The year he turned 17, he joined U-KISS as the new member Jun and made his first public appearance at the showcase for the mini-album Mono Scandal. In 2015, he starred in the musical Run to You in Japan. In June 2016, U-KISS’s 11th mini-album Stalker was released.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 20, he took on acting for the first time as Lee Soo-gyum in tvN Avengers Social Club. Nine days after its first episode, Celuv Media wrote that he was making his name in the role.
The year he turned 21, he held first place on The Unit in February and held a showcase with UNB in March. In May he appeared in MBC Goodbye to Goodbye, and in December he received Best New Actor at the MBC Drama Awards. In 2019, he played Yoo Beom-jin in OCN Class of Lies. In 2020, he appeared in the encore run of a musical and in SBS Good Casting.
In 2021, he finished KBS2 Imitation, and in August he played Jung Hyun-min in Netflix D.P. In November he co-founded J-flex, and in December he received the Best Choice award at the Asia Artist Awards. In 2022, he played Jung Ji-hoo in the Netflix film Love and Leashes.
In August 2023, he made a special appearance as Choi Bu-yong in Netflix Mask Girl. In September he attended the production press conference for the film Brave Citizen. In 2024, he appeared in the Netflix film Badland Hunters and in Disney+ The Impossible Heir.
The year he turned 28, he appeared in Netflix Melo Movie in February, followed by When Life Gives You Tangerines and Weak Hero Class 2, and then KBS2 Pump Up the Healthy Love. In September, his casting in Reborn Rookie was announced.
The year he turned 29, Reborn Rookie ended in July, he appeared on You Quiz on the Block, and on the 21st he enlisted for active duty in the Army. On Aug. 29, Four Hands, Two Sonatas aired its first episode after his enlistment.
Lee Jun-young (born Jan 22, 1997) debuted on Jun 2, 2014, the year he turned 17, as U-KISS’s new member Jun, and became known on Oct 11, 2017, the year he turned 20, when he took on acting for the first time as Lee Soo-gyum in tvN Avengers Social Club. He appeared in Netflix D.P. in 2021, the year he turned 24.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Appeared at the showcase for the mini-album Mono Scandal as U-KISS’s new member Jun. It was his first official public appearance. The title track was “Quit Playing.”
Source 01 · News1 (Korean) · U-KISS’s new member Jun · opens in a new tabSource 02 · MyDaily (Korean) · New member Jun joins · opens in a new tabSource 30 · Top Star News (Korean) · Recent news · opens in a new tab His birth date is confirmed by a Top Star News article.Was cast as a lead alongside U-KISS’s Soohyun, playing Jae-min. The run was from June 26 to July 5.
Source 03 · TenAsia (Korean) · Musical Run to You · opens in a new tabThe album came out with a six-member lineup including Jun, after a gap of about 1 year and 5 months.
Source 04 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Stalker · opens in a new tabTook on acting for the first time as Lee Soo-gyum. The first episode drew an average rating of 2.9%. Nine days later, Celuv Media wrote that he was making his name in the role, and added that few people knew he was Jun of U-KISS.
Appearing as U-KISS’s Jun, he held first place with more than 220,000 votes in the ranking announcement, and finished first in the final ranking as well. Edaily wrote that this broadcast made it known that Lee Jun-young of Avengers Social Club was U-KISS’s Jun.
Source 08 · Sports Q (Korean) · The Unit first place · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Edaily (Korean) · Avengers Social Club and The Unit · opens in a new tabSource 10 · TenAsia (Korean) · 2018 MBC Drama Awards Best New Actor · opens in a new tabHeld a showcase as one of the nine members of UNB, the debut group from The Unit. The group’s activity period was given as seven months.
Source 09 · MBN (Korean) · UNB showcase · opens in a new tabPlayed Han Min-soo in an MBC weekend drama.
Source 10 · TenAsia (Korean) · 2018 MBC Drama Awards Best New Actor · opens in a new tabSource 11 · Top Star News (Korean) · Mask Girl special appearance · opens in a new tab The May broadcast is confirmed by a TenAsia article; the first air date was not confirmed.Received the Best New Actor award in the male category at the ceremony. In his acceptance remarks, he thanked the production crews of Goodbye to Goodbye and Avengers Social Club.
Source 10 · TenAsia (Korean) · 2018 MBC Drama Awards Best New Actor · opens in a new tabPlayed Yoo Beom-jin, a student at Cheonmyeong High School. The first episode aired on this day.
Source 31 · Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · Class of Lies first episode · opens in a new tabSource 12 · Top Star News (Korean) · Class of Lies · opens in a new tabAppeared in the encore run in a lead role, Dan. The run was announced as Feb. 14 to Apr. 26.
Source 13 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · Musical Swag Age: Shout out, Chosun! · opens in a new tabSource 14 · Sports World (Korean) · Musical encore · opens in a new tab Sports Seoul gives the 14th as the opening and Sports World gives the 15th as the first performance, so only the month is given.Appeared as Kang Woo-won, a top star.
Source 14 · Sports World (Korean) · Musical encore · opens in a new tabSource 21 · SPOTV News (Korean) · Netflix titles · opens in a new tab A February 2020 article said the drama would begin airing in April. The first air date was not confirmed.The drama, in which he appeared as Kwon Ryok, a top idol, ended in July.
Source 15 · TenAsia (Korean) · 2021 Asia Artist Awards · opens in a new tab The end month is confirmed by a TenAsia article; the end date was not confirmed.Played Jung Hyun-min, a deserter. The series was released on Netflix on this day.
Source 16 · Newsis (Korean) · D.P. release · opens in a new tabSource 15 · TenAsia (Korean) · 2021 Asia Artist Awards · opens in a new tabHis agency said he had co-founded a new agency, J-flex, and was setting out on his own.
Source 17 · Break News (Korean) · J-flex founded · opens in a new tabThat year he appeared in Imitation, D.P. and Let Me Be Your Knight.
Source 15 · TenAsia (Korean) · 2021 Asia Artist Awards · opens in a new tabPlayed Jung Ji-hoo. The film was released on Netflix on this day.
Source 33 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Love and Leashes release · opens in a new tabSource 18 · SBS Entertainment News (Korean) · Park Seo-ham and Lee Jun-young · opens in a new tabMade a special appearance as Choi Bu-yong. The series was released exclusively on Netflix on this day.
Source 11 · Top Star News (Korean) · Mask Girl special appearance · opens in a new tabAttended the production press conference with Shin Hye-sun; he plays Han Soo-gang in the film. The film was reported to open on the 25th of the following month.
Source 19 · Sports World (Korean) · Brave Citizen press conference · opens in a new tab The release date was not confirmed in an article.Played Choi Ji-wan, a character who hunts alongside Namsan, the hunter played by Ma Dong-seok. The film was released on Netflix on this day.
Source 34 · JTBC (Korean) · Badland Hunters release · opens in a new tabSource 21 · SPOTV News (Korean) · Netflix titles · opens in a new tabPlayed Kang In-ha, an illegitimate son of a chaebol family.
Source 20 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · The Impossible Heir · opens in a new tabSource 32 · Joynews24 (Korean) · The Impossible Heir interview · opens in a new tab The first release date was not confirmed. An article refers to an episode released on Mar. 27.Played Hong Si-jun, an unknown composer.
Source 22 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Melo Movie · opens in a new tabSource 21 · SPOTV News (Korean) · Netflix titles · opens in a new tabPlayed Park Yeong-bum, the boyfriend of Yang Geum-myeong.
Source 21 · SPOTV News (Korean) · Netflix titles · opens in a new tabSource 26 · Chosun Biz (Korean) · Enlistment news · opens in a new tab The March release is confirmed by a Sports Chosun article; the release date was not confirmed.Made a special appearance as King Sejong in the final episode. It was his first appearance in a historical drama.
Source 23 · Joynews24 (Korean) · Another rediscovery · opens in a new tabPlayed Geum Seong-je. The series was released on this day.
Source 24 · News1 (Korean) · Weak Hero Class 2 · opens in a new tabAppeared in the KBS 2TV Wednesday-Thursday drama.
Source 24 · News1 (Korean) · Weak Hero Class 2 · opens in a new tab The first air date follows the preview in an Apr. 26 article.Was reported to be playing two roles, Kang Yong-ho and Hwang Jun-hyeon. The broadcast was scheduled for 2026.
Source 25 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Reborn Rookie casting · opens in a new tabPlayed Hwang Jun-hyeon, a young man whose soul swapped with that of Kang Yong-ho, a chairman in his 70s played by Son Hyun-joo.
Source 26 · Chosun Biz (Korean) · Enlistment news · opens in a new tabAppeared as a guest and talked about working part-time at a convenience store during a period when U-KISS was less active.
Source 27 · Newsen (Korean) · You Quiz on the Block · opens in a new tabAccording to his agency, he enlisted for active duty in the Army on this day and would receive basic military training before being assigned to a unit.
Source 28 · Bridge Economy (Korean) · Active-duty enlistment · opens in a new tabSource 26 · Chosun Biz (Korean) · Enlistment news · opens in a new tabPlayed Choi Jeong-yo. The first episode drew a nationwide rating of 3.4%, and it aired after his enlistment.
Source 29 · TenAsia (Korean) · Four Hands, Two Sonatas ratings · opens in a new tabSource 28 · Bridge Economy (Korean) · Active-duty enlistment · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2014–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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.
Film & TV · South Korea
Jan 22, 1997 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1997: the year of the event minus 1997, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.10.03 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.