The latest Korean superstar coupling, following the recently married actors Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin, make a striking pair, particularly given Lee Jong-suk’s long and lithe frame.

It is this very physique that gave Lee his start as a teen model. At 15, he became the youngest male model ever to strut the runway at Seoul Fashion Week in 2005.

Lee continued modelling and began training as an idol singer, but he only lasted three months until quitting because he felt his agency was not fulfilling its promise to help him debut as an actor, his real dream.

After a quiet few years, that acting debut came through a small part in the 2010 SBS series Prosecutor Princess.

Through subsequent projects, his bright and innocent looks got him noticed by viewers and soon earned him a flood of admirers, and his popularity has only grown over time.

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These days, he is one of the most recognisable Korean celebrities in the world, commanding an army of 25 million followers on Instagram and serving as a global ambassador for brands such as Prada and Burberry.

Why we love him

Beyond his striking physique and acting skills, one of the qualities that shot Lee to stardom and kept him there is his kind image. His philanthropy over the years has only added to this – Lee is known for his frequent donations to worthy causes.

He has donated generously to children in need through organisations such as Unicef and Good Neighbours, while also giving to local causes such as the medical workers on the front lines of the Covid-19 outbreak at the beginning of the pandemic, and victims of a massive wildfire that struck eastern Korea last year.

Before IU, his most well-known pal was best friend and fellow actor Kim Woo-bin. The two have been firm friends since working together early in their careers on School 2013.

His star-making role

Following Prosecutor Princess, Lee made his mark with a supporting part in the smash hit Secret Garden, headlined by Hyun Bin and Ha Ji-won.

He played Han Tae-sun, a talented but prickly young composer who is revealed to be gay, a rarity at the time in television dramas.

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Several supporting roles in films and drama roles followed, including in the big-budget disappointments As One and R2B: Return to Base.

However, his star would shine again, and brighter than ever before, when he landed his first leading role, as one of the unruly students in the aforementioned School 2013, which earned him a best new actor accolade at the KBS Drama Awards in 2012.

His iconic roles

All of Lee’s dramas as a leading man have been iconic, but if pressed to choose one, it would have to be Choi Dal-po, originally called Ki Ha-myung, in the sensation Pinocchio.

As a child, Ha-myung falls to his doom in his mother’s arms when she commits suicide, only to be saved by a kind old man with Alzheimer’s who believes him to be his son Dal-po.

Adopted with this new name, Dal-po grows up with the man and his granddaughter, played by Park Shin-hye.

An unheralded performance

Lee is rightly praised for his unwavering ability to deliver K-drama hits, but he has had a rockier track record with his film work.

He was overshadowed in the Song Kang-ho-led period drama masterclass The Face Reader, while his early starring role in the competition diving drama No Breathing scored low marks.

But one role which has unfairly been largely forgotten is his turn as teenage Casanova Joong-gil in the spirited 1980s-set rural high school romantic comedy Hot Young Bloods. Lee had no trouble playing the cocky youth and impressed with his lilting countryside dialect.

What’s up next?

After a busy year that saw him appear in one hit show (Big Mouth) and two big-budget action films (The Witch: Part 2. The Other One and Decibel), Lee is taking a breather for the moment, with nothing on his schedule for 2023.

He will no doubt return with a new project before long and, after dominating the traditional Korean drama landscape for a decade, perhaps he will finally take a stab at a streaming series in coming years.

As Lee approaches his mid-30s, it may be time for him to expand his range into different dramatic territory. Were he to step away from his action roles, it would be fascinating to see him tackle a more serious film role soon.