In 1993, the year he turned 21, he became an actor in SBS’s teen drama Dinosaur Teacher. In 1994, he made his screen debut in Bae Chang-ho’s The Young Man.
The breakthrough yearIn January 1995, the year he turned 23, SBS’s Sandglass began. He became known as Baek Jae-hee, the bodyguard of Yoon Hye-rin, played by Go Hyun-jung, and that year he won new actor awards in both TV and film.
In 1998, he appeared in director Lee Jae-yong’s An Affair. He says it got him out of a period after military discharge when work was not going well. In 1999, City of the Rising Sun opened, and that year he won best actor at the 20th Blue Dragon Film Awards.
In 2000, he made Il Mare with Jun Ji-hyun. In 2001, he played a husband opposite Lee Young-ae in Last Present. In December 2005, Kwak Kyung-taek’s Typhoon opened.
In 2008, he played Cheon-doong in The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan. In 2010, The Housemaid, in which he appeared, was invited to the competition at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2012, The Thieves passed 10 million admissions.
In 2013, New World opened, and he won best supporting actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards for Grand Prince Suyang in The Face Reader. In 2015, Assassination passed 10 million admissions on Liberation Day. In 2016, he founded Artist Company with Jung Woo-sung, and Operation Chromite opened.
In 2019, he returned to drama with JTBC’s Chief of Staff. In 2020, he played Ray in Deliver Us from Evil. In 2021, Netflix’s Squid Game was released.
In 2022, his directorial debut, Hunt, screened for the first time at the Cannes Film Festival, and in September he won the Emmy for best lead actor for Squid Game. In 2024, The Acolyte and Squid Game season 2 were released. In 2025, season 3 was released and he received a Charlie Chaplin Award. In 2026, he was named a director of the Shin Young-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation, and in September he answered fans’ questions on his official TikTok account.
Lee Jung-jae (born Dec 15, 1972) debuted in SBS’s Dinosaur Teacher in 1993, the year he turned 21, and became known as Baek Jae-hee in SBS’s Sandglass, which began on Jan 10, 1995, the year he turned 23. In 2022, the year he turned 50, he won the Emmy for best lead actor for Squid Game.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
After entering show business as a model, he began acting in the teen drama Dinosaur Teacher. The same year he appeared in a Lotte Crunky chocolate ad.
Source 01 · Newsis (Korean) · Lee Jung-jae, 30 years in · opens in a new tabSource 40 · Maeil Business (Korean) · Interview with Lee Jung-jae · opens in a new tab The first air date was not confirmed.In Bae Chang-ho’s film he played Lee Han, a model aspiring to be a star. For it, the next year, he won best new actor at the 33rd Grand Bell Awards, best new actor in film at the 31st Baeksang Arts Awards and best new actor at the 16th Blue Dragon Film Awards.
Source 02 · NoCut News (Korean) · The Young Man re-released in September · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Newsis (Korean) · Lee Jung-jae, 30 years in · opens in a new tabHe played Baek Jae-hee, the bodyguard of Yoon Hye-rin, played by Go Hyun-jung. The 24-episode series drew ratings above 60%, and Hankyoreh writes that he became a star all at once through it. For it he won best new actor in TV at the 31st Baeksang Arts Awards and best new actor at the SBS Drama Awards.
He co-starred with Lee Mi-sook in director Lee Jae-yong’s debut film. He says it got him out of a period after military discharge when work was not going well.
Source 07 · Newsen (Korean) · Script contest for the 10th anniversary of An Affair · opens in a new tabSource 08 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Lee Jung-jae, “Yoo Jae-suk, my short-term soldier comrade” · opens in a new tab The release date was not confirmed. The articles say only that it opened in October 1998.In Kim Sung-su’s film he acted with Jung Woo-sung for the first time. By the morning of Jan. 4, the fourth day of release, 250,000 people nationwide had seen it.
Source 09 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Korean films start the new year smoothly · opens in a new tabSource 10 · News1 (Korean) · City of the Rising Sun re-released after 25 years · opens in a new tabHe received it for City of the Rising Sun at a ceremony at the grand theater of the National Theater of Korea in Jangchung-dong, Seoul. Newsis writes that he was 27, the youngest winner of best actor in the festival’s history, and that the record has not been broken since.
Source 41 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 20th Blue Dragon Film Awards · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Newsis (Korean) · Lee Jung-jae, 30 years in · opens in a new tabSource 06 · Money Today (Korean) · Lee Jung-jae’s major awards · opens in a new tabIn Lee Hyun-seung’s film he co-starred with Jun Ji-hyun. It was remade in Hollywood in 2006 as The Lake House.
Source 11 · Newsen (Korean) · The Lake House opens in Korea · opens in a new tab The release date was not confirmed.In Oh Ki-hwan’s film he played a husband opposite Lee Young-ae.
Source 12 · Newsis (Korean) · Lee Young-ae and Lee Jung-jae reunite after 24 years · opens in a new tab The release date was not confirmed.He appeared in Kwak Kyung-taek’s film with Jang Dong-gun and Lee Mi-yeon. According to the distributor’s count, 280,000 people nationwide saw it on the first day.
Source 13 · Newsis (Korean) · Typhoon’s opening-day record · opens in a new tabHe played Cheon-doong, the best fighter in Joseon.
Source 14 · Asia Economy (Korean) · Poster for The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan · opens in a new tabDirector Im Sang-soo remade Kim Ki-young’s film of the same name, and he appeared in it with Jun Do-yeon, Seo Woo and Youn Yuh-jung.
Source 15 · Star News (Korean) · The Housemaid in competition at Cannes · opens in a new tab This is the date the invitation was announced.He played Popeye, one of the Korean thieves working as a team. It passed 10 million in 22 days after release, the sixth Korean film to do so.
Source 42 · Xportsnews (Korean) · Casting for The Thieves · opens in a new tabSource 16 · SBS Entertainment News (Korean) · The Thieves passes 10 million · opens in a new tabSource 21 · Financial News (Korean) · Assassination hits 10 million on Liberation Day · opens in a new tabHe appeared with Choi Min-sik and Hwang Jung-min, playing Lee Ja-seong, who goes undercover in a criminal organization.
Source 17 · TV Daily (Korean) · New World interview · opens in a new tabHe received it for Grand Prince Suyang in The Face Reader.
Source 18 · MyDaily (Korean) · 34th Blue Dragon Film Awards · opens in a new tabHe appeared with Shin Ha-kyun and Lee Sung-min. It had preview screenings the day before, on Nov. 26.
Source 19 · Korea Economic TV (Korean) · Big Match opens · opens in a new tabIt opened on July 22 and stood at 10,094,957 at 8 a.m. on this day, Liberation Day. It is his second 10-million film with director Choi Dong-hoon, after The Thieves.
Source 20 · SBS Entertainment News (Korean) · Assassination passes 10 million · opens in a new tabSource 21 · Financial News (Korean) · Assassination hits 10 million on Liberation Day · opens in a new tabHis agency said he set up a general entertainment company with Jung Woo-sung. Maeil Business writes that Lee Jung-jae is its largest shareholder and a registered director.
Source 22 · TV Daily (Korean) · Artist Company founded · opens in a new tabSource 40 · Maeil Business (Korean) · Interview with Lee Jung-jae · opens in a new tabHe played Jang Hak-su, a captain in a naval intelligence unit.
Source 24 · Xportsnews (Korean) · Operation Chromite opens · opens in a new tabSource 23 · MBN (Korean) · Lee Jung-jae in Operation Chromite · opens in a new tabHe made a special appearance as Yeomra, the king of hell. Newsis writes that the film drew 14.41 million.
Source 25 · Newsis (Korean) · Lee Jung-jae’s Yeomra · opens in a new tab The release date was not confirmed. The article says only that it opened in December.He made a special appearance as Yeomra again, following the first film.
Source 26 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · Along with the Gods 2 interview · opens in a new tabHe described it as a mystery thriller and not a work about a particular religion.
Source 27 · Newsis (Korean) · Svaha interview · opens in a new tabHe played the chief of staff Jang Tae-joon. Korea Economic Daily writes that it was his return to drama after 10 years.
Source 28 · Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Chief of Staff premieres · opens in a new tabHe played Ray, who chases In-nam, played by Hwang Jung-min.
Source 29 · ize (Korean) · Deliver Us from Evil · opens in a new tabHe appeared as Seong Gi-hun. SBS Entertainment News writes that the series became Netflix’s biggest hit ever, at 265.2 million views.
Source 30 · SBS Entertainment News (Korean) · Squid Game season 2 released · opens in a new tabSource 37 · Money Today (Korean) · Squid Game season 3 release date · opens in a new tabHis directorial debut was shown publicly for the first time at the Grand Théâtre Lumière. He says a seven-minute standing ovation followed the screening and his mind went blank.
Source 31 · Xportsnews (Korean) · Hunt’s first Cannes screening · opens in a new tabSource 32 · Star News (Korean) · Lee Jung-jae in Cannes interview · opens in a new tab The date is local time.He played Park Pyeong-ho, an agent of the Agency for National Security Planning. He appeared in the same film again with Jung Woo-sung, whom he first met on City of the Rising Sun.
Source 33 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Hunt opens Aug. 10 · opens in a new tabSource 10 · News1 (Korean) · City of the Rising Sun re-released after 25 years · opens in a new tabHe received it for Squid Game. The Fact writes that he was the first winner for a non-English-language performance, and Newsis that he was the first actor of Asian nationality.
Source 34 · The Fact (Korean) · Lee Jung-jae wins the Emmy for lead actor · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Newsis (Korean) · Lee Jung-jae, 30 years in · opens in a new tab The date is local time.The series, set in the Star Wars universe, was released worldwide at the same time.
Source 35 · TenAsia (Korean) · The Acolyte press conference · opens in a new tabIt was released at 5 p.m.
Source 30 · SBS Entertainment News (Korean) · Squid Game season 2 released · opens in a new tabIt was released at 4 p.m. Korea time in more than 190 countries. It has six episodes and is the series’ last season.
Source 36 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Squid Game season 3 released · opens in a new tabSource 37 · Money Today (Korean) · Squid Game season 3 release date · opens in a new tabHe received an achievement award at the ceremony in Singapore. Yonhap writes that he was the first Korean to do so.
Source 38 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Charlie Chaplin Award · opens in a new tab The date is local time, and his agency announced the award the next day.The foundation’s board appointed him as a new director.
Source 39 · Maeil Business (Korean) · New director at the Shin Young-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation · opens in a new tab The article does not give the appointment date. It is based on the report of Apr. 24, 2026.He opened a TikTok account and personally answered questions fans left through the 10th.
Source 43 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Lee Jung-jae’s TikTok Q&A · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1993–2026 · 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
Dec 15, 1972 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1972: the year of the event minus 1972, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.22 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.