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Lee Min-ho Height, Age, Girlfriend, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Lee Min-ho

Bio/Wiki
Other NameLee Min [1]Asia Gyeong-je
Nickname(s)• Hallyu Prince [2]Daily Sports
Note: Hallyu translates to Korean Wave, meaning the global rise in the popularity of Korean culture, through Korean Dramas and Kpop, since the 1990s.
• King of Social Media [3]The Star
Note: When Lee Min-ho surpassed the 20 million followers on Instagram in October 2019, he became the first South Korean celebrity to do so, which is why he was given the title.
Profession(s) Actor, Model, Singer, Creative Director, Entrepreneur
Physical Stats & More
[4]Lee Min-ho's Official Website Heightin centimeters- 187cm
in meters- 1.87 m
in feet & inches- 6’ 1½”
[5]Lee Min-ho's Official Website Weightin kilograms- 73 kg
in pounds- 161 lbs
Body Measurements (approx.)- Chest: inches
- Waist: inches
- Biceps: inches
Eye ColorBlack
Hair ColorBlack
Career
Agency • MYM Entertainment
• One Other Before MYM Entertainment
DebutActing
TV (South Korean): Sharp (2003) as 'Lee Jin-ho' (an art academy student)
Lee Min-ho in a scene from Sharp (2003)
Film (South Korean): Public Enemy Returns (2008) as 'Jung Ha-yeon'
Lee Min-ho in Public Enemy Returns (2008)
Film (Chinese-South Korean-Hong Kong): Bounty Hunters (2016) as 'Yi San'
Bounty Hunters (2016)
TV (American-South Korean): Pachinko (2022) as 'Koh Hansu' (a Zainichi Korean merchant and fish broker from Osaka, Japan, who is a member of largest transnational organized crime syndicate in Japan 'Yakuza')
Singing
Lee Min-ho in Pachinko (2022)
Single: Extreme (2009); he sang the song with South Korean singer Jessi.

OST: My Everything from Boys Over Flowers (2009)

EP (Korean): My Everything (2013); peaked at 5 on Korean charts
My Everything (2013)
EP (Japanese): My Everything (2013); peaked at 11 on Japanese charts

Single Album: The Day (2015); peaked at 6 on Korean charts
The Day (2015)
Awards, Honors, Achievements KBS Drama Awards
2009: Best New Actor for 'Boys Over Flowers'
2009: Best Couple Award (with Ku Hye-sun) for 'Boys Over Flowers'
Lee Min-ho giving his award acceptance speech at KBS Drama Awards
Baeksang Arts Awards
2009: Best New Actor – Television for 'Boys Over Flowers'
2015: Most Popular Actor – Film for 'Gangnam Blues'
2015: iQiyi Star Award
Lee Min-ho giving his award acceptance speech at Baeksang Arts Awards
Weibo Movie Award
2016: Weibo Movie Award for Most Anticipated Action Comedy Actor for 'Bounty Hunters'
2016: Asian Movie Pioneer for 'Bounty Hunters'
Lee Min-ho showing his Weibo Movie Award
Korea Drama Awards
2011: Top Excellence Award, Actor for 'City Hunter'
2011: Hallyu Star Award for 'City Hunter'

SBS Drama Awards
2011: Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Drama Special for 'City Hunter'
2011: Popularity Award, Actor for 'City Hunter'
2011: Top 10 Stars for 'City Hunter'
2012: Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries for 'Faith'
2012: Top 10 Stars for 'Faith'
2012: Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Drama Special for 'The Heirs'
2013: Popularity Award, Actor for 'The Heirs'
2013: Top 10 Stars for 'The Heirs'
2013: Best Couple Award with Park Shin-hye for 'The Heirs'
2013: Best Dressed for 'The Heirs'
2016: Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Fantasy Drama for 'The Legend of the Blue Sea'
2016: Best Couple (with Jun Ji-hyun) for 'The Legend of the Blue Sea'
2016: Top 10 Stars Award for 'The Legend of the Blue Sea'
2020: Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Fantasy/Romance Drama for 'The King: Eternal Monarch'
Lee Min-ho during his award acceptance speech at SBS Drama Award ceremony
Seoul International Drama Awards
2015: 10th Anniversary Hallyu Achievement Award
2015: Mango TV Popularity Award
Lee Min-ho giving his award acceptance speech at Seoul International Drama Awards
Drama Fever Awards
2013: Best Actor for 'Faith'
2013: Best Kiss Award ( with Kim Hee-sun ) for 'Faith'
2014: Best Actor for 'The Heirs'
2014: Best Drama Award for 'The Heirs'
2014: Best Bromance Award (Friendship) (with Kim Woo-bin) for 'The Heirs'

Soompi Awards
2017: Male Actor of the Year for 'Legend of the Blue Sea' in 2017
2017: Spot-on Best Couple (with Jun Ji-hyun) for 'Legend of the Blue Sea'

Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40
2013: Placed 31
2021: Placed 16

Other Awards & Honors
2009: MTN Broadcast Advertisement Festival for Most Popular Advertisement Model
2010: MBC Drama Awards - Excellence Award, Actor for 'Personal Taste'
Lee Min-ho giving his award acceptance speech at MBC Drama Award ceremony
2013: China Xingxiang Awards - Asia's Most Popular Award for 'The Heirs'
2013: Sohu Media Award for Most Popular International Actor
2013: China Fashion Awards for Most Popular Asian Actor for 'The Heirs'
Lee Min-ho posing with his China Fashion Award
2014: Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards - Prime Minister's Commendation
2015: Korea Brand of the Year - Daesang (Hallyu Star)
2014 & 2015: Voted Asian Male God on a Chinese Entertainment magazine poll
2015: Blue Dragon Film Awards - Popularity Award for 'Gangnam Blues'
Lee Min-ho during his award acceptance speech at Blue Dragon Film Awards
2015: Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival - Producer's Choice Award
2015: Baidu Feidian Awards for 'Best Asian Actor' for the Kdrama 'The Heirs'
2015: Grand Bell Awards for Best New Actor for 'Gangnam Blues'
Lee Min-ho giving his acceptance speech at Grand Bell Awards ceremony
2015: Korea Brand Stars - Daesang (Grand Prize)
2015: Korea SNS Industry Grand Award
2015: Korean Tourism Awards for The STAR of Korean Tourism
2016: LeTV Awards for Most Popular Asian Idol Award
2017: Selected as Most Favoured Korean Actor US fans of the Korean Wave
Personal Life
Date of BirthJune 22, 1987 (Monday)
Age (as of 2022)35 Years
BirthplaceHeukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Zodiac signCancer
SignatureLee Min-ho's signature
Nationality South Korean
HometownHeukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea
School• Seoul Namseong Elementary School, Seoul
• Banpo Middle School, Seoul
• Danggok High School, Seoul
College/University• Konkuk University, Seoul
• Kookmin University, Seoul
Educational Qualification(s)• Bachelor's in Film & Arts from Konkuk University [6]Asiae Gyeong-je
• Master's in Film & Arts from Kookmin University [7]Hanryu Times
Descent42nd descendant of the Lee clan from Gyeongju [8]Tistory
Note: Yi Al-pyeong (李謁平), who was one of the six village headmen to enthrone Park Hyeokgeose as the first King of Silla, founded the clan.
Blood GroupA [9]Lee Min-ho's Official Website
Food HabitNon-Vegetarian [10]Lee Min-ho - Instagram
HobbiesPlaying Computer and Mobile Games, Watching Films and Television Series
Controversies• In 2021, Lee Min-ho and Yeonwoo's (actor & singer) dating news was disclosed by Dispatch with some pictures of them going on a date. Both the actors' agencies denied the reports by saying Min-ho and Yeonwoo had gone out on a get-together with some other friends, and they were only acquaintances. However, this led to backlash as many started questioning the actors for breaking social distancing rules; restrictions were imposed on the gathering of more than two people by the South Korean government. Min-ho's agency was quick to reply and told that the actors went out on July 1 when limitations were applied on the gatherings of 5 or more than 5 people; the new curb on the gathering of more than two people was imposed on July 12. [11]Soompi

• In November 2020, there were reports on a famous actor being investigated for evading a tax amount of around 1 billion won ($1.2 million) by the National Tax Service. According to the reports, the actor had established an agency under his family name, reduced his income, and increased his agency's income by paying fewer taxes. The actor lowers the company's taxes by buying things such as vehicles under corporate expenses using a credit card. By doing this, he took advantage of the difference in tax rates between a high-earning person and a corporation. No information was disclosed to the public, but people assumed it was either Lee Min-ho or South Korean actor Ha Jung-woo, as they were managed by agencies under their family names and were high-earning actors. Soon, Min-ho's agency clarified that they were falsely targeted and always paid taxes on time. [12]Today
Relationships & More
Marital StatusUnmarried
Affairs/Girlfriends• Lee Min-ho was in a relationship with a girl in his school days.
Lee Min-ho (standing; second to left) with his high school girlfriend (next to him in checkered blazer) and friends
• Park Min-young (South Korean actress): In 2011, Park and Lee began dating, and eight months following the announcement of their relationship (2011), they broke up due to their busy schedules.
Lee Min-ho with Park Min-young
• Park Shin-hye (South Korean actress): The on-screen chemistry of Shin-hye and Lee in the Kdrama 'Heirs' (2013) led to their dating rumor. The rumors were never confirmed.
Lee Min-ho with Park Shin-hye
• Bae Suzy (South Korean actress & singer): In March 2015, Lee and Suzy's relationship rumors began, and several pictures of them on dates were also made public. Their agencies soon confirmed the rumors. In September 2015, they were rumored to have been separated, but it was denied by their agencies. In November 2017, they announced their breakup.
Lee Min-ho with Bae Suzy
• Seolhyun (South Korean actress and singer and member of the girl group AOA): After they starred in the South Korean film 'Gangnam Blues' (2015), Min-ho's and Seolhyun's dating rumors started.
Lee Min-ho with Seolhyun
• Taylor Swift (American singer and songwriter): Min-ho and Taylor Swift's relationship rumors started in 2016, but they were denied by Lee's agency.
Taylor Swift
• Kim Go-eun (South Korean actress): After Min-ho and Kim's appearance in the Kdrama 'The King: Eternal Monarch' (2020), they promoted the series by posting each other's pictures on their social media accounts, which led to dating rumors.
Lee Min-ho with Kim Go-eun
• Yeonwoo (South Korean actress and singer and also a member of the South Korean girl group Momoland formerly): In August 2021, Lee and Yeonwoo began dating each other, which was denied by both the actors' agencies.
Yeonwoo
Family
Wife/SpouseN/A
ParentsNames Not Known
Lee Min-ho with his mother
SiblingsBrother- None
Sister- Lee Yong-jung (the CEO of MYM Entertainment)
Lee Min-ho with his sister
Favorites
Actor(s)Edward Norton, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Su-Ro
FilmA Beautiful Mind (2001)
BookThe Gift by Spencer Johnson
Color(s)Navy, Black, White, Gray
FoodCristiano Ronaldo
Style Quotient
Car Collection• Mercedes-Benz CLS
Lee Min-ho getting out of his Mercedes-Benz CLS
• Genesis G90
Lee Min-ho getting in his Genesis G90
Properties• Mark Hills, Heukseok-dong, Seoul: He resides in the luxury apartment in Mark Hills. Also called Star's Residency, the place homes to top South Korean celebrities like Hyun Bin, Jang Dong-gun, and Ko So-young, F(x)’s Krystal, Girls’ Generation’s Jessica Jung, and Big Bang’s Daesung. [13]Metro.Style
Mark Hills, Heukseok-dong, where Lee Min-ho resides
• Seongbuk-dong, Seoul: He owns two houses in Seongbuk-dong with an area of 740 meters² and 391,84 meters² respectively. One of the houses was bought priced at the price of 5.35 billion won in September 2018 by Min-ho. [14]Sky E Daily
Lee Min-ho's houses in Seongbuk-dong, Seoul
• Nonhyeon Lapolium, Nonhyeon, Gangnam-gu, Seoul: Famously called Star Villa, in the villa, the villa is known for his star tenants. Lee Min-ho has a luxury apartment and a penthouse (which he bought in 2015 for 5 billion won) in the villa, and one of the apartments is rented out to a person. [15]Chosun Biz
Money Factor
SalaryUS$ 80,000 per episode for a series (as of 2021); he is one of the highest-paid South Korean actors [16]Lifestyle Asia

Lee Min-ho

Some Lesser Known About Lee Min-ho

  • Lee Min-ho is a famous South Korean actor, model, singer, creative director, and entrepreneur who gained stardom with his role as ‘Gu Jun-pyo’ in the superhit South Korean television series Boys Over Flowers (2009). Some of his other famous works include City Hunter (2011), The Heirs (2013), The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016), and The King: Eternal Monarch (2020).
  • Lee Min-ho was born and grew up in Seoul, South Korea.

    Lee Min-ho as a child

    Lee Min-ho as a child

  • He wanted to become a football player when he was a child. He went to soccer classes of South Korean manager and former professional player Cha Bum-kun’s; the classes only accept exceptional children. However, he had to let go of his dream of becoming a football player after he suffered an injury in grade five of elementary school.

    Lee Min-ho (shy child wearing no.19 jersey) with the other soccer players of Cha Bum-kun's soccer classes

    Lee Min-ho (shy child wearing no.19 jersey) with the other soccer players of Cha Bum-kun’s soccer classes

  • In his school days, he was not good at studying and only cracked exams with average marks if he studied. According to him, his popularity in school was more because of his good looks.

    Lee Min-ho in his high school days

    Lee Min-ho in his high school days

  • His interest in acting began taking shape in high school, and in the second year of high school, he began taking acting lessons.
  • Lee Min-ho and the South Korean actor and singer Jung Il-woo were childhood friends, who lived in the same neighborhood. Even their schools were in proximity to each other.

    Lee Min-ho's childhood friend Jung Il-woo

    Lee Min-ho’s childhood friend Jung Il-woo

  • Lee’s good looks attracted many agencies to cast him as he got many offers in his school days. Later, he began modeling for a magazine, where he met the president of his former agency by mistake while shooting. He then got an offer from the agency, which he accepted, and after applying to Konkuk University, Min-ho began auditioning for acting roles in films and television series seriously.
  • After his debut in 2003, he continued playing minor roles in the MBC series Nonstop 5 (2005) as ‘MC Mong’ and Recipe of Love (2005) as ‘Waiter.’
  • In 2006, his first major supporting role was in the EBS youth drama ‘Secret Campus’ in which he was seen as ‘Park Su-hyun,’ a contemplative high school student who is about to be expelled from the school’s soccer teams due to some problems. He likes taking care of people behind their backs.

    Lee Min-ho in a scene from Secret Campus (2006)

    Lee Min-ho in a scene from Secret Campus (2006)

  • In 2006, Lee Min-ho and Jung Il-woo, along with two other friends, were heading to Gangwon Province when their car was hit by a car coming from the opposite lane. The car was fleeing from a hit-and-run scene and destroyed the hood and engine of Lee’s car. As Lee and Jung were sitting at the back of the car, they survived the crash but suffered severe injuries. However, their two friends sitting at the front lost their lives on the spot. Min-ho’s ribs, thigh, and ankle were broken, and he also suffered a tear in his knee cartilage. Lee was in a coma for a month after the operation and was bedridden for several months. He was also left with a leg bigger than the other because a metal pin of 46 centimeters was inserted in his thigh.
  • His accident made him suffer consequences in his acting career as his name was withdrawn from two Kdramas he was going to be in. They include High Kick! (2006) and Two Outs in the Ninth Inning (2007).
  • In the SBS high school drama ‘Mackerel Run’ (2007), he played his first lead role. Lee Min-ho portrayed ‘Cha Gong-chan,’ a student of an affluent high school known as a soccer player, who becomes an outcast after leaving soccer. When Min Yoon-seo (played by the South Korean actress Moon Chae-won) comes to the school, he falls in love with her and decides to play football again. The series earned an average nationwide rating of 3 to 4%.

    Lee Min-ho in a scene from Mackerel Run (2007)

    Lee Min-ho in a scene from Mackerel Run (2007)

  • In 2007 again, Lee was seen in the supporting role of ‘Heo Mo-se’ (Principal’s son) in the KBS2 Kdrama ‘I Am Sam,’ which gained an average viewership of around 6.5%.
  • In the 2008 MBC drama ‘Get Up,’ Lee played the lead role of ‘Min Wook-ki.’ The storyline of the series is focused on issues concerning high school students like school violence and racism. The series gained good popularity, and he received positive reviews from the audience for his role in the series.

    Lee Min-ho as Min Wook-ki in Get Up (2008)

    Lee Min-ho as Min Wook-ki in Get Up (2008)

  • In the 2008 South Korean comedy-drama film ‘Our School’s E.T.,’ he played the supporting role of a student named ‘Oh Sang-hoon.’ Directed by Park Kwang-chun and written by Choi Jin-won, the film chronicles the journey of an underperforming high school gym teacher, Chun Sung-Geun (played by South Korean actor Kim Su-ro), from being fired to getting a permit to teach English after the school administration decides to replace all the gym classes with English classes.

    Lee Min-ho in a scene from Our School's E.T. (2008)

    Lee Min-ho in a scene from Our School’s E.T. (2008)

  • Lee Min-ho’s breakthrough came with his role as ‘Gu Jun-pyo’ in the 25-episode KBS2 series ‘Boys Over Flowers’ (2009). Written by Yoon Ji-ryun and directed by Jeon Ki-sang, the series is based on a Japanese manga of the same name in which Gu Jun-pyo, the heir to the conglomerate Shinhwa group and a high school student, who is the leader of F4, four people wealthy students group ruling over Shinhwa High. F4 members include Gu Jun-pyo, Yoon Ji-hu (played by South Korean singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong), So Yi-jung (played by South Korean actor Kim Bum), and Song Woo-bin (played by South Korean actor and singer Kim Joon). Gu Jun-pyo falls in love with a working-class girl named Geum Jan-di (played by the South Korean actress Koo Hye-sun), who enters Shinhwa High, but sooner becomes involved in the affairs of F4 and Shinhwa Group. In the series, the five characters are trying hard to overcome problems with their family, education, and love life. With an average viewership of 25-28.5%, the series was a commercial success and is credited to launch the career of its cast members, especially Lee Min-ho. The series became popular in countries like Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, India, Nepal, Taiwan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Zambia, and many more.

    Lee Min-ho as Gu Jun-pyo in Boys Over Flowers (2009)

    Lee Min-ho as Gu Jun-pyo in Boys Over Flowers (2009)

  • Lee Min-ho was designated as an honorary ambassador for the UNICEF Love Net (fighting malaria) campaign in 2009 and also King Sejong Institute Foundation (KSIF).
  • In 2009, he was featured in the music video of ‘Kiss’ by the South Korean singer Sandara Park.

  • On June 21, 2009, his official fandom was declared as ‘MINOZ,’ which is operated officially in South Korea and Japan. There are also fan communities of Lee in 145 countries.
  • He was appointed as a brand ambassador of Cadillac CTS in 2009 and Konkuk University in 2010.

    Lee Min-ho being named the ambassador for Konkuk University

    Lee Min-ho being named the ambassador for Konkuk University

  • In the 2010 MBC drama ‘Personal Taste,’ Lee Min-ho played the lead role of ‘Jeon Jin-ho,’ an architect who rents a part of the Park Kae-in (played by South Korean actress Son Ye-jin)-owned modernized hanok called Sanggojae. Jin-ho rents it disguised as a homosexual to win a project bid concerning the hanok. As the two stay together, they began falling in love, but Kae-in does not know that Jin-ho is straight. With average nationwide ratings of 11-14%, the series was a super hit. Its overseas rights were sold to KNTV in Japan, ABS-CBN in the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Trans 7 in Indonesia, 8TV, NTV7 in Malaysia, and Channel 7 in Thailand.’

    Lee Min-ho in a scene from Personal Taste (2010)

    Lee Min-ho in a scene from Personal Taste (2010)

  • In the 2010 SBS drama ‘City Hunter,’ Lee was seen in the lead role of ‘Lee Yoon-sung.’ Yoon-sung, a teenager, comes to South Korea as a Korean-American to find and punish his father’s five killers. He began working at a South Korean presidential palace, where he meets presidential bodyguard Kim Na-na (played by South Korean actress Park Min-young), who he falls in love with. The series was directed by Jin Hyuk and was a commercial success with a nationwide rating of 16%. Advertisement slots of series were sold out at a high price of ₩420 million ($420,000) per episode. By the end episode, the series had generated a revenue of a total of ₩10.45 billion ($10.45 million).

    Lee Min-ho in a scene from City Hunter (2011)

    Lee Min-ho in a scene from City Hunter (2011)

  • While shooting for ‘City Hunter’ in 2001, his car collided with a truck. Fortunately, he only suffered minor injuries.
  • In January 2012, Seoul Prosecutor’s Office gave him the title of ‘Honourable Prosecutor’ in a ceremony given for his role in City Hunter.
  • In the 2011-12 promotional series for Toyota Camry titled ‘The One and Only,’ he played Joon Kwon, who does not know his origins. He goes to his 2012 Toyota Camry after recovering from a coma to find out clues to his identity. He recovers some part of his memory after switching on the car. He then starts a journey for finding his memory after using his car’s Entune system.

    Lee Min-ho in The One and Only (2011-2012)

    Lee Min-ho in The One and Only (2011-2012)

  • In the 2012 SBS Kdrama ‘Faith,’ he played the lead role of ‘Choi Young,’ a general in the Goryeo Dynasty who kidnaps a plastic surgeon from modern-day South Korea. The plastic surgeon, Yoo Eun-soo (played by the South Korean actress Kim Hee-sun),  was brought to Goryeo to save the queen’s life. Soon, Choi and Young fall in love. The series was a fail with an average nationwide rating of 10-11%, but Lee was praised for his performance.

    Lee Min-ho in a scene from Faith (2012)

    Lee Min-ho in a scene from Faith (2012)

  • In 2012, he was seen in another promotional series titled ‘First Love’ for Innisfree in which he played Innisfree’s CEO.
  • In the 2013 SBS Kdrama ‘The Heirs,’ he was seen in the lead role of ‘Kim Tan.’ Written by Kim Eun Seok and directed by Kang Shin-hyo and Boo Sung-chul, the series is about the love life and career of various heirs. Kim Tan, a high school student and heir to Jeguk Group (a large conglomerate), was exiled to the US by his half-brother in an attempt to take over Jeguk. In the US, Tan crosses paths with Cha Eun-sang (played by the South Korean actress Park Shin-hye) who he falls in love with, even when he was engaged to Yoo Rachel (played by South Korean actress Kim Ji-won), heiress to a conglomerate. The series was a superhit and had an average nationwide rating of 16.7%. The series’ popularity led Chinese creative heads to make its remake. In 2014, its remake ‘Billion Dollar Heir’ was released. The series had Chinese actors Yu Xiao Tong, Kan Qing Zi, and Korean singer-actor Choi Si-won.

    Lee Min-ho as Kim Tan in The Heirs (2013)

    Lee Min-ho as Kim Tan in The Heirs (2013)

  • Lee Min-ho sang the OST  of the South Korean drama ‘The Heirs’ titled ‘Painful Love.’
  • In 2013, Lee was designated as a PR ambassador for Patagonia Reforestation Project.
  • In January 2014, Lee sang a song with Taiwanese singer Harlem Yu at China’s CCTV Lunar New Year Gala. Lee was the first South Korean to perform at the event.
  • At Madame Tussauds Shanghai, his wax statue was unveiled in April 2013, and at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, his wax statue was unveiled in January 2014.

    Lee Min-ho posing with his wax figure at Madame Tussauds Shanghai

    Lee Min-ho posing with his wax figure at Madame Tussauds Shanghai

  • In 2014, his second EP, ‘Song For You’ (Korean), was released with six tracks; the EP peaked at number 3.
  • In 2014, he starred in another promotional series titled ‘Line Romance’ for Line. The 3-episode mini-drama aired in iQiyi, and he played the role of ‘Min-ho,’ a music producer, in the series. When a female tourist named Ling Ling falls in love with Min-ho, they talk through the Line app, which helps both eradicate the language barrier between them.
    Line Romance (2014)
  • In 2014, Lee Min-ho started a fundraising website called PROMIZ, a medium for people to donate to social and humanitarian causes. In 2014, PROMIZ collaborated with the NPO Charity: Water and collected US$50,000 to build wells in Malawi.

    PROMIZ logo

    PROMIZ logo

  • In the 2015 South Korean action film ‘Gangnam Blues,’ he was seen in his first lead role in a film. The film was written and directed by Yoo Ha. In the film, Kim Jong-dae (played by Lee Min-ho) and Baek Yong-ki (played by South Korean actor Kim Rae-won) are friends who collect water bottles to earn. Later, they both join different gangster clans and become rivals in the war for political interest over a Gangnam, Seoul, development project. The superhit film collected US$20 million at the box office and received audience and critics’ praises.

    Gangnam Blues (2015)

    Gangnam Blues (2015)

  • Min-ho sang another non-album single titled ‘Thank You’ in 2015.
  • In 2015, Lee was seen in another promotional series for Innisfree. ‘Summer Love,’ which aired on YouTube, follows best friends Min-ho and Yoon Ah who discuss the new Innisfree product as they fall in love with each other.

    Summer Love (2015)

    Summer Love (2015)

  • In 2015, he was designated as a public ambassador for the Korean Tourism Campaign, also known as The Face of Korean Tourism.
  • In 2015, Lee Min-ho contributed 100 million Won to UNICEF to aid the victims of earthquakes in Nepal.
  • In the 2016 SBS drama ‘The Legend of the Blue Sea,’ written by Park Ji-eun and directed by Jin Hyuk and Park Seon-Ho, Lee Min-ho played two roles ‘Kim Dam-ryeong’ and ‘Heo Joon-jae.’ In the series, mermaid Se-hwa (played by South Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun) and Kim Dam-ryeong (town head) reincarnate into the modern world from Joseon Era as the mermaid Shim Cheong and human Heo Joon-jae, respectively. They are trying to avoid the incidents that happened in Joseon Era and the tragic end to the love story from repeating in the present-day world. The series was a huge hit and had an average nationwide viewership rating of 16.4%; some episodes even had ratings of 20.7%. The series ranked first among all the others in the time slots it aired. Many countries, including South East Asia, the Americas, and Europe, praised the series.

    Lee Min-ho as Heo Joon-jae in The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016)

    Lee Min-ho as Heo Joon-jae in The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016)

  • In 2016, he was seen in ‘7 First Kisses,’ a promotional series for Lotte Dute Free released on YouTube, in which he was seen in the final episode as ‘Lee Min-ho’ (a travel writer). In the series, the protagonist, a Lotte Duty Free female employee, is given a wish to choose between seven handsome men by the Goddess of Date, and Lee was one of them.

    7 First Kisses (2016)

    7 First Kisses (2016)

  • In 2016, he hosted the KCON LA X M Countdown.
  • In 2016, PROMIZ collected funds to donate to campaigns such as Good Neighbours, Transparent Umbrella Project, World Water Day, and Making Warm Winter for Both Bodies and Hearts. PROMIZ also sells merchandise, the proceeds from which go to charity projects in collaboration with other charities.
  • In 2016, PROMIZ became the winner of the Korea Good Brand Awards for its contribution to various humanitarian causes.

    Lee Min-ho talking about Promiz receiving Korea Good Brand Award in an Instagram post

    Lee Min-ho talking about PROMIZ receiving Korea Good Brand Award in an Instagram post

  • In the same year, Lee received the Happiness Sharing Award from the Ministry of Health and Welfare of South Korea for helping the needy and his contribution to society.

    Lee Min-ho receiving the Happiness Sharing Award from the Ministry of Health and Welfare of South Korea

    Lee Min-ho receiving the Happiness Sharing Award from the Ministry of Health and Welfare of South Korea

  • The following year, his second album, ‘Always’ (2017) was released; his album peaked at number 5. He also sang Japanese singles Thank You and The Day, which peaked at 11 and 15, respectively.
  • In 2017, Lee Min-ho narrated the South Korean documentary ‘DMZ, The Wild’ in which he explored the wildlife in the Southside of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a stretch of land separating North and South Korea where human entry is banned since 1953. The show was made to raise awareness about the endangered animal species in DMZ. During the filming of the documentary, Min-ho stayed for hours waiting for the animals’ appearance in cold temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celcius.

    Lee Min-ho in a scene from DMZ, The Wild (2017)

    Lee Min-ho in a scene from DMZ, The Wild (2017)

  • Between 2015 and 2018, Min-ho was an ambassador of Visit Korea Year and PR ambassador for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Winter Games.
  • Military Manpower Administration, in 2017, Lee Min-ho was exempted from mandatory military service and was going to do community service as his 2006 car accident made him physically inept to do so. On May 12, 2017, Min-ho began his official service as a public service officer at the Suseo Social Welfare Centre, Gangnam, Seoul. He started his four-week basic military training on March 13, 2018, at the Korea Army Training Center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Lee was discharged from his services on April 25, 2019.

    Lee Min-ho during his mandatory military service

    Lee Min-ho during his mandatory military service

  • In 2018, while doing his military service, a company (posing as Lee’s agency) began contacting his fans to grab money from them in return for a meet-and-greet with him, which included walking with him at the military base. They even claimed to let their fans meet Min-ho’s parents. As Min-ho’s name was used to carry out the illegal activity, his agency announced that they would be taking strict action against the scam company.
  • For celebrating the 10th anniversary of his debut, his fans organized several charity events. His Mexican fans donated proceeds from selling bottle caps (to recycling companies) for the cancer-stricken children, his Chinese fans planted 510 trees in Inner Mongolia, and his Taiwanese and Hong Kong fans donated to organizations like World Vision and UNICEF.
  • In the 2020 SBS television drama ‘The King: Eternal Monarch,’ which was written by Kim Eun-sook and directed by Baek Sang-hoon, Jung Ji-hyun, and Yoo Je-won, Lee played the lead role of Lee Gon. Lee Gon, the modern-day emperor of the Kingdom of Korea (KOK), travels to the parallel world Republic of Korea (ROK) to find Jeong Tae Eul (played by the South Korean actress Kim Go-eun), a detective who he thinks saved him on the day of his father’s assassination carried by his uncle. On the night of the assassination, he and his uncle grab a half of manpasikjeok (a flute) that helps them travel from ROK to KOK. His uncle uses the other half to swap people from ROK to KOK to raise an army to snatch the throne from Gon. Lee has to stop his uncles to restore that balance in both worlds. The viewership rating of the show started from 11.4% in the first episode to 6-8% in the later episodes. its low rating was believed to be caused by the rise of streaming platforms in South Korea. The drama was one of the most popular K-dramas of 2020 in countries like South Korea, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore; it was also one of the top two Kdramas in 2020 in the US. The series courted controversies for its historical inaccuracies and received advisory warnings from the Korea Communications Standards Commission for scenes challenging gender equality.

    Lee Min-ho as Emperor Lee Gon in The King Eternal Monarch (2020)

    Lee Min-ho as Emperor Lee Gon in The King Eternal Monarch (2020)

  • In October 2020, Lee Min-ho’s YouTube channel named Leeminho Film was launched. On his channel, he is a creative director and executive producer, and the channel hosts more than 867K subscribers (as of April 2022).
  • Lee has also been featured in the advertisements for Lotte, Pizza Hut, Samsung, bbq, Naver, Hyundai, Levi Strauss Korea, LG, Toyota, Ferrero, and Domino’s Pizza.

    Lee MIn-ho in an advertisement for Domino's Pizza

    Lee MIn-ho in an advertisement for Domino’s Pizza

  • After filming for Secret Campus concluded, Lee and his agency decided to go for a stage name as they thought that his real name was too ordinary. They decided on ‘Lee Min’ (removing ‘ho’ from his name) as his stage name after many discussions, among all the other alternatives. Lee Min was inspired by the character name of South Korean actor Jung Woo-sung from the South Korean film ‘Beat’ (1997). He worked as Lee Min for two years. However, he changed it back to his original name after his 2006 accident, as he was absent from the search engine results; the only thing that appeared is ‘overseas immigration’ (the latter word in Korean has the same pronunciation as his stage name). [17]Asia Gyeong-je
  • Min-ho’s ideal type, according to him, is someone who would understand herself, respect people and superiors around her, and have values similar to him.
  • In an interview, Lee said that South Korean actress Song Hye-kyo was his crush.

    Song Hye-kyo

    Song Hye-kyo

  • In an interview, Lee stated that he cannot drink more than four glasses of Soju. He added that he was trying to increase it to six. He also stated that he liked partying with his friends by eating with them or karaoke-ing instead of drinking. [18]Daily Sports
  • Lee loves dogs. He owns a pet dog named Choco.

    Lee Min-ho talking about Choco in an Instagram post

    Lee Min-ho talking about Choco in an Instagram post

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