Lee Joon gi made his debut as a model for a fashion brand and emerged as a Top Actor through his Action Roles.

Here are the Best 5 Dramas of Lee Joon gi that made him achieve this milestone.

5.Iljimae

Lee joon-Gi starred as a No-Good, lazy gangster by day, and a mysterious thief who protects the citizens in the dark. This Drama has shaped Lee joon-Gi from a Pretty Boy to Action Star. He won Top Excellence Award, actor at SBS Drama Awards.

Based on the comic strip Iljimae, Lee Gyeom (Lee Joon-gi) is the son of the nobleman Lee Won-ho, king’s notable supporter! His father is a member of Cheonwoohoe, a secret organization commissioned by the King. Due to an incident, the king killed his father and the young Lee Gyeom loses his memory due to a dreadful incident and eventually adopted by Soe-dol, a retired thief. He is now named Yong-i.

After 13 Years, when he regained his memory (though not completely), to avenge his family member’s death, he disguises himself as Iljimae, to break into Cheonwoohoe members’ house. In addition, he also helps people and thus becomes a hero

4.Arang and the Magistrate

Joon-Gi acted as a magistrate named Kim Eun-oh, who has the special ability to hear, see and touch spirits.The drama’s rights were sold to Japan for a record-breaking ₩200 million per episode.Joon-Gi received the Outstanding Korean Drama Actor Award and together with Shin Min-a, won Best Couple Award at Seoul International Drama Awards and MBC Drama Awards respectively.

This historical  horror-romance drama  depicts the story of  Arang, who died unjustly and returns as a ghost as she wants to to reveal who killed her and the reason for her murder.

Kim Eun-oh, a Nobelman(played by Lee Joon-gi) comes to a village called Miryang in search of her mother, who he resented her before. Kim Eun-oh has the special ability to see, hear and touch ghost. As previous encounters with ghost nuanced him, he doesn’t want to help them so that he pretends and ignores them when they(ghost) ask for favors.

A-rang (played by Shin Min-ah) had lost her memory as she has become a ghost but still, she wants to know the reason for her death so that she could rest in peace. Desperately, she tries to seek help from the magistrates whoever appointed in Miryang, but after seeing a ghost, none of them survived. And finally, when she finds that Eun-oh can see her, she tries to get his help.

Despite Eun-oh rejecting her request initially, he accepted to help her as he saw Arang having his mother’s unique hairpin which he had already presented to his missing mother! Then the story revolves around her mysterious death and how they managed to escape from the ghost Reaper, who strives hard to collect Arang’s soul. 

3.The Scholar Who Walks the Night

Joon-Gi acted as a loyal and courageous scholar who turns into a vengeful vampire following the deaths of his family and friend. Scholar who walks in the night Drama won Best Historical Drama at 4th Annual DramaFever Awards.

Set in an alternate Joseon dynasty, Jo Yang-sun (played Lee Yu-bi) is the daughter of a nobleman whose family framed for treason. To meet daily needs, Yang-sun disguises as a male bookseller and happened to meet a mysterious scholar Kim Sung-yeol (played by Lee Joon-gi), who is actually a Guardian Vampire who has to get rid of any vampires who threats human life. Kim Sung-yeol wanted Jo Yang-sun to find out a book that contains a secret to kill Gwi (played by Lee Soo-hyuk), another Vampire who controls the royal court and is responsible for Sung-yeol’s family’s death before 120 Years. After the second counter, Sung-yeol found out that Jo Yang-sun is actually a girl, however, he pretended as he does not know!

Then the story takes a turn when Sung-yeol meet Myung-hee’s lookalike (his girlfriend, when he was a human), who is actually a follower of Gwi.

2.Criminal Minds

Lee Joon-gi starred as a second-generation police officer who witnessed his father’s Murder. Lee Joon-gi won Fabulous Award at 2nd Asia Artist Awards for Criminal Minds.

Based on the American television series Criminal Minds, this Korean version depicts the National Criminal Investigation (NCI) team that consists of high-level officials who track down deadly criminals to solver crucial cases. The drama initially highlights a hospital’s bomb detonation case that shook the entire NCI team’s confidence as a number of SWAT officers were killed because of a critical error done from the team’s side. The leader of the NCI team, Kang Ki-hyung was heavily shaken which led him to take a year break from the service.

Then, After his deputation a year later, his team that includes Kang Yi-Seok (played by Lee Joon gi) and Ha Sun-woo (played by Moon Chae-won) had to collaborate with the local police agency’s Violent Crimes Unit that includes Kim Hyun-joon, a police officer who has a grudge against Ki-hyung.

1.Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

Lee Joon-Gi acted as Wang So, a Cold-hearted, fearsome, and dangerous, who hides his face behind a mask due to a scar which was considered as inauspicious at the time. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is One of the Best Historical dramas ever made in the Korean Drama History! The drama was sold for $8 million to a Chinese channel, marking the highest sold drama ever in 2016.

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is inspired by the Chinese novel Bu Bu Jing Xin by Tong Hua. During the time of the total solar eclipse, a 21st-century woman, Go Ha-jin who was then 25 years old, is made traveled back to the Goryeo Dynasty period. She wakes up in the body of Hae Soo, a cousin of Prince Wang Wook’s Wife. She befriends with all the royal princes of Wang Family, which was ruling the Goryeo Nation at the time. Initially, She falls in love with the warm-hearted 8th Prince Wang Wook, who was her ill cousin’s husband. But later, she realized that she loves the 4rth Prince Wang So, a Cold-hearted, fearsome, and dangerous, who hides his face behind a mask due to a scar he has on his face.

The Story describes How Hae Soo Struggled after she befriends with the royal princes who were forced to kill each other for the sake of the throne.

This Lee Joon-gi and IU Starrer drama has become a world wide hit and Considered as the most successful drama in both careers!

Other Notable Dramas of Lee Joon-gi:

Gunman in Joseon:

Joon-gi acted as the son of the last great swordsman of nineteenth-century Joseon. Initially being good for Nothing Guy, the drama portrays how he ends up becoming a hero of the people, After the tragic death of his father, and the enslavement of his younger sister. Joon gi collaborated with Nam Sang-mi for the second time after Time between Dog and Wolf (2007). Joon gi Received Outstanding Korean Actor at the 10th Seoul International Drama Awards for this Drama!

Lawless Lawyer:

Lawless Lawyer is a Legal drama which portrays the childhood of Sang-pil (Lee Joon gi), who sees his mother being killed by goons. Running away and with the help of his uncle, he becomes a lawyer who helps the high-rated criminals using the loopholes in the law. But he is waiting for the right time to avenge his mother’s death!  He uses Ha Jae-yi, a strong willed and righteous lawyer who is now suspended for assaulting a Judge.

Flower Of Evil:

The Drama depicts The story of Baek hee Sung, a metal craftsman, his family and his dark past which his family unaware about! 

To the world, Baek Hee Sung looks like the ideal husband. A hard-working craftsman, his metal-working studio has met with its good share of success. But this so-called perfect gentleman hides some very dark secrets. Secrets rather his detective wife, Cha Ji Won, never known. Unfortunately, secrets have a way of coming out, when Ji Won takes on a cruel case that led to her happy world crumbles as the case involves the one, she cherishes more! 

Movies:

The King and the Clown (2005) :

adapted from the 2000 stage play, Yi ,the movie depicts about a Joseon dynasty king and a court clown who mocks him! lee joon-gi acted as Gong-gil, part of an entertainer troupe who is specialized in enacting Female roles. King and the clown is the first success of Lee Joon-gi and With more than 12.3 million tickets sold, it was the most watched movie of South Korea of the year,2005.

Lee Joon-gi Drama List :

My Girl (Drama,2005)
Time Between Dog and Wolf (Drama,2007)
Iljimae (Drama,2008)
Arang and the Magistrate (Drama,2012)
Gunman in Joseon (Drama,2014)
Scholar Who Walks The Night (Drama,2015)
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (Drama,2016)
Lawless Lawyer (Drama,2018)
Flower Of Evil(Drama,2020)

Lee Joon Gi Movies:

The King and the Clown (2005)
Fly, Daddy, Fly(2006)
Virgin Snow(2007)
May 18(2007)
Never Said Goodbye(2016)
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter(2016)

Lee joon gi Upcoming Drama (2021)

Not Yet Announced!

Also read : The King of Historical Korean Drama