Lee Jung-jae Education
Jung-jae is a proud 2004 alumnus of Dongguk University’s Department of Theater & Film Art in the Graduate School of Cultural Arts, where he obtained a master’s degree. He had his high school studies at Hyundai Senior High School. Jung-jae has also studied at Sungui Elementary School and Cheongdam Middle School.
Lee Jung-jae Career
Jung-jae has had a diverse acting career. He was first discovered by designer Ha Yong-soo while serving at the Apgujeong-dong café. He then modeled for years before his acting debut in the 1993 TV drama “Dinosaur Teacher”. This marked the start of his rapid rise to stardom, often landing lead roles. In the year 1994, the hit campus drama “Feelings” solidified his fame. Jung-jae’s breakthrough in acting came in the year 1998 with the award-winning film “An Affair”. He continued with successes like City of the “Last Present”, “Il Mare”, and “Rising Sun”.
In the year 2002, Jung-jae starred in “Over the Rainbow” and had a major hit in the year 2003 with “Oh! Brothers”. However, he took a break from the limelight for a couple of years. He returned in the year 2005 with Typhoon. His TV comeback in the years 2007 and 2009 with “Air City and Triple” didn’t match earlier success. “Mistaken Courtesan” and “The Accidental Gangster” marked a shift to a comical role, though it wasn’t a box office hit.
“The Thieves” and “The Housemaid” at Cannes boosted Jung-jae’s career. He ventured into art with “El Fin del Mundo” and continued his association with the National Museum of Contemporary Art. Jung-jae played a key role in the crime thriller “New World” and won awards for his role in “The Face Reader”. He also appeared in “Assassination” and “Big Match”. His first Chinese film was “Tik Tok”, followed by the Korean hit “Operation Chromite”. In the year 2017, he was featured in “Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds” and “Warriors of the Dawn”.
2019-Present
In the year 2019, Jung-jae starred in “Svaha: The Sixth Finger”, an occult film, and made his TV return in the JTBC political drama “Chief of Staff”. The following year, he appeared in the action film “Deliver Us from Evil”. In the year 2022, Jung-jae directed and starred in his debut film “Hunt”, premiering at the Cannes Film Festival. He signed with Creative Artists Agency in “February” and was cast in the Star Wars series “The Acolyte”, set for release on Disney+. Jung-jae was honored with the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, the highest decoration for contributions to culture and arts, by President Yoon Suk-yeol.
Lee Jung-jae Squid Game
Jung-jae is highly recognized by people for being the main protagonist in Season 1 of the film “Squid Game”, which premiered on September 17, 2021, on Netflix. He is the main protagonist in the 1st season and he portrays the role of “Seong Gi-hun” (Player 456), an unlucky gambler who gets invited to participate in a set of dangerous children’s games.
The film is about a hidden competition where 456 players, all facing serious money problems, take dangerous risks to play deadly children’s games (season 1 games – the eponymous Squid game, “Marbles”, “Red Light, Green Light”, and “Tug of War”). They do this for the opportunity to win a ₩45.6 billion prize. In season 1 of the show, Jung-jae becomes the winner and takes the money home, and helps his grandmother.
Season 2 of “Squid Game” premiered on November 22, 2023, on Netflix, and Jung-jae is returning. It was announced that Jung-jae will return in season 2 of the show, and he will “do something for the world.” Below is some of the other cast of “Squid Game Season 2;
- Gong Yoo – returning cast
- Im Si-wan – new cast
- Kang Ha-neul – new cast
- Kang Ae-shim – new cast
Lee Jung-jae Awards (for Squid Game)
Due to Jung-jae’s well-known role in Squid Game, he has won many honors and awards. He was nominated at the Gotham Independent Film Awards 2021. He was individually nominated for Outstanding Performance in a New Series. Jung-jae also got nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama, and the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series. This made him the 1st male actor from Korea and Asia to get individual nominations in those categories across all three award shows.
Jung-jae’s win, along with his co-star HoYeon Jung winning the respective female award, made history for the show as the first non-English language series to win at the SAG Awards. He was also nominated with his co-stars for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. In 2022, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in Squid Game, making him the 1st person to win that award in South Korea for a non-English-speaking role and the first Asian man to win that award.
Lee Jung-jae Squid Game: The Challenge
Yeong-su is among the contestants who hope to take home a $4.56 million prize fund, in the reality TV game show “Squid Game: The Challenge”, which premiered on November 22, 2023, on Netflix. He and his competitors use their strategies, and as the games go on, some players get eliminated. The total number of the contestants is 456.
Below is a list of some of the other contestants in the show “Squid Game: The Challenge”:
- Michael Van Wijk
- Im Si-wan
- Kang Ha-neul
- O Yeong-su
Lee Jung-jae Business
In addition to acting, Jung-jae owns a series of fancy Italian restaurants in Seoul, South Korea, named after his movie “Il Mare.” He studied interior design, and he took charge of designing the inside of his restaurants. In the year 2008, Jung-jae started the real estate development company Seorim C&D. He also owns various businesses with actor Jung Woo-sung, a good friend he collaborated with for the 1st time on the film “City of the Rising Sun.” In May 2016, Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung founded and became CEOs of their entertainment label, “Artist Company”. On November 11, 2021, Jung-jae was reported to work for Gucci, a luxury brand, as a global ambassador.
Lee Jung-jae Volunteer Work
Jung-jae gave ₩100 M to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association on March 8, 2022, to assist the victims of a big wildfire in Uljin, Gyeongbuk, which also affected Samcheok, Gangwon. Then, on August 3, 2022, it was reported by the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association that Jung-jae became part of the Hope Bridge Honors Club. This is a group of significant donors who have contributed over ₩100 M.
Lee Jung-jae Arrest
Alchohol
In the year 1999, Jung-jae faced charges of DUI (driving under the influence) when he crashed his BMW into a car in the next lane. The police reported that 0.222% was his blood alcohol content. Because of this, his driver’s license was taken away. He had another “driving under the influence” charge in the year 2002, which also resulted in his license being taken away again.
Mother’s Debt
In the year 2015, Jung-jae had to deal with a legal case about not paying back his mother’s debt, which amounted to ₩190 M won ($162K). The case traces back to the year 1997 when Jung-jae’s mother borrowed money from a businesswoman, taking advantage of her son’s fame. At that time, Jung-jae was one of the most popular actors, especially because of his successful TV drama “Sandglass,” which aired in the year 1995 in South Korea.
Jung-jae’s mom promised the businesswoman that she would “quickly repay with the money Jung-jae earns from films and commercials.” She borrowed a total of ₩190 million won, and this continued until early 2000. In August 2000, since no repayments were made, the lender asked for 249 million won, including interest. However, Jung-jae’s mother moved to the United States from Korea, without fully paying off the debt.
Lee Jung-jae Movies and TV Shows
Jung-jae has appeared in several other films and TV shows, other than the ones mentioned above in the biography and career parts. Some of these films include;
- Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days
- Love Is Blue
- Dramaworld 2
- Delayed Justice
- The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan
- The Lonely Man
- The Young Man
- Albatross
- Interview
- The Uprising
- Father vs. Son
Lee Jung-jae Social Media Platforms
He is active on his social media accounts and often posts on his Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. He has over 4.2M followers on Instagram.
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