In 1996, he reached the finals of the MBC Gangbyeon Song Festival. In 2003, he debuted as a KBS comedian through special hiring. He is introduced as a member of the 18th class. In 2005, he formed the Gag Game Team with director Park Joon-hyung, Jung Jong-chul and others.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 31, in late January, he first performed Gojeum Bulga with Byun Ki-soo and Ryu Dam on the Lunar New Year special of KBS2’s Gag Concert. Within three months of airing it led to commercials and a ringtone service. In May he joined Happy Together – Friends as class president, and in June he released an official album. At the end of the year he won the excellence award in comedy at the KBS Entertainment Awards.
In 2007, he appeared from the first broadcast of 2 Days & 1 Night on Happy Sunday, and in December he won the Best Entertainer Award. In 2008, he married, had a son in August, and won the rookie award at the KBS Entertainment Awards in December. In 2009, he won the Show/Entertainment MC Male Excellence Award. In 2010, a second son was born, and he won the excellence award again at the end of the year.
The year he turned 36, he became a host of Seungseungjanggu, and in December he shared the KBS Entertainment Awards Grand Prize with four other 2 Days & 1 Night members. In 2012, he began 2 Days & 1 Night season 2 and was named a Grand Prize candidate at the KBS Entertainment Awards. In 2013, he became a host of Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education. In December he was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for one year, on habitual gambling charges.
In 2015, he returned to TV on SNL Korea in May, then appeared in New Journey to the West in September and Knowing Bros in December. In 2016, he appeared in New Journey to the West 2. In 2017, he set out for Samcheok on JTBC’s Night Goblin. In 2018, he appeared in New Journey to the West 5.
In 2019, he appeared in New Journey to the West 7. In 2020, he hosted Wavve’s About Time. In 2021, he hosted SBS’s Kick a Goal with Bae Sung-jae from its first regular-slot broadcast. In 2022, he appeared in Channel A’s The Fishermen and the City, season 4. In 2023, he returned as a member for season 5.
The year he turned 49, he moved to Big Planet Made Entertainment, and in April he appeared on Gag Concert for the first time since May 2019. In 2025, Netflix released Three Idiots in Kenya. In 2026, he appeared in the Gag Concert sketch Public Trial, and in June he became principal on KBS2’s Welcome to Soo-geun School.
Lee Soo-geun (born Feb 10, 1975) debuted in 2003, the year he turned 28, as a KBS comedian through special hiring, and became known when he first performed Gojeum Bulga on Gag Concert in Jan 2006, the year he turned 31. In 2011, the year he turned 36, he shared the KBS Entertainment Awards Grand Prize as a 2 Days & 1 Night member.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
He says he entered with a song he wrote himself, “Dongdaemun Namdaemun,” and reached the finals.
Source 05 · Star News (Korean) · Gojeum Bulga, Lee Soo-geun interview · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Maekyung Economy (Korean) · Star finances, comedian Lee Soo-geun · opens in a new tab The contest date is not confirmed. Maekyung Economy (honorable mention) and Wikipedia (no prize) disagree on whether he won a prize, so it is left out.He says he had been performing on the Gag Concert stage before becoming a comedian and joined KBS through special hiring. Tenasia says he debuted in 2003 as a KBS 18th-class comedian.
Source 02 · Joynews24 (Korean) · Lee Soo-geun on Achim Madang · opens in a new tabSource 36 · Tenasia (Korean) · Exclusive contract with Big Planet Made · opens in a new tab The date is not confirmed. A 2006 Star News interview says he was added to the 18th class in 2000, so outlets give different years.Formed the Gag Game Team under director Park Joon-hyung, together with Jung Jong-chul, Kim Si-deok, Oh Ji-heon, Kim Byung-man and Kang Joo-hee.
Source 04 · Star News (Korean) · Gag Game Team formed · opens in a new tabWith Byun Ki-soo and Ryu Dam, he performed a sketch that got laughs by singing the high-note parts of songs in a low voice. Star News reported that within three months of airing it led to commercials and a ringtone service, and Maekyung Economy described 2006 as the year he became popular.
Joined the show hosted by Yoo Jae-suk and Lee Hyori as an assistant host.
Source 08 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Happy Together – Friends assistant host · opens in a new tabSource 06 · NoCut News (Korean) · Lee Soo-geun interview · opens in a new tabThe title song of the official album he made with Byun Ki-soo and Ryu Dam is “Bulpaega.” He held a live concert in Samseong-dong, Seoul, that day.
Source 09 · MyDaily (Korean) · Gojeum Bulga’s first official album · opens in a new tab The date is the concert. The album release date is not confirmed.Maekyung Economy describes it as an award he received in the year Gojeum Bulga’s popularity carried over to Ayaya Brothers.
Source 03 · Maekyung Economy (Korean) · Star finances, comedian Lee Soo-geun · opens in a new tab The ceremony date is not confirmed.Newsen calls him an original member of 2 Days & 1 Night. An October 2007 article lists him as a member alongside Kang Ho-dong, Noh Hong-chul, Kim Jong-min and Eun Ji-won.
Source 20 · Edaily (Korean) · 2011 KBS Entertainment Awards · opens in a new tabSource 21 · Newsen (Korean) · 2 Days & 1 Night season 2, one month in · opens in a new tabSource 10 · NoCut News (Korean) · Kim C joins 2 Days & 1 Night · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Lee Soo-geun · opens in a new tab The date is the first-airing date of 2 Days & 1 Night reported by Edaily. That he appeared from the first episode is inferred from his description as an original member. Wikipedia says he was chosen as a regular member in August 2007.Won the male category together with Kim Gu-ra.
Source 11 · Star News (Korean) · 2007 KBS Entertainment Awards · opens in a new tabHeld his wedding at Millennium Hall at Central City in Seocho-dong, Seoul. Before the wedding, Edaily reported that 2 Days & 1 Night members would sing at it.
Source 12 · MyDaily (Korean) · Lee Soo-geun’s wedding · opens in a new tabSource 13 · Edaily (Korean) · Lee Soo-geun wedding photos · opens in a new tabA son was born.
Source 14 · Newsen (Korean) · First son revealed · opens in a new tabWon it while appearing in a 2 Days & 1 Night segment and in shows such as Sang Sang Plus.
Source 15 · Star News (Korean) · 2008 KBS Entertainment Awards · opens in a new tabShin Bong-sun won the excellence award in the female category.
Source 16 · Star News (Korean) · 2009 KBS Entertainment Awards · opens in a new tabA second son was born.
Source 17 · Star News (Korean) · Second son born · opens in a new tabLee Seung-gi, a fellow 2 Days & 1 Night member, won the Best Excellence Award in the MC category the same day.
Source 18 · Newsen (Korean) · 2010 Entertainment Awards acceptance speech · opens in a new tabAppeared on the show for the first time as a new host.
Source 19 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Seungseungjanggu new host debuts · opens in a new tabWon the Grand Prize with Uhm Tae-woong, Eun Ji-won, Kim Jong-min and Lee Seung-gi, and Edaily reported it was the first group Grand Prize at the KBS Entertainment Awards. He also won the Best Excellence Award in the Show/Entertainment MC Male category individually.
Source 20 · Edaily (Korean) · 2011 KBS Entertainment Awards · opens in a new tabHe was a season 2 member alongside Kim Seung-woo, Kim Jong-min, Uhm Tae-woong, Joo Won, Sung Si-kyung and Cha Tae-hyun. Newsen calls him an original member.
Source 21 · Newsen (Korean) · 2 Days & 1 Night season 2, one month in · opens in a new tabWas named among the five Grand Prize candidates announced by KBS, for 2 Days & 1 Night and Seungseungjanggu.
Source 22 · OSEN (Korean) · 2012 KBS Entertainment Awards Grand Prize candidates · opens in a new tabCo-hosted with Kang Ho-dong and Max Changmin. The first episode was a table tennis match.
Source 23 · Money Today (Korean) · Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education first airs · opens in a new tabSentenced at the Seoul Central District Court. After the sentencing, he said he was sorry and remorseful and that he would not appeal.
Source 24 · News1 (Korean) · Habitual gambling sentence · opens in a new tabReturned to TV by appearing at the suggestion of host Kim Byung-man.
Source 25 · Money Today (Korean) · Return to SNL Korea · opens in a new tabReleased as digital content by Kang Ho-dong, Eun Ji-won, Lee Seung-gi and the producer Na Young-seok. It was released exclusively on Naver TVCast.
Source 26 · Korea Economic TV (Korean) · New Journey to the West first airs · opens in a new tabAppeared in the first episode with Kang Ho-dong, Seo Jang-hoon, Kim Young-chul, Kim Hee-chul, Hwang Chi-yeul and Kim Se-hwang.
Source 27 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Knowing Bros first airs · opens in a new tabAppeared with Kang Ho-dong, Eun Ji-won and Ahn Jae-hyun, and episode 2, aired April 29, covered the first day after they arrived in Chengdu, China.
Source 28 · Newsen (Korean) · New Journey to the West 2 · opens in a new tab The first airing date is not confirmed. An article calling the Apr. 29 broadcast episode 2 confirms it began in April.With Jung Hyung-don, Park Sung-kwang and Seungkwan, he set out to be the first to taste Samcheok’s famous twisted doughnuts.
Source 29 · News1 (Korean) · Night Goblin in Samcheok · opens in a new tab The date is the broadcast the article covers; the start of his regular appearances is not confirmed.Appeared with Kang Ho-dong, Eun Ji-won, Ahn Jae-hyun and Song Min-ho, with P.O joining as a guest.
Source 30 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · New Journey to the West 5 · opens in a new tab The date is the scheduled first-airing date given in a Sept. 14, 2018 article.Appeared with Kang Ho-dong, Eun Ji-won, Kyuhyun, Song Min-ho and P.O. It was the first season shot in Korea, and its subtitle is Homecoming.
Source 31 · Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · New Journey to the West 7 first episode · opens in a new tabHosted a time-auction show with Kang Ho-dong and Shindong. The guest on episode 2, released Dec. 31, was the pro gamer Faker.
Source 32 · Tenasia (Korean) · About Time with Faker · opens in a new tab The date is the release of episode 2. The release of episode 1 is not confirmed.Hosted with Bae Sung-jae after the pilot.
Source 33 · Breaknews (Korean) · Kick a Goal hosts · opens in a new tab The date is the scheduled first-airing date given in a June 14, 2021 article.Appeared with Lee Kyung-kyu, Lee Deok-hwa and Lee Tae-gon.
Source 34 · MyDaily (Korean) · The Fishermen and the City 4 · opens in a new tab The date is the one given in the preview article for the first airing.Confirmed as a member with Lee Deok-hwa and Lee Kyung-kyu. This season changed its format to two nights and three days in a fishing village.
Source 35 · Xportsnews (Korean) · Channel A September lineup · opens in a new tab The date is the airing date given in an article on Channel A’s September lineup.Moved after more than ten years at SM C&C.
Source 36 · Tenasia (Korean) · Exclusive contract with Big Planet Made · opens in a new tabAppeared in the Bodyians and Chatflix sketches in episode 1072. It was his first appearance since May 2019.
Source 37 · YTN (Korean) · Special appearance on Gag Concert · opens in a new tabA spin-off built on a premise from one segment of New Journey to the West 7. He travels to Kenya with Eun Ji-won and Kyuhyun.
Source 38 · Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Three Idiots in Kenya press conference · opens in a new tabAppeared in the sketch as the defendant. Mediapen reported it was his return after about two years.
Source 39 · Mediapen (Korean) · Back on Gag Concert after two years · opens in a new tab Based on a preview article published on the day of the broadcast.Plays the principal in the variety show in which Lee Mi-joo and Im Woo-il appear as teachers. It began with a two-month run.
Source 40 · Newsen (Korean) · Welcome to Soo-geun School · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1996–2026 · 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.
Comedy · South Korea
Feb 10, 1975 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1975: the year of the event minus 1975, 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.