Actor You Need to Know: Lee Sung-kyung

Lee Sung-kyung exudes glamor on screen as the slender, sleek Korean beauty who garnered attention when she started her modeling career back in 2008. But Lee was more than meets the eye. She was gifted with a voice that would make any accomplished singer proud and performing abilities that inspired her to try her hand at acting. Her modeling assignments, song recordings, and acting gigs have kept her busy ever since, establishing her as a prominent figure in the Korean entertainment industry.

With a supporting role in the television drama It’s Okay, That’s Love, Lee made her acting debut in 2014. The melodrama Flower of Queen followed shortly thereafter, in 2015. She was declared the Best New Actress in a Special Project Drama at the MBC Drama Awards for her portrayal of Kang Yi-sol, the immigrant daughter of Lee Soo-jung (Kim Sung-ryung), who reinvents herself as chef Rena Jung after fleeing a turbulent past in Korea. However, the character’s goals, we see, have an extensive effect on both her and her daughter in the story.

Lee’s acting career gained momentum in 2016 after she won awards for her rendition of the gorgeous but showy and ambitious Baek In-ha in the romance drama Cheese in the Trap. She took on a supporting role, but she did exceptionally well, getting a lot of positive feedback. Lee received the nod to star in the medical drama The Doctors as neurosurgeon Jin Seo-woo later that year. Nevertheless, her career didn’t take a major leap till she featured in the lead role of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, a sports drama inspired by Olympic weightlifting champion Jang Mi-ran’s life. The younger audience took to the show immediately, and it even established a cult following. Also, it drew rave reviews, propelling the 34-year-old to stardom.

Lee Sung-kyung has incredible vocals. Listen to her songs – a collection of OSTs and singles that showcase her passion for music. Lee and Eddy Kim’s single, a cover of Sharp’s “My Lips Like Warm Coffee,” was released in 2016. In 2017, she performed “Get Back Up Again” and “My Only One Person” for the Trolls, including “True Colors,” collaborating with Park Hyung-sik, and also appeared in Psy’s 4X2=8 with the song “Last Scene” that same year. Additionally, she sang “I Am What I Am” and “Tomorrow Will Be a Better Day” for About Time Musical Special (2018), together with “Show Time” with Ra Mi-ran for the Miss & Mrs. Cops (2019) soundtrack.

Lee’s commitment to her work has propelled her to the top of the heap in her pursuits. She offers her character’s sensitivity and effortlessly plays an eclectic range of mental states and emotions when acting. Her subsequent success in 2018’s romantic comedy Love + Sling, fantasy melodrama About Time, and 2019’s action comedy Miss & Mrs. Cops attests to her theatrical talent. In seasons two and three of the popular medical drama Doctor Romantic (2020–2023), she had Cha Eun-jae, a second-year resident in cardiothoracic surgery, a character that helped boost her popularity. The actor further expanded her oeuvre with her leading role as Oh Han-byul, the chief of a public relations house, in the hit rom-com series Shooting Stars (2022). Lee Sung-kyung will next be seen alongside Lee Dong-wook in the upcoming romantic comedy suspense drama The Good Man, which is due for release in 2025.