Lee Min-ho (Korean: 이민호; Hanja: 李敏鎬, born June 22, 1987) is a South Korean actor, singer, and model. Lee has significant following worldwide, including Asia and western countries, most notably the U.S, France, Australia, Canada, Spain and Italy. He gained widespread fame in Korea and some parts of Asia with his role as Gu Jun-pyo in Boys Over Flowers in 2009. The role won him a Best New Actor award at the 45th Baeksang Arts Awards. His notable lead roles in television series include comedy-drama Personal Taste (2010), City Hunter (2011) in which he established himself as an action hero, The Heirs (2013), Legend of the Blue Sea (2016) and The King: Eternal Monarch (2020). The success of Lee's television series globally established him as a top Hallyu star and a global celebrity. Hollywood magazine reported that Lee has attained "Superstar" status.
Apart from his television career, Lee featured in the first lead role in the film Gangnam Blues (2015), followed by his first China-produced film Bounty Hunters (2016), grossed US$31 million and the mini-romance-web-series Line Romance (2014), grossed US$20 million.[10] In his acting career, Lee was successful in experimenting various genres such as romance, comedy, action, fantasy and science-fiction dramas.
Lee became the first Korean celebrity to have a wax figure made in his image at Madame Tussauds, with figures being unveiled in Shanghai in 2013, and Hong Kong in 2014.He is referred as the "global actor" by media and fans.International Business Times described Lee as the "heartthrob of billions".
Lee has an elder sister, Lee Yong-jung, who is the CEO of his current agency MYM Entertainment.
Car accident
In 2006, Lee's acting career was put on hold for a year following a serious car accident, while riding with fellow actor Jung Il-woo and two other friends. The group of friends were driving to Gangwon Province when a car, which was coming from the opposite lane after fleeing from a previous hit-and-run, hit them head-on, destroying the hood and engine of their car. Lee and Jung, who were seated in the back of the car, survived the accident in a critical state. Their friends, both sitting in the front of the car, died on the spot. Lee was severely injured and in a coma for a month, after which he spent several months bedridden. His injuries included broken ribs, thigh and ankle, along with a tear in his knee cartilage. As part of his treatment, a 46-centimeter metal pin was inserted in his thigh, leaving one of his legs shorter than the other.
Military enlistment
Lee Min-ho began his mandatory military service on May 12, 2017, at the Suseo Social Welfare Centre in Gangnam District Office as a public service officer.Lee was unable to serve as an active duty soldier due to a car crash in August 2006. He suffered another car accident in 2011 while filming City Hunter.
On March 15, 2018 Lee entered his military training at the Korea Army Training Centre in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province. He returned to his public service duty after four weeks of basic military training.[81] He was discharged on April 25, 2019.
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