Lee Byung-hun
Personal details
  • Born:
    • Birthday: 1970-07-12
    • Born Place: Seongnam, Gyeonggi, South Korea
  • Also Known As:

    이병헌, Lee Byeong-heon, イ・ビョンホン, 李炳憲, لي بيونغ هون, 李秉宪, Λι Μπιόνγκ-χον, Byung Hun Lee, لی بیونگ-هون, لی بیونگ هون

Lee Byung-hun

Lee Byung‑hun (born July 12, 1970, in Seoul) is a South Korean actor celebrated for bridging Eastern and Western cinema with remarkable versatility. He earned his first acclaim in South Korea through dramatic roles in acclaimed films like Joint Security Area (2000), A Bittersweet Life (2005), I Saw the Devil (2010), and Masquerade (2012). Garnering top honors—including Blue Dragon, Baeksang, and Grand Bell Awards—he cemented his reputation at home. His Hollywood breakthrough came in 2009 as Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, followed by roles in Red 2, Terminator Genisys (as the T‑1000), and The Magnificent Seven, helping him gain significant international recognition. In 2018, he starred in the high-budget Netflix period drama Mr. Sunshine, earning the Grand Prize at the APAN Star Awards. Subsequent hits include the disaster epics Ashfall (2019) and Emergency Declaration (2022 Cannes premiere). Lee expanded further into global streaming hits by playing the Front Man in Squid Game seasons 1 and 2, a performance described as deepening the show’s intrigue and resonating with audiences worldwide. He has also taken on roles in Concrete Utopia (2023), the blockbuster drama Our Blues (2022), No Other Choice (2025) and the upcoming biopic The Match (2025). Off-screen, Lee holds degrees in French literature and theater/cinematography from Hanyang University and Chung‑Ang University; he is multilingual in Korean, English, French, and Mandarin. Married to actress Lee Min‑jung since 2013 with two children, he also heads BH Entertainment (founded 2006), producing hit K-dramas and films . His accolades include being the first Korean actor to leave his handprints at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, present at the Oscars, and serve on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Person History