From a talented book editor to a ruthless serial killer — one of the finest actors in the Korean entertainment industry has been there, played that. Although most recently in the headlines for being in a relationship with K-pop sensation IU — the actor in question has a stellar filmography and a sea of upcoming projects to his name. If you’ve yet to be acquainted with Lee Jong Suk, here’s our pick of his most career-defining and engaging movies and TV Shows.
At just 15, Lee Jong Suk entered the limelight — making a name for himself as the youngest male model to debut in the Seoul Collection Program at Seoul Fashion Week. What followed are several fashion shows, time spent training as an idol, and some career pivots — culminating in his debut in the romantic comedy Prosecutor Princess.
A few years later came his breakthrough role in School 2013 — which saw him bag the Best New Actor title at the 2012 KBS Drama Awards. The rest, as they say, is history. The actor’s filmography is a smorgasbord of genres — romance, thriller, melodrama, fantasy the works. Needless to say, there’s something there for everyone. We’re taking a look at Lee Jong Suk’s best movies and TV shows.
Stream-worthy movies and TV shows starring Lee Jong-suk
Doctor Stranger
Directed by: Jin Hyuk, Hong Jong-chan
Cast: Lee Jong-suk, Jin Se-yeon, Park Hae-jin, Kang So-ra
Release date: 5 May 2014
Episodes: 20
Synopsis: Trapped by North Korea as a young child with his surgeon father — Park Hoon (played by Lee Jong-suk) grows up to be a genius cardiothoracic surgeon. He also moonlights as a smuggler of K-pop DVDs and tries to defect to South Korea with his high-school sweetheart and oriental medicine specialist Jae Hee (played by Jin Se-yeon). Unfortunately, they’re separated along the way.
About the show: The show was a wild success, raking up views by the millions. For his stellar performance, Lee Jong-suk earned a nomination in the Top Excellence Award, Actor category in the 2014 Korea Drama Awards. He also won the SBS Special Award at the SBS Drama Awards that year.
Pinocchio
Directed by: Jo Soo-won, Shin Seung-woo
Cast: Lee Jong-suk, Park Shin-hye, Kim Young-kwang, Lee Yu-bi
Release date: 12 November 2014
Episodes: 20
Synopsis: Four idealistic journalists chase justice while discovering themselves. This includes broadcast journalist Choi In-ha (played by Park Shin-hye) who suffers from ‘Pinocchio Syndrome’ — which causes her to break out in hiccups when she lies. Her colleagues include the shabby yet highly intelligent and sharp Choi Dal-po (Lee Jong-suk), the wealthy and spoilt Seo Bum-jo (played by Kim Young-kwang, and fangirl Yoon Yoo Rae (played by Lee Yu Bi).
About the show: The show is considered a part of the Korean entertainment canon and boasted high viewership ratings during its time. For his performance, Lee Jong Suk bagged several titles — Top Excellence Award, Actor at the 8th Korea Drama Awards, Most Popular Actor (TV) at the 51st Baeksang Arts Awards, Best Actor at the 27th Grimae Awards, and Top 10 Stars at the SBS Drama Awards.
W
Directed by: Jung Dae-yoon
Cast: Lee Jong-suk, Han Hyo-joo
Release date: 20 July 2016
Episodes: 16
Synopsis: Rich webtoon character Kang Cheol (played by Lee Jong-Suk) gets involved with real-world surgeon Oh Yeon-Joo (played by Han Hyo-Joo).
About the show: This drama topped the popularity charts, earning Lee Jong Suk the Daesang (Grand Prize) at the MBC Drama Awards that year.
VIP
Directed by: Park Hoon-jung
Cast: Jang Dong-gun, Kim Myung-min, Park Hee-soon, Lee Jong-suk
Release date: 23 August, 2017
Synopsis: Kwang-il (played by Lee Jong Suk) is the song of a high-ranking North Korean official. This lets him get away with suspected rapes and murders of women around the world. Both South and North Korean Interpol try to chase him down.
About the movie: This marked Lee Jong Suk’s first rodeo as a villain. Reflecting on his role, the actor was quoted by Soompi saying, “In most movies, characters that appear as serial killers use a lot of their facial expressions and appear tense. In contrast, I loosened up as much as possible and let myself follow the senior actors.”
While You Were Sleeping
Directed by: Oh Chung-hwan
Cast: Lee Jong-suk, Bae Suzy, Lee Sang-yeob, Jung Hae-in
Episodes: 16
Release date: 27 September 2017
Synopsis: Reporter Nam Hong-joo (played by Bae Suzy), prosecutor Jung Jae-chan (played by Lee Jong-suk), and police officer Han Woo-tak (played by Jung Hae-in) all possess the power of prophetic dreaming. While some of them point to important cases worth investigating, others warn of impending disasters. The three work to keep these predictions from turning into reality.
About the show: This drama is one of Lee Jong Suk’s most popular — its quick success placing him in the headlines. For his performance, he earned nominations for the Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries and K-Star Award in the Asia Model Awards that year. He also bagged the Top Excellence Award, Actor in Wednesday-Thursday Drama at the SBS Drama Awards.
Romance Is A Bonus Book
Directed by: Kim Na-Young, Lee Jung-Hyo
Cast: Lee Na-young, Lee Jong-suk, Jeong Eu-gene, Wi Ha-joon
Episodes: 16
Release Date: 26 January 2019
Synopsis: Writer Cha Eun Ho (played by Lee Jong-Suk) is the youngest chief editor of a publishing company. His childhood friend Kang Dan Yi (played by Lee Na Young) — a former copywriter who’s divorced, unemployed, and a single mother — lies to get a job at his company. At the same time, she moves into his home until she can find a place for herself. The two soon fall in love while navigating other romantic interests.
About the show: This is one of the most popular romantic Korean dramas of all time. In a heartfelt letter penned to his fans post the finale, the actor stated, “There was a time when I kept feeling disappointed in myself because the simple desire to do well weighed me down and made things difficult for me.” He added, “But through this drama, I learned how to just melt into my character. I started looking at things differently and I feel like I’ve matured a little more,” Soompi reports.
Big Mouth
Directed by: Oh Choong-hwan
Cast: Lee Jong-Suk, Im Yoon-ah, Kim Joo-hun, Kwang-Jae Park and Yoo Su-bin
Episodes: 16
Release date: 29 July 2022
Synopsis: Park Chang-ho (played by Lee Jong-suk) is an everyday, unimpressive lawyer. He’s called Big Mouth by his colleagues for his tendency to speak before acting or thinking. While solving a murder case, he gets entangled with and mistaken for a con artist called ‘Big Mouse.’
About the show: The TV show did well commercially, earning Lee Jong Suk the A-Awards – Charisma title at the 2022 A-Awards.
Which of these Lee Jong Suk TV shows and movies are you watching this weekend?
(Hero and feature images: Courtesy Netflix/Lee Jong Suk/Romance Is A Bonus Book)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is Lee Jong Suk’s wife?
Lee Jong Suk is not married. However, he’s in a relationship with K-pop singer IU.
