Lee Jong-won

Lee Jong-won (이종원) moved into acting through the side door and made the transition stick on his own terms. He started as a model in 2017, entered screen work in 2018, and built his way up through youth dramas and supporting parts before landing the kind of network roles that turn industry interest into mainstream traction. That climb matters. His recent run feels earned, not manufactured.

After early appearances in projects like XX and The Spies Who Loved Me, Lee broke through to a wider audience with The Golden Spoon, where he matched a heavy-concept setup with a calm, readable screen presence. He leveled up again in 2024 through Knight Flower and Brewing Love, two dramas that pushed him closer to lead-actor territory and confirmed he could carry both romantic tension and emotional restraint without overplaying either.

That momentum now extends into film. Salmokji: Whispering Water gives him a commercial horror credit at the exact moment his profile is widening across Korean entertainment. He is currently managed by THE BLACK LABEL, a move that places him inside one of the more visible talent ecosystems in the market while he shifts from promising television actor to bankable cross-format name.