South Korea's 'brilliant son' Lee Seung-gi on overcoming challenges: 'Nothing else to do but keep doing'

Lee Seung-gi is transformed. When I spoke to him four years ago, he’d just completed an important rite of passage for South Korean men: A nearly two-year enlistment in the army. And despite having a lineup of projects already waiting for him, he’d been worried about his fanbase. 

“I want to ask them what exactly it is that they like about me, because I’d like them to stand by me the way they have all this time,” he’d said, dressed simply in a chequered shirt, sleeves casually rolled up and his hair in a boyish French crop. 

He’d also been thoughtful about his future, having just entered his 30s. 

On Thursday (Jun 14) afternoon, hours before the Singapore leg of his Asia concert tour at the Resorts World Ballroom, it seemed like a different Lee Seung-gi that sat before me. 

Dressed in all-black, hair voluminous and sitting up taller than I’d seen him do, the 36-year-old appeared emboldened. 

And it was no wonder. 

Mere months after a payment dispute with his previous management agency that shook not just Lee but the whole industry, Lee had successfully established his own company, Human Made, which currently manages just one man: Himself. 

He’d also recently married – his wife, 30-year-old South Korean actress Lee Da-in, is often referred to as “ulzzang” or “exceptionally good-looking”. 

But as we went on, it was clear something had not changed: His principles. 

In the industry, Lee is sometimes regarded as the “brilliant son”, someone a relative would regularly boast about to their neighbours, particularly as his down-to-earth nature persisted despite him having made his debut in 2004. 

What’s kept him grounded all these years?

“I believe it’s not about finding ways and making the effort to be humble. It’s just that after working in this industry for 20 years, I always encounter people who are better than me and there’s always emerging talent. 

“So it’s not about trying to be humble … It naturally happens when I constantly meet people who are better than me,” he said.

“Also, when I plan and execute something with confidence but the response turns out different from what I expected, experiencing such situations frequently makes me humble.”

While Lee maintains that his greatest skill is in being able to “smoothly transition” between the roles of actor, singer and variety star – “I believe I’m a bit faster at adapting and switching than others,” he said – he isn’t above leaving his comfort zone. 

Throughout most of his career, Lee had assumed the role of “the boy next door” – until 2017, that is, when he took on the Machiavellian character Son O-gong in the fantasy epic Korean Odyssey. 

But in the last few years, Lee has played an underdog stuntman (Cha Dal-gun in Vagabond) and a police officer with a disturbing secret (Jeong Ba-reum in Mouse). 

“I had to put in a lot of effort to do action scenes and (perform) a character with psychopathic traits, which are not really present in me,” he said, adding that he didn’t have a “special technique for overcoming challenges”. 

“There is nothing else to do but keep doing. 

“I don’t really think I’ve completely overcome anything yet; I’m just always ready to embrace new things whenever they come,” he said. 

“MY TRUE SELF COMES OUT”

Despite his acting chops, Lee’s lovable nature shines most in variety shows.

It can be said that his reputation as the baby of the group on challenge-based show 2 Days And 1 Night made him a household name more than a decade ago, and it was around this period that he also gained recognition as host and moderator of the celebrity interview segment Strong Heart. Since then, he has starred in numerous others, including Master In The House, Twogether and Busted!. 

“When I do variety shows, I find it extremely enjoyable and I feel like my true self comes out (more) than when I act in dramas or sing. I keep doing variety shows because I can have more fun while doing them,” he shared. 

I wondered aloud if Lee would ever do stand-up comedy – he certainly has the sense for it – but Lee said he has eyes on a different prize: Theatre. 

“I receive many offers for musicals, but I want to act in a play; focus on the acting,” he told me. 

As my time with South Korea’s “ace” entertainer came to an end (Lee’s schedule was substantially more packed this time around), I asked what he was most excited to do once the tour was over. 

Travel, he said, adding that he has never really seen Europe. 

“I want to go to Spain; I’ve never been,” he said. “Places like Spain, Paris and Italy… I’ve never been there.” 

Next year, Lee plans to put out a special album to mark his official 20th anniversary in the business. 

“I’m planning to invest a lot of time and effort into creating (the album), but I also plan to relax and find some leisure.”