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Happy Birthday Lee Byung Hun: Revisiting actor’s 5 best roles in Korean classic films I Saw the Devil, Masquerade, more
Lee Byung Hun turns 54 today. Let’s celebrate the talented actor’s birthday with a closer look at his 5 best roles in Korean classic films like I Saw the Devil, Masquerade, A Bittersweet Life, and more.
Lee Byung Hun is a talented Korean actor who kickstarted his journey in the early 90s. Throughout his prolific career, spanning over three decades, the actor has demonstrated his outstanding skills in an array of high-profile works. From Park Chan Wook to Kim Jee Woon, he has collaborated with many acclaimed filmmakers in South Korea.
Lee Byung Hun's 5 best roles in classic Korean films
On July 12, as Lee Byung Hun turns a year wiser, let’s celebrate the special day with a closer look at his best roles in a few Korean movies that remain classics of all time.
1. I Saw the Devil
Directed by Kim Jee Woon, I Saw the Devil is a Korean action-thriller with horror elements which is definitely not for the weak hearts. In the jolting story, Lee Byung Hun stars as Kim Soo Hyun, a NIS agent, whose fiance gets brutally murdered by a psychopathic serial killer Jang Kyung Chul (played by Choi Min Sik).
The heinous criminal not only kills his wife in a vulnerable moment but also dismembers her, leaving behind a trace unknowingly. When the evidence is discovered, Kim Soo Hyun plans to take revenge on the serial killer.
However, after confronting him, he beats him up badly but doesn’t kill him, rather forcing him to swallow a tracker. The NIS agent charged with extreme vengeance sets on a perilous expedition to unfold the secrets and punish the evil in his mechanism.
Lee Byung Hun makes his presence known in this film and his brilliant performance won him the Daesang at the Baeksang Arts Awards.
2. Masquerade
Masquerade is a box-office hit historical piece and the ninth highest-grossing South Korean film of all time. Lee Byung Hun took a daring challenge in this film, playing a double role. He stars as Gwanghee, the 15th ruler of the Joseon dynasty.
The confusing and conspirational king orders his secretary of defense (played by Ryu Seung Ryong) to look for a ‘body double’ to avoid assassination threats. The savvy minister finds Ha Sun, who belongs to the exact opposite social position as a lowly acrobat but bears a striking resemblance to the king.
What begins as a part-time job for the acrobat soon turns into a full-time role when the king is poisoned and bedridden for days. Gradually, Ha Sun finds his own voice and brings enormous changes to palace rules, which moves everyone from the workers to the Queen. However, the sudden change in the king’s behavior doesn’t go unnoticed and soon brings trouble for Ha Sun.
This box-office hit further demonstrated Lee Byung Hun’s meticulous ability to synchronize with any role, earning him the Best Actor award at the Grand Bell Awards.
3. A Bittersweet Life
This acclaimed neo-noir film was actually Lee Byung Hun’s first collaboration with director Kim Jee Won. In this action drama, Lee Byung Hun embodies the character of Kim Sun Woo, a high-ranking hitman praised for his loyalty to the crime boss Kang (played by Kim Yeong Chul).
However, things take a turn when he is tasked with trailing Kang’s young mistress, Hee Soo (played by Shin Min Ah), whom the crime boss suspects of having an affair. When Sun Woo discovers Hee Soo’s secret lover, instead of killing them, he decides to let them go.
This decision brings much trouble for Sun Woo, who soon faces the wrath of Kang for sparing his cheating mistress.
Lee Byung Hun’s absolutely moving portrayal of Kim Sun Woo’s bittersweet life won him numerous accolades and nominations, including at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, Grand Bell Awards, and Baeksang Arts Awards, among others.
4. Joint Security Area
This 2000 mystery thriller is Lee Byung Hun’s first collaboration with Park Chan Wook and also his big breakthrough as an actor. In this film, Lee Byung Hun steps into the shoes of Sergeant Lee Soo Hyeok, a wounded South Korean soldier posted at the DMZ border.
After being rescued by southern troops, he claims to have been kidnapped and tortured by North Korean soldiers before secretly freeing himself and shooting them. His confession shifts the course of a special investigation conducted by Swiss Army Major Sophie E. Jean (played by Lee Young Ae).
This film also stars Song Kang Ho as a North Korean sergeant who survived Lee Soo Hyeok’s fire. Joint Security Area became a big box-office hit and the highest-grossing Korean film at that time, bringing Lee Byung Hun the fame he needed for his bright future.
5. Inside Men
In this webtoon-based political action thriller, Lee Byung Hun takes on a different character for a change, playing Ahn Sang Goo, a small-time gangster. He gets caught in the crossfire between a congressman, a journalist, and a business tycoon, all aiming for their own political benefits.
With the help of a newly minted prosecutor, he decides to uncover the conspiracy fueling the corruption in his region. Lee Byung Hun was touted as the ‘star’ of this highest-grossing R-rated Korean film, winning numerous accolades.
Over the years, with his continuous hits, Lee Byung Hun successfully cemented himself as a talented Korean actor. He is soon to be seen reprising his role in the upcoming highly-anticipated Squid Game season 2.
On this day, we wish him a very very happy birthday! May he continue to walk the path of glory!
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