The year he turned 18, he was chosen as a comedian in SBS’s 7th open recruitment. The next year, he began his television career on Mnet’s Ppeonppeon Gag Show.
In 2005, he appeared in the segment “Waeirae” on SBS’s Utchatsa. In 2006, he moved to the segment “Eonhaeng Ilchi” and won the experimental spirit award at the SBS Comedy Awards.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 22, he started the segment “Ung-i’s Father,” and his name became known. At the end of that year, he also won the comedy newcomer award at the SBS Entertainment Awards.
In 2008, he released a single as Ungine with Lee Jin-ho and Yang Se-chan, and at the end of the year won the comedy excellence award at the SBS Entertainment Awards. In 2009, he enlisted in the Navy and served in its public relations team.
After his discharge, he won both the regular league and the Champions League of tvN’s Comedy Big League season 2 as team Laitto, and received 150 million won in prize money. In 2013, he worked on the segment “Gaebul” with Yang Se-chan, who had been discharged.
In 2017, he presented the segment “Maseong-ui Narae Bar” on Comedy Big League with Park Na-rae and Hwang Je-seong. In 2018, he appeared on MBC’s King of Mask Singer as “Solar System.” In 2019, he interned on 2 Days & 1 Night season 3 for two months and was confirmed as a regular member, but it fell through when the broadcast was halted. That year he also married a partner who is not a public figure after seven years together, and a son was born five months later.
The year he turned 37, he won best male variety performer in television at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards, and the Popular Star Award at the Blue Dragon Series Awards for EXchange. In 2023, he was appointed an ambassador for Hwaseong, his hometown.
In 2024, he appeared on Netflix’s Agents of Mystery. In 2025, as an MC of EXchange 4, he held the No. 1 spot in weekly paid-subscriber contribution for 12 straight weeks. In 2026, he became a regular member of 2 Days & 1 Night season 4, and Agents of Mystery season 2 was released.
Lee Yong-jin (born Nov 18, 1985) debuted in 2003, the year he turned 18, as a comedian in SBS’s 7th open recruitment, and became known in 2007, the year he turned 22, when he started the segment “Ung-i’s Father” on SBS’s Utchatsa. In 2022, the year he turned 37, he won best male variety performer in television at the Baeksang Arts Awards.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Was chosen as a comedian in SBS’s 7th open recruitment.
Source 01 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · Born in 1985, SBS 7th open recruitment · opens in a new tab Based on Dong-A Ilbo (2015). TV Report (2026) says he debuted through SBS’s open recruitment in 2005, and Wikipedia gives 2004 as his debut.Began his television career on the comedy audition program.
Source 01 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · Born in 1985, SBS 7th open recruitment · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Mnet summer revamp · opens in a new tab The exact date he began appearing could not be confirmed. The program was launched in July 2004.Established himself on Utchatsa with a segment done with Nam Myeong-geun and Lee Jin-ho.
Source 03 · Star News (Korean) · The segment “Waeirae” · opens in a new tabThe segment, about a family whose words and actions do not match, was a comeback stage after “Waeirae.”
Source 04 · TV Report (Korean) · First broadcast of “Eonhaeng Ilchi” · opens in a new tabWon with the “Eonhaeng Ilchi” team (Lee Yong-jin, Nam Myeong-geun, Lee Jin-ho, Lee Sang-jun).
Source 05 · Star News (Korean) · SBS Comedy Awards experimental spirit award · opens in a new tabStarted a new segment with Lee Jin-ho, Yang Se-chan and Oh In-taek, doing the narration and playing Ung-i. Dong-A Ilbo writes that he made his name known to the public with this segment.
Won for “Ung-i’s Father.”
Source 07 · MyDaily (Korean) · Comedy newcomer award · opens in a new tabMade his singing debut under the name Ungine with Lee Jin-ho and Yang Se-chan.
Source 08 · Herald Muse (Korean) · Ungine single “Only One” · opens in a new tabWon with the “Ung-i’s Father” team.
Source 09 · Edaily (Korean) · Comedy excellence award · opens in a new tabEnlisted at the Navy Education Command in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, and was to serve 24 months in the Navy public relations team.
Source 10 · Newsen (Korean) · Enlists in the Navy · opens in a new tabAfter his discharge, he won both the regular league and the Champions League with Yang Se-hyung and Park Gyu-seon as team Laitto, and received 150 million won in prize money.
Source 11 · Newsis (Korean) · Comedy Big League 2, Laitto wins · opens in a new tabSource 12 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · Princess Yeppi, Lee Yong-jin (27) · opens in a new tabSource 13 · Electronic Times (Korean) · Navy public relations team discharged · opens in a new tabWorked on a new segment with Yang Se-chan, who had been discharged.
Source 14 · OSEN (Korean) · Yang Se-chan’s “Gaebul” segment · opens in a new tabAppeared in a segment with Park Na-rae and Hwang Je-seong.
Source 15 · Newsen (Korean) · The segment “Maseong-ui Narae Bar” · opens in a new tabSang Panic’s “Left-Handed” and lost to Cancer in the first round.
Source 16 · MBN (Korean) · King of Mask Singer, Solar System · opens in a new tabAppeared as an intern for two months and was confirmed as a regular member, but the broadcast was halted after the first shoot, and the move fell through.
Source 20 · MHN Sports (Korean) · 2 Days & 1 Night season 4 regular member · opens in a new tabSource 21 · Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Confirmed as regular member, season halted · opens in a new tab The exact timing of the internship and of his confirmation as a regular member could not be confirmed.Held the wedding with a partner who is not a public figure, after dating for seven years.
Source 18 · TV Report (Korean) · Marriage · opens in a new tabSource 17 · Daily Korea (Naver) (Korean) · Birth of a son · opens in a new tabSource 19 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Lee Yong-jin (born 1985) · opens in a new tab The wedding date is from Wikipedia; news reports confirm only April 2019.A son was born five months after the wedding.
Source 17 · Daily Korea (Naver) (Korean) · Birth of a son · opens in a new tabWon best male variety performer in television at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Source 22 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Baeksang Arts Awards best male variety performer · opens in a new tabWon the Popular Star Award at the 1st Blue Dragon Series Awards as an MC of EXchange.
Source 23 · TV Daily (Korean) · Blue Dragon Series Awards Popular Star Award · opens in a new tabThe city of Hwaseong, his hometown, appointed Lee Yong-jin and Lee Jin-ho as ambassadors. The term runs two years from March 2023.
Source 24 · Donghaeng Media Sidae (Korean) · Hwaseong city ambassador · opens in a new tabAppeared in the adventure mystery variety show with John Park, Lee Eun-ji, Hyeri, Kim Do-hoon and Karina.
Source 25 · Ilgan Sports (Korean) · Agents of Mystery released · opens in a new tabThe season, hosted by four MCs with Simon Dominic, Kim Ye-won and Yura, ranked No. 1 in TVING’s weekly paid-subscriber contribution for 12 straight weeks.
Source 26 · Xports News (Korean) · EXchange 4 · opens in a new tabAll nine episodes were released on Netflix.
Source 27 · Ilyo Seoul (Korean) · Agents of Mystery season 2 · opens in a new tabBecame a regular member seven years after his season 3 internship in 2019. He joined as a new member together with Lee Ki-taek.
Source 20 · MHN Sports (Korean) · 2 Days & 1 Night season 4 regular member · opens in a new tabSource 21 · Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Confirmed as regular member, season halted · opens in a new tabSource 28 · TV Report (Korean) · Recent news · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2003–2026 · 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
Nov 18, 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.