The Pulse of K-Entertainment

Lee Hong-nae
ActorVaro Entertainment

Lee Hong-nae

Lee Hong-nae (이홍내) has the kind of face and energy Korean thrillers know how to weaponize. He broke wider through the unnerving menace of Ji Cheong-sin in The Uncanny Counter, then used that visibility to prove he was more than a one-note villain specialist. The next phase of his career has been about range, not repetition.

That evolution is visible in the jump from awards attention for Hot Blooded to larger-scale television work and current streaming plays. Signed to Varo Entertainment, Lee has kept moving through commercially visible projects such as Dr. Romantic Season 3, Aema, and The Legend of Kitchen Soldier on TVING. The result is a page that reads like a breakout actor learning how to turn scene-stealing intensity into durable leading-man leverage.

0 articles6 creditsDebut: January 1, 2014South Korean

Gallery

Filmography

2026
The Legend of Kitchen SoldierK-Drama
Military Cook Yoon Dong-hyeon (Supporting)TVING
2025
AemaK-Drama
Yang Seok-won (Supporting)
2023
Dr. Romantic Season 3K-Drama
Supporting (SBS Drama Awards Best New Actor)
2023
CountFilm
Lee Dong-soo (Lead)
2022
Hot BloodedFilm
Lead (58th Baeksang Arts Awards Best New Actor)
2020
The Uncanny CounterK-Drama
Ji Cheong-sin (Supporting Villain)

Fans Also Ask

Who is Lee Hong-nae?
Lee Hong-nae (이홍내) is a South Korean actor born January 28, 1990 in Yangsan. Signed to Varo Entertainment, he won Best New Actor at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards (2022) for Hot Blooded and the 2023 SBS Drama Awards for Dr. Romantic Season 3.
What is Lee Hong-nae known for?
Lee Hong-nae broke through playing villain Ji Cheong-sin in The Uncanny Counter (OCN, 2020). He has since won dual Best New Actor awards, starred in Aema (Netflix, 2025) as reporter Yang Seok-won, and leads The Legend of Kitchen Soldier (TVING, 2026).
Did Lee Hong-nae win a Baeksang Award?
Yes. Lee Hong-nae won Best New Actor at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards in 2022 for his lead role in the film Hot Blooded. He also won Best New Actor at the 2023 SBS Drama Awards for Dr. Romantic Season 3.
What is Lee Hong-nae role in The Legend of Kitchen Soldier?
Lee Hong-nae plays Military Cook Yoon Dong-hyeon in The Legend of Kitchen Soldier (2026), stationed at the Gangrim Post alongside Park Ji-hoon lead Kang Seong-jae. The military comedy premieres on TVING and tvN on May 11, 2026.
How did Lee Hong-nae start acting?
Lee Hong-nae studied public administration at Catholic University of Pusan, worked as a model in Seoul, then decided to pursue acting during his mandatory military service. He debuted in the 2014 film Fire in Hell and built gradually before breaking through with The Uncanny Counter (2020).

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