The year he turned 23, he debuted in the MBC sitcom Here He Comes. Before that he had worked as an advertising model.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 24, he played Kwang-soo, an aspiring singer, in the MBC sitcom High Kick Through the Roof, and his name became known to the public.
In 2010, he joined SBS’s Running Man as an original member. Through the show he became a Hallyu star and earned the nickname Prince of Asia. In 2011, he won the variety newcomer award at the SBS Entertainment Awards. In 2012, he played Park Jae-gil in KBS2’s The Innocent Man. In 2014, he appeared in SBS’s It’s Okay, That’s Love.
In 2015, the film Collective Invention was released and invited to the Toronto International Film Festival. In 2016, he played Jo Seok in the sitcom The Sound of Your Heart. In 2018, he began a public relationship with the actress Lee Sun-bin. That year he also appeared in Live and The Accidental Detective 2: In Action.
In 2019, he played Dong-goo in the film Inseparable Bros. In 2020, he won best supporting actor in film at the Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2021, he left Running Man, and the film Sinkhole was released.
In 2022, he appeared in the film The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure. In 2023, he began the variety show GBRB: Reap What You Sow. In 2024, he played Yoon Chang-jae, a butcher, in No Way Out: The Roulette.
In 2025, he appeared in succession in Karma, The Divorce Insurance and The Manipulated, and in the film Love Barista. He won best supporting actor at the Blue Dragon Series Awards for Karma.
In 2026, he was confirmed for Gardeners, followed by Gold Land, Yoo Jae-suk’s Camp and GBRB: Farm Operation.
Lee Kwang-soo (born Jul 14, 1985) debuted on Oct 6, 2008, the year he turned 23, in the MBC sitcom Here He Comes, and became known in 2009, the year he turned 24, as Kwang-soo in the MBC sitcom High Kick Through the Roof. In 2010 he joined SBS’s Running Man and became a Hallyu star, and in 2020, the year he turned 35, he won best supporting actor in film at the Baeksang Arts Awards.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Graduated from the broadcast entertainment department of Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts.
Source 01 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Lee Kwang-soo interview · opens in a new tabSource 13 · The Sen News (Korean) · Baeksang Arts Awards win · opens in a new tabBegan acting in earnest with this sitcom. Before that he had worked as a model.
Source 02 · MyDaily (Naver) (Korean) · First broadcast of Here He Comes · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Xports News (Naver) (Korean) · Getting to know Lee Kwang-soo · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Lee Kwang-soo interview · opens in a new tabPlayed Kwang-soo, an aspiring singer. The Sen News wrote that the show made him widely known to the public, and Yonhap counts it as the work where he began to make his face known.
Appeared from the first broadcast with Yoo Jae-suk, Jee Seok-jin, Kim Jong-kook, Haha, Gary and Song Joong-ki. Through the show he became a Hallyu star and picked up nicknames such as “Prince of Asia” and “Giraffe.”
Source 05 · Newsen (Korean) · Preview of Running Man’s first broadcast · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Yonhap News Agency (Naver) (Korean) · Hallyu star Lee Kwang-soo at a crossroads of change · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Xports News (Naver) (Korean) · Getting to know Lee Kwang-soo · opens in a new tabSource 13 · The Sen News (Korean) · Baeksang Arts Awards win · opens in a new tabHis first award since his debut.
Source 01 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Lee Kwang-soo interview · opens in a new tabPlayed Park Jae-gil in the drama.
Source 06 · OhmyNews (Naver) (Korean) · The Innocent Man interview · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Yonhap News Agency (Naver) (Korean) · Hallyu star Lee Kwang-soo at a crossroads of change · opens in a new tabAppeared with Jo In-sung, Gong Hyo-jin and Sung Dong-il.
Source 07 · Sports World (Naver) (Korean) · Preview of It’s Okay, That’s Love’s first broadcast · opens in a new tabAppeared with Park Bo-young and Lee Cheon-hee, and the film was invited to the Toronto International Film Festival.
Source 08 · OSEN (Naver) (Korean) · Collective Invention release confirmed · opens in a new tabPlayed Jo Seok, an aspiring cartoonist, in the sitcom adapted from the webtoon The Sound of Your Heart.
Source 09 · PD Journal (Korean) · First broadcast of The Sound of Your Heart · opens in a new tabHas been in a public relationship since 2018.
Source 22 · Xports News (Naver) (Korean) · Lee Kwang-soo’s year of many roles · opens in a new tabSource 13 · The Sen News (Korean) · Baeksang Arts Awards win · opens in a new tabThe drama follows two people who become police officers, with Jung Yu-mi.
Source 10 · Xports News (Naver) (Korean) · Live, episode 1 · opens in a new tabPlayed a former ace of the cyber investigation unit, with Kwon Sang-woo and Sung Dong-il.
Source 11 · KBS Entertainment (Naver) (Korean) · The Accidental Detective 2: In Action press screening · opens in a new tabPlayed one of two brothers who share no blood, with Shin Ha-kyun.
Source 12 · News1 (Naver) (Korean) · Inseparable Bros released · opens in a new tabWon for Inseparable Bros.
Source 13 · The Sen News (Korean) · Baeksang Arts Awards win · opens in a new tabSource 29 · Star News (Naver) (Korean) · 2020 Baeksang Arts Awards · opens in a new tabDecided to leave after 11 years, citing the condition of his ankle, injured in a traffic accident the year before. His agency said the recording on the 24th of the next month would be his last.
Source 15 · Hans Economy (Korean) · Official announcement of leaving Running Man · opens in a new tabSource 14 · Marie Claire Korea (Naver) (Korean) · Leaves Running Man · opens in a new tabPlayed Assistant Manager Kim. The film stayed near the top of the box office a month after release.
Source 16 · Sports World (Naver) (Korean) · Sinkhole interview · opens in a new tabAppeared with Kang Ha-neul and Han Hyo-joo. About 90,000 people saw it on opening day.
Source 17 · Digital Times (Naver) (Korean) · The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure opening day · opens in a new tabFarmed with Kim Woo-bin, Doh Kyung-soo and Kim Ki-bang.
Source 30 · JTBC (Naver) (Korean) · GBRB: Reap What You Sow first-episode review · opens in a new tabSource 18 · Star News (Naver) (Korean) · GBRB: Reap What You Sow air date · opens in a new tabPlayed a butcher out for a bounty on a murderer.
Source 19 · Tenasia (Naver, bnt News) (Korean) · No Way Out: The Roulette all episodes released · opens in a new tabAppeared in the crime thriller about tangled lives, with Park Hae-soo, Shin Min-a, Lee Hee-joon, Kim Sung-kyun and Gong Seung-yeon. That year he also appeared in tvN’s The Divorce Insurance.
Source 20 · SPOTV News (Naver) (Korean) · Karma press conference · opens in a new tabSource 22 · Xports News (Naver) (Korean) · Lee Kwang-soo’s year of many roles · opens in a new tabSource 21 · Top Star News (Korean) · Gold Land casting preview · opens in a new tabWon for Karma.
Source 22 · Xports News (Naver) (Korean) · Lee Kwang-soo’s year of many roles · opens in a new tabSource 23 · News1 (Naver) (Korean) · Baek Do-kyung appears in The Manipulated · opens in a new tabPlayed Baek Do-kyung, the VIP of Yohan (Doh Kyung-soo), who has both power and money.
Source 23 · News1 (Naver) (Korean) · Baek Do-kyung appears in The Manipulated · opens in a new tabPlayed Kang Jun-woo, an Asian prince left alone in an unfamiliar country with no manager, passport or money. It is a Korean-Vietnamese co-production.
Source 24 · Edaily (Naver) (Korean) · Love Barista release preview · opens in a new tabSource 22 · Xports News (Naver) (Korean) · Lee Kwang-soo’s year of many roles · opens in a new tabConfirmed with Song Kang-ho, Koo Kyo-hwan and Song Seung-heon. Plays a lottery shop owner who is the business partner of Choi Young-il (Song Kang-ho).
Source 25 · Asia Economy (Naver) (Korean) · Casting for Gardeners · opens in a new tabPlayed an organization executive chasing missing gold bars, opposite Park Bo-young.
Source 26 · News1 (Naver) (Korean) · Gold Land release preview · opens in a new tabAppeared as camp staff with Yoo Jae-suk, Byeon Woo-seok and Ji Ye-eun.
Source 27 · Ajunews (Korean) · Yoo Jae-suk’s Camp press conference · opens in a new tabExperienced ranching at a ranch on Jeju Island with Kim Woo-bin and Doh Kyung-soo.
Source 28 · Edaily (Naver) (Korean) · First broadcast of GBRB: Farm Operation · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1985–2026 · 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
Jul 14, 1985 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1985: the year of the event minus 1985, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.29 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.