Lee Hong-nae

A late bloomer who turned mandatory military service into a career epiphany. 이홍내 spent his twenties cycling through modeling and public administration studies before committing to acting after his service. Born January 28, 1990 in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, he graduated from Catholic University of Pusan and relocated to Seoul to try modeling in his early twenties. When that stalled, acting came next. It paid off slowly, then all at once. His 2020 portrayal of villain Ji Cheong-sin in the OCN supernatural thriller The Uncanny Counter earned him the Scene Stealer award at the Brand Customer Loyalty Awards. Two years later, he won Best New Actor at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards for the film Hot Blooded (2022). Then Best New Actor at the 2023 SBS Drama Awards for his work in Dr. Romantic Season 3. Three career-defining awards in three years, across three different platforms. He joins the ensemble of TVING's military cooking drama The Legend of Kitchen Soldier (2026) as Military Cook Yoon Dong-hyeon, alongside lead Park Ji-hoon. Signed to Varo Entertainment.