The Pulse of K-Entertainment

Lee Sung-min
ActorHB Entertainment

Lee Sung-min

Lee Sung-min (이성민) is one of the rare Korean actors whose name signals both prestige and mass trust. After years in theater, he broke through on television with Golden Time and then locked in a career-defining performance as Manager Oh in Misaeng, a role that made everyday corporate exhaustion feel devastatingly human instead of merely dramatic.

What followed was not a single peak but a run. Lee carried that same control into film with The Spy Gone North, then widened his range again through Reborn Rich, Shadow Detective, 12.12: The Day, and Handsome Guys. His supporting turn in Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice, backed by Moho Film and CJ ENM, reinforced how comfortably he moves between awards-grade material and large-scale commercial cinema.

In 2025, Lee signed with HB Entertainment, a fitting home for a veteran actor still working at full weight. The page matters because his career is not just long. It is unusually consistent. Few actors can anchor a workplace classic, win top television honors twice, and still feel essential every time a new prestige project announces its cast.

2 articles10 creditsDebut: January 1, 1985South Korean

Gallery

이성민 at Money Game tvN production press conference, 2020 (CC BY 3.0)

Filmography

2026
Teach You a LessonK-Drama
Choi Gang-seokNetflixWEBTOON
2025
No Other Choice (어쩔수가없다)Film
Supporting Actor
2024
Handsome Guys (핸섬가이즈)Film
Lead Actor
2023
12.12: The Day (서울의 봄)Film
Supporting Actor
2020
The Man Standing Next (남산의 부장들)Film
Supporting Actor
2018
The Spy Gone North (공작)Film
Lead Actor

Other Credits

2022
Reborn Rich (재벌집 막내아들)TV Series
Lead Actor
2022
Shadow Detective (형사록)TV Series
Lead Actor
2014
Misaeng: Incomplete Life (미생)TV Series
Lead Actor
2012
Golden Time (골든 타임)TV Series
Lead Actor

Fans Also Ask

What is Lee Sung-min best known for?
Lee Sung-min is best known for Misaeng and Reborn Rich on television, plus The Spy Gone North in film. Those projects sit at the center of his reputation because they show the full range of what he does best: authority, emotional restraint, and the ability to make high-stakes material feel lived in.
Has Lee Sung-min won major acting awards?
Yes. Lee Sung-min has won the Baeksang Arts Awards Grand Prize twice, first for Misaeng and later for Reborn Rich. He also swept Korea's three major film-award ceremonies for The Spy Gone North, which puts him in especially rare territory across both television and cinema.
Which agency represents Lee Sung-min now?
Lee Sung-min is represented by HB Entertainment. The agency announced his signing in May 2025 and described the partnership as a major addition to its actor-management lineup, matching his status as one of Korea's most respected veteran performers.
Did Lee Sung-min start out in theater?
Yes. Lee Sung-min spent many years building his craft in theater before television and film turned him into a household name. That stage foundation is a big reason his screen work carries so much weight, patience, and precision even in mainstream commercial projects.
What role did Lee Sung-min have in No Other Choice?
Lee Sung-min took a supporting role in Park Chan-wook's film No Other Choice. The casting drew attention because the project assembled an awards-heavy ensemble, and Lee's presence signaled the kind of gravitas Park wanted around one of Korean cinema's biggest prestige releases.

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