A MODERN
BIOGRAPHY ARCHIVE
THE COLLECTION / Film & TVARCHIVE № 135
1954 —   FILM DIRECTOR / NOVELIST

LEECHANG-DONG

Apr 1, 1954South Korea

What happened at what age?
Where were they at your age?

From around 1981, the year he turned 27, he taught Korean at high schools. In 1983, he made his literary debut when his story “Jeonri” won the novella category of the Dong-A Ilbo spring literary contest. In 1992, he won the Hankook Ilbo Literature Prize for the story collection There’s a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon.

In 1993, the year he turned 39, he entered the film world, writing the script and serving as assistant director on Park Kwang-su’s To the Starry Island. In 1995, he wrote the script for A Single Spark.

The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 43, his first film as director, Green Fish, was released. That year it won Best Film at the Baeksang Arts Awards and at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

On the first day of 2000, the year he turned 46, his second film, Peppermint Candy, opened. In 2002, he won Best Director at the Venice Film Festival for Oasis. It was the first time a Korean film had won Best Director at the festival.

In 2003, he became the first Minister of Culture and Tourism under the Roh Moo-hyun government. In 2007, he released Secret Sunshine, and Jeon Do-yeon won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2010, he won Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival for Poetry.

In 2018, Burning was released, and at the end of the year it became the first Korean film shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2022, he showed his first short film, Heartbeat, at a retrospective at the Jeonju International Film Festival.

In 2025, production was confirmed for Possible Love, his first feature since Burning. In 2026, he won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival for Possible Love.

Lee Chang-dong (born Apr 1, 1954) made his literary debut in 1983, the year he turned 29, when his story “Jeonri” won a Dong-A Ilbo contest, and became known on Feb 7, 1997, the year he turned 43, when his directing debut, Green Fish, was released. In 2002, the year he turned 48, he won Best Director at the Venice Film Festival for Oasis.

Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.

Full timeline · 35 records1981 — 2026   ＋
AGE / YEAR

  1. 27 · 1981
    Job

    Becomes a high school Korean teacher

    After graduating from the Korean language education department at Kyungpook National University, taught Korean at high schools.

    Source 04 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Lee Chang-dong · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · From novelist to world-class film master · opens in a new tab The fact that he worked as a Korean teacher was confirmed in a Yonhap article. The start year and the school names, Yeongyang High School and Shinil High School, are from Wikipedia and were not confirmed in news reports.
  2. 29 · 1983
  3. 33 · 1987
  4. 38 · 1992
  5. 39 · 1993
    Script

    Writes the script and is assistant director on Park Kwang-su’s To the Starry Island

    Entered the film world as he approached 40, writing the screenplay and serving as assistant director.

    Source 01 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · From novelist to minister to world-class master · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · From novelist to world-class film master · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Star News (Korean) · Who is Lee Chang-dong, Cannes screenplay winner for Poetry? · opens in a new tab The release date was not confirmed.
  6. 41 · 1995
  7. 45 · 1999
  8. 46 · 2000
  9. 48 · 2002
  10. 48 · 2002
    Key moment

    Best Director at the 59th Venice Film Festival, a first for a Korean film

    Won Best Director for Oasis, and Moon So-ri won the Marcello Mastroianni Award. It was the first time a Korean film had won Best Director at Venice.

    Source 08 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Oasis wins Best Director and Best Young Actress awards · opens in a new tabSource 27 · Newsis (Korean) · [Table] From The Horse Carriage Driver to Possible Love · opens in a new tabSource 23 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Possible Love wins the FIPRESCI Prize at Venice · opens in a new tab The film also won the FIPRESCI Prize (Kyunghyang Shinmun). The date is local time, when the Korean Film Council was notified of the award.
  11. 49 · 2003
    Public office

    Becomes the first Minister of Culture and Tourism under the Roh Moo-hyun government

    Stopped directing after Oasis and took on cultural administration.

    Source 03 · Star News (Korean) · Who is Lee Chang-dong, Cannes screenplay winner for Poetry? · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · From novelist to minister to world-class master · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Lee Chang-dong · opens in a new tab The fact that he took office in February 2003 was confirmed in the Star News article. The day, the 27th, is from Wikipedia.
  12. 50 · 2004
    Public office

    Leaves the post of Minister of Culture and Tourism

    Served as minister for one year and four months.

    Source 03 · Star News (Korean) · Who is Lee Chang-dong, Cannes screenplay winner for Poetry? · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · From novelist to minister to world-class master · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Lee Chang-dong · opens in a new tab The fact that he served until June 2004 was confirmed in the Star News article. The day, the 30th, is from Wikipedia.
  13. 51 · 2005
  14. 52 · 2006
  15. 53 · 2007
  16. 53 · 2007
  17. 54 · 2008
  18. 55 · 2009
  19. 56 · 2010
  20. 56 · 2010
  21. 57 · 2011
  22. 60 · 2014
  23. 64 · 2018
  24. 64 · 2018
  25. 64 · 2018
  26. 65 · 2019
  27. 68 · 2022
    Festival

    Jeonju International Film Festival retrospective, first short film Heartbeat shown

    At the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival retrospective “Lee Chang-dong: The Truth of the Invisible,” showed his first short film, Heartbeat, and Alain Mazars’s documentary Lee Chang-dong: The Art of Irony. 4K remastered versions of six films, from Green Fish to Burning, were also shown.

    Source 18 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Press conference for the Lee Chang-dong retrospective at the Jeonju International Film Festival · opens in a new tab
  28. 70 · 2024
  29. 71 · 2025
  30. 72 · 2026
  31. 72 · 2026
  32. 72 · 2026
  33. 72 · 2026
    Key moment

    Grand Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice Film Festival

    Won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the award after the Golden Lion, for Possible Love. It was the first time a Korean film had won this prize, and the first Venice main competition award in 14 years, since Pietà in 2012.

    Source 24 · News1 (Korean) · From Venice to Toronto, the first Korean to win the Ebert Director Award · opens in a new tabSource 25 · Kyungbuk Maeil (Korean) · From a Daegu Korean teacher to film master · opens in a new tabSource 27 · Newsis (Korean) · [Table] From The Horse Carriage Driver to Possible Love · opens in a new tab The closing ceremony was held on the afternoon of the 12th local time, the morning of the 13th in Korea.
  34. 72 · 2026

END OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1981–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.

02 / QUICK ANSWERS

Q & AFrequently asked

How old was Lee Chang-dong when he debuted?
As a novelist, in 1983, the year he turned 29, when his story “Jeonri” won the novella category of the Dong-A Ilbo spring literary contest. As a film director, his debut was Green Fish in 1997, the year he turned 43.
How old was Lee Chang-dong when he became famous?
On Feb 7, 1997, the year he turned 43, when his directing debut, Green Fish, was released. That year it won Best Film at the Baeksang Arts Awards and at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. It came 14 years after his literary debut.
How old was Lee Chang-dong when he won Best Director at Venice?
On Sep 8, 2002, the year he turned 48. He won Best Director at the 59th Venice Film Festival for Oasis, the first time a Korean film had won that award there. In 2026, the year he turned 72, he won the Grand Jury Prize for Possible Love.
How old was Lee Chang-dong when he was Minister of Culture and Tourism?
He became the first Minister of Culture and Tourism under the Roh Moo-hyun government in 2003, the year he turned 49, and served for one year and four months, until 2004, the year he turned 50.
How old is Lee Chang-dong?
Born in 1954, he turns 72 in 2026 (72 as of Sep 21, 2026).
04 / ABOUT THE ARCHIVE

A LIFE,
IN CHAPTERS.

What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.

COLLECTION135Lee Chang-dong / LEE CHANG-DONG

Film & TV · South Korea
Apr 1, 1954 —

Sources and method29 SOURCES   ＋

Ages are counted from the birth year 1954: the year of the event minus 1954, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.

  1. Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · From novelist to minister to world-class master ↗Born in Daegu in 1954; Korean language education at Kyungpook National University; won the 1983 Dong-A Ilbo spring literary contest in the novella category with “Jeonri”; wrote the script and was assistant director on To the Starry Island in 1993; Baeksang Arts Awards screenplay award for A Single Spark in 1995; founded East Film; Best Director at the 59th Venice festival; Minister of Culture and Tourism for one year and four months from 2003
  2. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · From novelist to world-class film master ↗Debuted with Green Fish in 1997; Peppermint Candy invited to the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes; Best Director at the 59th Venice festival in 2002; career as a high school Korean teacher
  3. Star News (Korean) · Who is Lee Chang-dong, Cannes screenplay winner for Poetry? ↗Made his literary debut in 1983; Yi Sang Literary Award recommended excellence award for “About Fate” in 1987; Hankook Ilbo Literature Prize for There’s a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon in 1992; entered the film world in 1993; Baeksang Arts Awards Best Film and Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Film for Green Fish in 1997; minister from February 2003 to June 2004
  4. Wikipedia (Korean) · Lee Chang-dong ↗Born April 1, 1954 in Daegu; Korean teacher at Yeongyang High School and Shinil High School from 1981; term as Minister of Culture and Tourism from Feb. 27, 2003 to June 30, 2004
  5. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Interview with Han Suk-kyu, lead of Green Fish ↗Opens Feb. 7, produced by East Film, Han Suk-kyu as Makdong, with Moon Sung-keun and Shim Hye-jin
  6. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Peppermint Candy opens at midnight on Jan. 1, 2000 ↗Shown as the opening film of the Busan International Film Festival in October 1999; opens at Piccadilly Theater
  7. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Oasis preview screening ↗Opens Aug. 15, 2002, produced by East Film
  8. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Oasis wins Best Director and Best Young Actress awards ↗Notified on the afternoon of Sept. 8, 2002 (local time); in competition at the 59th Venice Film Festival; the first Best Director award for a Korean film
  9. Newsis (Korean) · Jeon Do-yeon of Secret Sunshine wins Best Actress at the 60th Cannes Film Festival ↗May 27, 2007 (local time), closing ceremony at the Lumière Theatre
  10. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Jeon Do-yeon and Song Hye-kyo, Korean cinema’s “double engines” ↗Secret Sunshine opened May 23, with 350,000 viewers nationwide in its first week
  11. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Opening of the 62nd Cannes Film Festival ↗Opened May 13, 2009; Lee Chang-dong sat on the feature competition jury, and A Brand New Life, which he produced, was invited to a non-competitive special screening
  12. Hankyung bnt News (Korean) · Poetry opens May 13 ↗Produced by Pine House Film; Yoon Jeong-hee’s return to the screen after 15 years
  13. Star News (Korean) · Poetry wins Cannes screenplay award ↗May 23, 2010, 7:15 p.m. (local time), 63rd Cannes Film Festival awards ceremony
  14. YTN (Korean) · Bae Doona and Kim Sae-ron head to Cannes with A Girl at My Door, produced by Lee Chang-dong ↗Directed by July Jung, officially selected for Un Certain Regard at the 67th Cannes Film Festival
  15. Dailian (Korean) · Burning wins the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes ↗In competition at the 71st Cannes festival; award on May 19, 2018 (local time); opened May 17
  16. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Burning shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, a first for a Korean film ↗Reported Dec. 18, 2018; nine films chosen from 87 countries; the first Korean film on the list
  17. Xportsnews (Korean) · Best Director and Lifetime Achievement at the 13th Asian Film Awards ↗March 17, 2019 at TVB City, Hong Kong; Best Film and Best Director for Secret Sunshine in 2008; Best Director and Best Screenplay for Poetry in 2011
  18. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Press conference for the Lee Chang-dong retrospective at the Jeonju International Film Festival ↗April 29, 2022 at the Jungbu Vision Center; the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival retrospective “Lee Chang-dong: The Truth of the Invisible”; first short film Heartbeat and the documentary Lee Chang-dong: The Art of Irony shown; his six earlier films remastered in 4K
  19. Xportsnews (Korean) · Lee Chang-dong working on the script for his next film ↗In a December 2024 interview with The New Yorker, said he was writing the script for a new film and planned to start shooting the following year
  20. TV Daily (Korean) · Netflix confirms production of Possible Love ↗Cast revealed Aug. 5, 2025: Jeon Do-yeon as Mi-ok, Sul Kyung-gu as Ho-seok, Zo In-sung as Sang-woo, Cho Yeo-jeong as Ye-ji; script co-written with Oh Jung-mi; produced by Pine House Film
  21. Sports Seoul (Korean) · Possible Love to open in theaters on Sept. 23 ↗Announced July 28, 2026; global release on Netflix on Nov. 6
  22. SPOTV News (Korean) · Possible Love chosen as South Korea’s entry for the 99th Academy Awards ↗Chosen by the Korean Film Council; jury chair Jung Sung-il, with 15 jurors
  23. Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Possible Love wins the FIPRESCI Prize at Venice ↗Announced Sept. 12, 2026; says Oasis in 2002 also won the same prize along with the Best Director and Best Young Actress awards
  24. News1 (Korean) · From Venice to Toronto, the first Korean to win the Ebert Director Award ↗Grand Jury Prize at the Venice closing ceremony on the evening of Sept. 12 (local time); Ebert Director Award at the Tribute Awards of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 13 (local time), established in 2019
  25. Kyungbuk Maeil (Korean) · From a Daegu Korean teacher to film master ↗83rd Venice International Film Festival, Sept. 2–12; the first Grand Jury Prize for a Korean film and the first main competition award in 14 years, since Pietà in 2012
  26. Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · [Column] Lee Chang-dong’s triumph ↗Says his directing debut Green Fish drew attention from both audiences and critics
  27. Newsis (Korean) · [Table] From The Horse Carriage Driver to Possible Love ↗List of competition awards won by Korean films and actors at the three major festivals: Oasis, Silver Lion for Best Director and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Moon So-ri at Venice in 2002; Jeon Do-yeon, Best Actress at Cannes for Secret Sunshine in 2007; Best Screenplay at Cannes for Poetry in 2010; Possible Love, Grand Jury Prize at Venice in 2026
  28. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · French edition of There’s a Lot of Shit in Nokcheon ↗Talks with readers at three venues including the MK2 cinema in Paris on Oct. 25–27, 2005; published by Seo-i; his second story collection, which won the Hankook Ilbo Creative Literature Prize
  29. Newsen (Korean) · Secret Sunshine title set as Milyang ↗Dec. 19, 2006: shooting about 60% done, starring Song Kang-ho and Jeon Do-yeon; due for release in May 2007

Fact-checked: 2026.09.21 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.