Lee Jung-jae: Controversy, Girlfriend & Net Worth

Lee Jung-jae is a South Korean actor and former model who recently gained worldwide fame for his incredible acting in the survival drama series Squid Game.

He is a veteran actor in the Korean drama industry, as he started acting in 1993.

Lee has been involved in various professions as he was a model, cafe worker, and interior designer before becoming an actor.

This article about Lee Jung-jae will provide you with detailed information about him, better known as Player number 456 or Seong Gi-hun from the infamous Squid Game.

Quick Facts`

Here are some quick facts about Lee Jung-jae:

Full Name	Lee Jung-jae
Date of Birth	December 15, 1972
Age	51 Years Old
Place of Birth	Seoul, South Korea
Current Residence	Samseong-Dong, Gangnam-gu
Profession	Actor, Director, Model, Restaurateur
Active years	1993-Present
Nationality	South Korean
Father	Lee Chul-Seong
Mother	N/A
Siblings	1
Marital Status	Unmarried
Girlfriend	Se-ryung
Children	–
School	Sungui Elementary School, Cheongdam Middle School
High School	Hyundai Senior High School
University	Dongguk University
Languages	Korean, English
Religion	Christianity
Ethnicity	Korean
Zodiac Sign	Sagittarius
Favorite Actor	Lee Min-ho
Favorite Actress	Song Hye-Kyo
Favorite Color	Blue and Grey
Favorite Holiday Destination	France, Germany
Favorite Food	Burger
Favorite Things To Do	Read novels, Sing, interior designing, Travel
Height	In feet: 5 ft 8 in In centimeters: 176 cm
Weight	In Kilograms: 79 kg In Pounds: 174 lbs
Body Measurements	44-32-14.5 inches
Body Type	Slim
Shoe Size	11.5 (US)
Hair Color	Light Brown
Eye Color	Dark Brown
Net Worth	$5 million
Social Media	Instagram, Facebook, Twitter
Last Updated	April 2024

Lee Jung-jae: Early life, Family, and Education

Lee Jung-jae was born in Seoul, South Korea, on December 15, 1972. Likewise, Lee’s father’s name is Lee Chul-Seong, whereas his mother’s name is unclear.

Lee is a Sagitariuan who has been brutally honest, optimistic, and intellectual since his childhood.

Furthermore, the South Korean Actor also has a brother who reportedly has autism.

Lee was born into a wealthy family, but they had problems financially because of his brother’s medication.

Likewise, his parents had to work hard to make everything ready and alright for Lee’s brother.

Moreover, he completed his elementary school at Sungui Elementary School. Lee went to Cheongdam Middle School and Hyundai Senior High School.

During his adolescence, this actor joined Dongguk University to pursue a Bachelor’s degree at the Department of Theater & Film Art.

Additionally, in 1999, Lee was enrolled for a Bachelor’s degree.

Furthermore, the actor gained his Master’s degree from the same university.

Moreover, Lee wrote a thesis on “A Study on the Acting Approach to the Role of Kang Se-jong in the Movie Typhoon.”

Since a child, Jung-Jae was keen on becoming a model and had some acting skills.

Most importantly, Lee worked at a cafe in Apgujeong when a designer named Ha Yong-soo discovered his talent.

Jung-Jae started working as a fashion model and had begun to excel in the fashion industry.

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Lee Jung-jae: Career

Early Career

After Lee worked as a fashion model for a few years, he started gaining attention from the Korean Drama industry.

Moreover, his debut Tv series, Dinosaur Teacher, aired on SBS TV in 1993.

Additionally, Lee’s performance was so outstanding that he gained popularity, and critics acclaimed his acting.

Furthermore, after his role in the TV drama, Lee started to get more offers to play in movies, and dramas mainly in lead roles.

Lee later appeared on drama series like Feeling in 1993 and Love Is Blue in 1995.

Moreover, Jung-Jae’s next role came in Sandglass, where he played the role of a silently devoted bodyguard of Baek Jae-hee.

Furthermore, Lee’s role at Sandglass was a supporting role. As the drama became popular, the actor became a national crush.

The national heartthrob, Lee, became so popular that many directors wanted to cast him, and the movie productions also doubled his wages.

Moreover, Lee Jung was cast in the Second lead role and supporting character in Kdramas Snail in 1997 and White Nights 3.98 in 1998.

In 1998, the rising star made his breakthrough as he played in two incredibly critically acclaimed movies.

The movies Lee played were An Affair and City of the Rising Sun, for which he won the Best Actor, presented by the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

Additionally, he was awarded the same title by the Critics Choice Awards.

Furthermore, Jung-Jae decided to study further to learn about the film industry, so he wanted to break from the movies.

Additionally, he enrolled in Bachelor of Theater and Film Art.

Rise to Fame

But, Lee again started acting in 2000 as the leading actor in the not-so-successful movie Il Mare.

Moreover, Il Mare was a Hollywood remake of The Lake House played by Keanu Reeves.

Furthermore, in 2001, Lee starred in the melodrama Last Present and The Last Witness, an action mystery.

In 2002, Lee was in the cast of Over the Rainbow alongside Jang Jin-young, who unfortunately passed away in 2009 due to stomach cancer.

Moreover, in 2003, he was the lead actor in Oh! Brothers, a comedy movie.

Furthermore, after two years of break from the industry, Lee returned with a role in Typhoon, an action blockbuster, in 2005.

Moreover, the movie earned $26 million at the box office and was hit in South Korea, Thailand, and Russia.

Likewise, Lee’s career went to downfall as he played in terrible flops such as Air City in 2007 and Triple in 2009.

Furthermore, Jung-Jae played in The Accidental Gangster and the Mistaken Courtesan, a period action-comedy.

Although the film wasn’t a success, Lee considers it one of his most memorable movies, as he played a slightly different role.

He rose to fame in 2010 when Lee was cast in The Housemaid, a blockbuster erotic thriller.

Furthermore, the high-profile movie was screened at the Cannes and Toronto International Film Festivals.

Most importantly, Lee won the Best Actor Award presented by the Fantasporto.

Hits after Hits

In 2012, Jung-Jae was named in the cast of The Thieves, which had a star-studded cast of actors.

Additionally, the heist movie became South Korea’s second all-time highest-grossing movie back then.

In 2013, Lee narrated Contemporary Art, Bury the Boundary, a TV documentary based on homegrown Korean artists.

Likewise, Lee portrayed a police officer in New World, a thriller movie. Additionally, Choi Min-Sik suggested the director cast Lee in the film.

The famous C-JeS Entertainment later managed Lee. Moreover, in 2013, Jung-Jae played in The Face Reader, a period film.

In addition to that, he won Best Supporting Actor in the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

In 2014, the South Korean was cast in Big Match, an action-comedy in which Lee acted as a martial arts fighter.

Likewise, in 2015, he acted in Assassination. The renowned actor claimed the Best Actor award presented by the Buil Film Awards.

Lee also won the Actor of the Year, given by the Marie Claire Asia Star Awards.

Furthermore, Jung-Jae played in his first Chinese film. The film’s name is surprisingly Tik Tok, a crime drama movie.

In 2016, Lee Jung-jae acted in Battle for Incheon: Operation Chromite alongside Liam Neeson.

Likewise, Lee acted in Operation Chromite, a box office hit. In the movie, Jung-Jae is a lieutenant who reverses the Korean War.

In 2017, Lee was cast in Warriors of the Dawn and Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds.

Both the movies were super hit, and the fans for his excellent performance applauded Jung-Jae.

TV Series

Lee made his Tv series comeback with Svaha: The Sixth Finger.

Likewise, he also acted in another drama, Chief of Staff, a political drama where he stars as a political advisor.

Furthermore, Lee Jung-jae became a global sensation as he starred in Squid Game.

Netflix’s survival drama series was an international hit and were dubbed in multiple languages.

Likewise, Lee was nominated for multiple awards in multiple categories for his incredible acting at the Squid Game.

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Career besides Acting

Gucci announced that Lee would be their Global ambassador in September 2021.

Likewise, Lee has a chain of Italian restaurants in Seoul, and they are named after his film Il Mare.

Furthermore, as Jung-Jae has studied interior design, he designed the interiors of his café himself.

Moreover, in 2008, Lee established the company Seorim C&D, a real estate development company.

Additionally, this actor owns several other businesses and is a business partner of actor Jung Woo-sung.

Most importantly, Lee and Jung Woo are the founders and CEOs of an entertainment label known as the “Artist Company.”

Lee has produced two movies so far, which are Namsan and Hunt.

Likewise, Hunt was produced and directed by Lee in 2021, which is his directorial debut.

Besides, Lee has become the ambassador of many brands throughout the year.

Some of the brands are LG Electronics, Burger King, Volvo, Lotte Confectionery, etc.

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Lee Jung-jae: Awards

• Sandglass (1995)- Best New Actor (TV)
• Assassination (2015)- Best Leading Actor
• Forbes’ Korea Power Celebrity- 24th position in 2016
• Deliver Us From Evil (2020)- Asia Artist Awards
• Typhoon (2006)- Best Actor

Lee Jung-jae: Controversies

In 1999, Lee was charged for drunk driving, also known as DUI, as he collided his BMW into a car in another lane.

Similarly, this South-Korean actor was charged with a DUI again in 2002.

Moreover, the Seoul Gangnam Police caught Lee in front of Cheongdam Elementary School.

Again, in 2013, Lee was accused and criticized for outing his dead friend.

In 2015, Lee was investigated for a fraudulent bond issuance case. Additionally, JJ’s agency denied all the allegations placed against him.

Lee’s mother had borrowed around 190 million won from 1995 to 2000 from one of her friends.

Moreover, in August 2000, her friend asked her to pay 249 million won, including the interest pilled.

But, Lee’s mother moved to Los Angeles and didn’t pay her debt. Most importantly, Lee’s mother’s friend, who received only 60 million won, sued her for fraud in April 2005.

Additionally, Jung-Jae went to the Seoul Central Office to ask for the case to be dropped and was told that he would repay the money instead of his mother.

Likewise, after the mother-son duo didn’t contact the woman, she filed a case for a payment order against Lee.

Most importantly, his agency issued a statement saying that his mother had paid the debt but lacked the document to prove she had paid the loan. 

Also, she asked for more interest as she wanted to take advantage of Lee’s status.

Lee Jung-jae: Net Worth  

Squid Game actor Lee Jung-jae has an estimated net worth of $5 million

Most of his earning has come through acting in dramas and movies. Besides that, Lee earns from his Italian restaurant and the investments.

Likewise, Jung-Jae owns a luxury residential complex which makes him a lot of money.

Furthermore, Lee has become the brand ambassador of multiple brands, which has increased his prestige and net worth.

Lee Jung-jae: Girlfriends

Lee has dated some pretty famous actresses and celebrities throughout the years.

Moreover, Jung-Jae dated South Korean actress Kim Min-hee from 2003 to 2006. Yet, the reason behind their breakup is not known.

Likewise, Lee was spotted in the Philippines with Lim Se-ryeong. Furthermore, Se-ryeong is the eldest daughter of Daesung Group’s chairman.

Amazingly, she is the ex-wife of Lee Jae-Yong, the chairman of Samsung. The ex-couple has two children together.

Most importantly, Lee announced that he had been dating Se-ryeong for a very long time.

Moreover, the couple made their relationship public in 2015.

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Lee Jung-jae: Fun Facts

• Jung Woo-sung is Lee’s best friend and business partner with whom he has shared the screen in City of the Rising Sun.
• Lee is the second-highest paid Korean Actor.
• The Squid Game actor received $2.2 million per episode in the series.
• In 2008, Lee played Hamlet in his theater debut in Hamlet in Water.
• Blackpink Jennie‘s mother is a big fan of Lee; in fact, Jennie is named after one of Lee’s characters.

FAQs

Who is Lee Jung-jae currently dating?

The world-famous Actor Lee Jung-jae is currently dating Se-ryeong.

Surprisingly, Se-ryeong is an heiress, the daughter of Daesang Group’s chairman. In addition, she is the ex-wife of Lee Jae-Yong, the chairman of Samsung.

Who is Lee Jung-jae’s brother?

Lee grew up in a wealthy family alongside his parents and his brother.

Unfortunately, his brother’s name isn’t disclosed, but Lee revealed that his brother has autism.

Moreover, his family had to work hard to take care of Lee’s autistic brother.