Lee Min ho (actor born 1993)

Personal life

Lee Min-ho was born in Namyangju, South Korea on June 28, 1993. His family consists of his father, mother and one older sister. He finished his high school at Paikyang High School and is currently taking up theater major in Chung-Ang University's Institute of the Arts.

Lee became an actor not because he wanted to, but because it was his father's dream before but couldn't pursue it. As a child, he thought arriving at a film set was just a fun trip instead of acting. He started playing soccer as a rebellion against his parents who wanted him to pursue acting. He even became the captain of their soccer team back in middle school. He was awarded top score in 2008 Seoul FC Junior Championship Cup scoring 10 goals in a game. FC Seoul Lee Chung-Yong said that Lee was the best player in the Cup and was considered as soccer prodigy. He loved soccer to the point where he wanted to become a professional soccer player, but eventually upon entering high school, he came to realize what acting was like and fully embraced it.

Lee Min-ho considered using a stage name because many confused him with the City Hunter’s Lee Min-ho but his parents disapproved of the idea and said that instead of changing his name, he should work harder to be recognized.

Career

Min-ho started his career as a child actor. He debuted at the age of five playing the role of Jung-bae in 1998 SBS daily sitcom Soonpoong Clinic, the show ran for 2 years. In 2005, he starred with Yoo Seung-ho in KBS' Magic Warriors Mir & Gaon which gain them access to popularity among elementary students and their peers.

In 2010, he was cast in the movie Ghost, he played the role of Park Chul-Min, a high school student, who can see ghosts but pretends not to see them and decided not to meddle with their affairs, until the ghost of a cute girl named Seo-Hee (Choi Hye-kyung) ask for his help. In same year he was cast opposite to Kim Yoo-jung in Grudge: The Revolt of Gumiho, in the drama they played as two young people who have affection with each other but their love end up with tragedy. After Gumiho, he had a brief cameo in Sungkyunkwan Scandal as a petty thief Bok-soo.

In 2012, Lee Min-ho played the role of young Yang Myung, the unrequited love of Kim Yoo-jung's character in Moon Embracing the Sun. Lee, who earned popularity with his deft portrayal of the young Yang Myung in the MBC drama, was cast as Song Kang-ho’s rebellious son in the movie Howling. He appeared in the music video for 2BIC′s debut song I Made Another Girl Cry.

After building up his profile as one of Korea's nation child star, he successfully transitioned in adult role through Rooftop Prince where he plays the role of Song Mang-boo, one of the 3 member of Yoochun's character entourage in search for the crown prince in the 21st century. Following his stint in Rooftop Prince, he has been cast as Gi-hyuk, son of Shin Ha-kyun's character in the movie Running Man which is the first movie produced by Hollywood Major Studio 20th Century Fox Korea.

In 2014, he had his first romantic lead role in the movie School of Youths with Bae Seul-ki. In June, Lee Min-ho along with f(x) Luna was appointed as 2015 Honorary Ambassadors for Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants. He also co-starred with Bae Noo-ri in a 4 episode web drama Teleport Lovers that was shown under Naver's TV Cast. The drama was produced by Korean organization K-Move! to promote overseas employment among Korean youth.

In 2015, he was cast as Kang Seung-bum, a high school student who gets involved in a case with his music teacher in Kwak Jae-yong's Time Renegade.