Lee Dong-hwi
South Korean actor (born 1985)
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Lee Dong-hwi (born July 22, 1985) is a South Korean actor and singer who first gained recognition through his roles in the television series Reply 1988 (2015–2016) and Entourage (2016). He achieved further attention for starring in the feature film Extreme Job (2019), comedy series Pegasus Market (2019), and crime drama Chief Detective 1958 (2024). Lee is a member of the South Korean supergroup MSG Wannabe.
Lee Dong-hwi | |
|---|---|
Lee in 2016 | |
| Born | July 22, 1985 |
| Education | Seoul Institute of the Arts |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Agent | Company On |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이동휘 |
| RR | I Donghwi |
| MR | I Tonghwi |
Early life and education
Growing up, Lee loved drawing cartoons and dreamed of becoming a cartoonist. Although he was an introvert at home, he was outgoing with friends, with whom he would spend hours chatting. Feeling limited by his drawing skills, he began to wonder, "What if I tried expressing this with my body?" This thought inspired him to pursue acting.[2] He then enrolled in the Theater Department at the Seoul Institute of the Arts in 2005.[3][4][5][6]
Career
2013–2014: Beginnings
Lee made his debut at the age of 28 with Yim Soon-rye's film Run to the South.[7] He has since appeared with films such as Way Back Home (2013) and Tazza: The Hidden Card (2014).[8][9]
2015–2020: Breakthrough and rising popularity
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Lee achieved breakthrough with the retro drama Reply 1988 (2015–2016).[10] He went through an audition where he danced and sang a rendition of Jeong Soo-ra's "Joy". Additionally, he imitated the voices of Lee Sun-kyun, Park Hee-soon, Jang Hyuk, and Yoo Hae-jin to get the part.[11][8][9] This was followed with a role in the film Veteran (2015).[8][9] He then starred in Chang You-jeong's comedy-drama film The Bros (2017)[12][13][unreliable source?][14] and crime-thriller film One Line (2017).
With his performance in the film Extreme Job (2019), he further received attention for his memorable characters.[8][9] The same year, Lee got his first starring role in television as Moon Seok-goo in tvN drama Pegasus Market,[15] a television series based on Kim Gyu-sam's webtoon of the same name. It aired on tvN every Friday at 23:00 (KST) from September 20 to December 6, 2019.[16][17]
2021–present
On November 30, 2020, KeyEast announced that Lee signed an exclusive contract with the label.[8] In May 2021, Lee was reported to be one of the members of the supergroup MSG Wannabe and its sub-unit JSDK.[18][19] In December 2023, Lee signed an exclusive contract with Company On.[20]
Personal life
Other ventures
Endorsements
Following the success of the drama Reply 1988, Lee became a sought-after model in the advertising industry since 2016. He became the face of a chicken advertisement, a role typically reserved for the popular stars. Showcasing his lively and humorous charm, Lee became advertising model for companies such as LG U+ (telecommunications), K5 (automobiles), Banky (finance), and Ferricana.[25] In addition, he received attention for his excellent fashion sense through his SNS and won the Awesome Swagger Award at the Style Icon Awards Asia in 2016.[8]
Philanthropy
Lee has been actively engaged in philanthropic efforts through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association.[A] On March 8, 2022, he donated ₩10 million to support those affected by the extensive wildfires that began in Uljin, Gyeongbuk, and spread to Samcheok, Gangwon.[27] Later, on August 18, 2022, he contributed an additional ₩10 million to aid victims of the 2022 South Korean floods.[28]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Run to the South | Cafe member 1 | ||
| Cold Eyes | Parrot | |||
| Queen of the Night | Male employee 1 | |||
| Way Back Home | Gwang-sik | |||
| 2014 | Animal | Soo-yong | ||
| No Tears for the Dead | Electric vehicle engineer | |||
| Tazza: The Hidden Card | Worth | |||
| Fashion King | Duo man 2 | |||
| 2015 | The Beauty Inside | Sang-baek | ||
| Veteran | Yoon Hong-ryeol | |||
| The Sound of a Flower | Chil-sung | |||
| 2016 | The Handmaiden | Mr. Goo | ||
| Luck Key | Min-seok | Cameo | ||
| 2017 | Confidential Assignment | Park Myung-ho | ||
| One Line | Senior Manager Song | |||
| New Trial | Mo Chang-hwan | |||
| The Bros | Lee Joo-bong | |||
| 2019 | Extreme Job | Young-ho | ||
| My First Client | Jung-yeob | |||
| Exit | Central police 1 | Cameo | ||
| 2020 | Somewhere in Between | Gi-tae | ||
| The Call | Baek Min-hyun | |||
| 2021 | New Year Blues | Yong-chan | ||
| Unframed – Blue happiness | Short film | [29] | ||
| 2022 | Broker | Song | Cameo | [30][31] |
| Another Record: Lee Je-hoon | Lee Dong-hwi | Documentary | [32] | |
| 2023 | Maybe We've Broken Up | Jun-ho | [33] | |
| Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman | Kang Do-ryung / Inbae | [34] | ||
| Can We Get Married? | Han Seon-woo | [35] | ||
| 2024 | The Roundup: Punishment | Jang Dong-cheol | [36] | |
| The Plot | Hauser | |||
| Method Acting | Lee Dong-hwi | [37] | ||
| 2025 | Lobby | Park Yong-hoon | [38][39] | |
| Hi-Five | Doctor Go | Cameo | [40] |
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | [41] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Gunman in Joseon | Han Jung-hoon | ||
| 2015 | Divorce Lawyer in Love | Lee Kyung | ||
| 2015–2016 | Reply 1988 | Ryu Dong-ryong | ||
| 2016 | Red Teacher | Kim Tae-nam | Drama special | |
| Entourage | Geo-book (Turtle) | |||
| 2017 | Radiant Office | Do Ki-taek | ||
| 2019 | Pegasus Market | Moon Seok-goo | ||
| 2020 | SF8 | Jung Ga-ram | Episode: "Manxin" | |
| 2022 | Glitch | Lee Si-kook | [42] | |
| 2022–2023 | Big Bet | Jeong-pal | Season 1–2 | [43] |
| 2024 | Chief Detective 1958 | Kim Sang-soon | [44] | |
| 2025 | Low Life | Sim Hong-gi | [41] |
Television shows
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–2025 | Rented in Finland | Cast member | [45][46] |
| 2025–2026 | Reply 1988 10th Anniversary | [47] |
Web shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Orange Tag | Host | [48] | |
| 2022 | Saturday Night Live Korea | Season 2 – Episode 5 | [49] | |
| 2023 | Bromarble | Cast Member | with Yoo Yeon-seok, Lee Seung-gi, Jo Se-ho, Ji Seok-jin, Kyuhyun, Joshua and Hoshi | [50] |
Radio shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Bae Chul-soo's Music Camp | Special DJ | August 11–12 | [51] |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | "Hyehwa-dong (or Ssangmun-dong)" | [52] |
Music video appearances
| Year | Song Title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | "Hobby" | Parc Jae-jung | [53] |
| "Sunny Today" | KCM | [54] | |
| 2022 | "Do You Want to Hear" (듣고 싶을까) | MSG Wannabe MOM | [55] |
Discography
Singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Journey To Atlantis" (상상더하기) (with MSG Wannabe) |
2021 | MSG Wannabe Top 8 Performance Songs |
| "Resignation" (체념) (with Kim Jung-min, Simon Dominic, Lee Sang-yi) | ||
| "Only You" (나를 아는 사람) (with Kim Jungmin, Simon Dominic, Lee Sangyi) |
MSG Wannabe 1st Album | |
| "I Love You" (난 너를 사랑해) (with MSG Wannabe) | ||
| "Keep your head up" (네가 아는 너)[56] | Non-album single |
Soundtrack appearances
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Hyehwa-dong (or Ssangmun-dong) (혜화동 (혹은 쌍문동))"[57] (Ssangmun-dong Kids featuring Lee Dong-hwi) |
2025 | Reply 1988 10th Anniversary OST |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | InStyle Star Icon | New Generation Actor Award | Reply 1988, The Sound of a Flower | Nominated | |
| 8th Style Icon Asia | Awesome Swagger | N/a | Won | ||
| 11th Max Movie Awards | Best Supporting Actor | The Beauty Inside | Nominated | ||
| 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actor (TV) | Reply 1988 | Nominated | ||
| 9th Korea Drama Awards | Best New Actor | Nominated | |||
| 1st tvN10 Awards | Scene-Stealer Award, Actor | Nominated | |||
| 16th Korea World Youth Film Festival | Rookie Award | Won | |||
| 30th KBS Drama Awards | Best Actor in a One-Act/Special/Short Drama | Drama Special – Red Teacher | Won | ||
| 2nd Fashionista Awards | Best Fashionista | N/a | Nominated | [58] | |
| 2017 | 6th Korea Top Star Awards | Popular Star Award | The Bros | Won | |
| 2017 MBC Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Radiant Office | Nominated | [59] | |
| 2021 | 8th Wildflower Film Awards | Best Actor | Somewhere in Between | Nominated | [60] |
| 21st MBC Entertainment Awards | Best Teamwork Award | Hangout with Yoo | Won | [61] | |
| 2023 | 2nd Blue Dragon Series Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Big Bet | Won | [62] |
Listicles
Notes
- The Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association is a non-profit organization established in 1961. It was founded by newspaper companies, broadcasting companies, and social organizations to assist individuals affected by unforeseen disasters. Originally known as the "Korea Flood Damage Response Committee," it initially focused on providing financial aid for the victims of Typhoon Sarah in 1959. In 1964, the organization was renamed the "Korea Disaster Response Association" to expand its relief efforts and promote a culture of donation within society. In 2001, with the amendment of the Disaster Relief Act, The Hope Bridge Korea Korea Disaster Relief Association became the only relief organization in the country authorized by the government to raise and distribute donations for domestic natural disasters.[26]