Lee Joon-gi

Lee Joon-gi (born April 17, 1982 in Busan, South Korea), previously credited as Lee Jun-ki, is a South Korean actor and singer, often regarded as a kkotminam ("flower boy") icon. He rose to fame as Gong-gil in The King and the Clown. In August 2009, Lee was appointed an ambassador for Korean tourism by the Korean Tourism Organization. His well-known television series include My Girl, Iljimae, Time Between Dog and Wolf, Arang and the Magistrate, Two Weeks and Scholar Who Walks the Night.

Early life

Lee first became interested in the performing arts as a high school student after watching a performance of Hamlet. He moved to Seoul with a dream to work in the entertainment industry rather than getting into college. For the next couple of years, Lee worked at various part-time jobs before he got accepted into the Seoul Institute of the Arts. He debuted as a model in 2001.

Career

2005: King and the Clown

In 2005, his first major acting role came in hit film The King and the Clown, in which he took on the role of historical figure Gong-gil, an effeminate clown in the Joseon Dynasty.