In 1999, the year he turned 28, he debuted in SBS’s House Above the Waves. That year he also played Madoros, a subordinate of Kim Du-han, in MBC’s Wang Cho, and he says his TV acting began there. In 2000 he appeared in director Heo Seung-jun’s film Ghost Taxi.
In 2001 he appeared in MBC’s Her House and won best new actor at the MBC Drama Awards. In 2002 he played a villain in SBS’s Shoot for the Stars.
The breakthrough yearIn 2003, the year he turned 32, he played Officer Hwangbo Yoon of the Left Police Bureau in MBC’s Damo. The first episode drew 14.7% and the term “Damo maniac” appeared. He says it was hard at first to develop his low, thick way of speaking.
In 2004 he played the scholarship student Jang Sae-hoon in MBC’s Phoenix. In 2005 he played Dae Jeong-hyun, the last prince of Balhae, in the film Shadowless Sword. In 2006 he played Ha Kang-jae in SBS’s Lovers. In 2007 he played King Jeongjo in MBC’s Lee San, Wind of the Palace.
In 2008 Lee San, Wind of the Palace ended at episode 77. In 2009 he returned to drama after a year with MBC’s summer horror special Soul. In 2011 he took the title role in Gyebaek, a period drama by Jeong Hyeong-su, the writer of Damo. In 2012 he became ambassador for the Kia K9.
In 2013 he went out as porter on tvN’s Grandpas Over Flowers. After this, variety became one pillar of his work. In 2014 he played the prosecutor Kang Dong-seok in KBS2’s Wonderful Days, and in the fall he began Three Meals a Day. In 2015 he made a special appearance in the film Love Forecast. In 2016 he played Han Ji-hoon in MBC’s Marriage Contract.
In 2017 he began tvN’s Youn’s Kitchen. In 2018 Youn’s Kitchen 2 and Grandpas Over Flowers Returns followed, and the film Intimate Strangers opened in the fall. In 2020 he took the segment Lee Seo-jin’s New York, New York on Friday Joy Package. In 2022 he played a novice clinic owner in TVING’s Dr. Park’s Clinic.
In 2023 he became the boss of Jinny’s Kitchen and in November signed an exclusive contract with Antenna. In 2025 he worked as a one-day manager on SBS’s My Grumpy Secretary. In 2026, the year he turned 55, he released Netflix’s Ready or Not: Texas, and in May he took the stage in his first play, Uncle Vanya, 27 years after his debut.
Lee Seo-jin (born Jan 30, 1971) debuted in 1999, the year he turned 28, in SBS’s House Above the Waves, and became known as Hwangbo Yoon in MBC’s Damo, which first aired on Jul 28, 2003, the year he turned 32. From Grandpas Over Flowers in 2013, the year he turned 42, he also established himself in variety.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.