Lee Sang-yi
Lee in February 2023
Born	(1991-11-27)November 27, 1991 (age 33) Ansan,Gyeonggi, South Korea
Alma mater	Korea National University of Arts
Occupations	Actor musical actor singer
Years active	2014–present
Agent	Good Friends Company
Korean name
Hangul	이상이
Hanja	李相二
Revised Romanization	I Sangi
McCune–Reischauer	I Sangi
Website	Lee Sang-yi Official Website

Lee Sang-yi (Korean: 이상이; born November 27, 1991) is a South Korean actor, musical actor and singer. Debuting in the musical Grease in 2014, Lee established himself on the musical and theatrical stage with works likeRunway Beat,Bare: The Musical,Infinite Power,Carbonated Boy,Thrill Me,In the Heights, andThe Guardsman of Taj Mahal.

Lee's career in television began in 2017. Appearing inPrison Playbook (2017) andWhen the Camellia Blooms (2019) he solidified his position as scene-stealer through diverse acting transformations in each work. Taking on the role of the free-spirited dentist Yoon Jae-seok inOnce Again (2020), Lee showcased a chemistry with Lee Cho-hee and earned the nickname of "Sadon Couple" (in-law couple). He continued to impress with roles inYouth of May (2021),Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021) andBloodhounds (2023).

As a singer, he is best known for being a member of the vocal groupMSG Wannabe, known for their performances inHangout with Yoo and concerts in Jeonju and Seoul in 2023.

Lee was born in 1991 inAnsan,Gyeonggi Province. He developed an interest in acting during his participation in an English play, "The Sound of Music," in 6th grade at Jeongji Elementary School.^[1][2][3]

When Lee entered Wonil Middle School, his father suggested he attend an acting academy located near their store. At that time he began learning tap dancing, acting, and took on supporting roles at the acting academy.^[4] Then, before entering high school, he told his parents that he would go to an arts high school and continue to study acting. He enrolled in the Department of Theater and Film atAnyang Art High School [ko]^[1][2][3]

During his time at Anyang Arts High School, he served as the student council president, a role he pursued due to his desire to interact with students from different departments. He won the election for this position after actively engaging with his peers by arriving at school 30 minutes early to perform songs on the guitar. Additionally, he established a Cyworld club to connect with potential classmates and exchange contact information. Encouraged by his peers' recognition of his proactive approach, he continued to take on leadership responsibilities.^[4]

In 2008, Lee, still in high school, demonstrated his dance talent by winning first place in the J-Tune CompanyUCC contest. He impressed the audience with his rendition of Rain's dance in "Rainism," which he shared on platforms like Daum TV Pod, Pikicast, and YouTube.^[4][5] At that time, Lee's dreams changed frequently. He was unsure about his future and considered various paths, including becoming a guitarist, a professional gamer, and a stage designer. Ultimately, he discovered that acting combined all his interests and chose to pursue it as his career.^[4]

In 2010, Lee enrolled in the School of Drama at Korea National University of Arts. He was part of the Class of 2010 in the Department of Acting, alongside classmates such asKim Go-eun,Park So-dam,Lee Yoo-young,Ahn Eun-jin,Kim Sung-cheol,Cha Seo-won, andLee Hwi-jong. During his college years, he was the head of the acting department's class.^[4][6] Lee is also close with alumni from the Class of 2009,Byun Yo-han,Suho,Lim Ji-yeon andPark Jeong-min.^[7]

During his mandatory military enlistment, Lee Sang-yi served as a duty police officer at the National Police Agency. After being discharged, he made his debut in 2014 with the musicalGrease.^[8] Over the years, he has appeared in various musicals such asRunway Beat, andLegendary Little Basketball Team.^[9]

In 2015, Lee acted inBare: The Musical, portraying the role of Peter.^[9] That same year, Lee also auditioned for and was cast in the musical Infinite Power, which was the directorial debut of actor Park Hee-soon. Lee was selected to play the character of Jang Seon-jae. Actor Park Hee-soon, a former member of the theater company Mokhwa, directed the musical with a unique approach that emphasized the individuality of each actor. Lee remarked, "Having been an actor himself, the director understands the actor's mindset better than anyone else."^[10][11][12]

In 2016, Lee and Kang Young-seok were both cast as Nathan Leopold in the Korean production of Stephen Dolginoff's musical "Thrill Me." Lee, a newcomer to the production, aimed to portray Nathan as a mild-mannered, soft-spoken character with exceptional logic and quick thinking. Directed by Park Ji-he, the musical ran from February 19 to June 12, 2016. Lee garnered attention for his compelling portrayal of Nathan, showcasing intense emotional acting.^[13] In the same year, he expanded his acting range with roles like Benny in 'In the Heights'^[14] and Baek-seok in 'Me, Natasha, and the White Donkey.'^{[15][16][17][18]}

In 2017, Lee took part in Mongni Music Drama Concert 2017 [Grown Up]. It was performed at KT&G Sangsang Art Hall from February 16 to 26.^[19] Lee dedicated five weeks to rehearsing and honing his dance skills with Park Ji-eun to master the choreography from the popular filmLa La Land. Their dance cover performance was posted onYouTube in March 2017 and quickly gained widespread attention and popularity.^[20][21] In April, Lee performed onstage in play Crazy Kiss.^[22][23] The play Guards At The Taj! which was premiering in Korea, opened in August.^[24] Later that year, he made his television debut by joining the cast of the drama Manhole as Oh Dal-soo. In November, he appeared in the Prison Playbook series as Oh Dong-hwan. Despite his TV roles, he remained devoted to the stage.^[15]

In 2018, Lee starred in a supporting role in the television musical rom-comTo. Jenny, alongsideKim Sung-cheol andJung Chae-yeon. In 2018, he appeared on stage as Brown in the musical Red Book^{[15][25][26][27]} and costarred in the musical Today's Show - Moving Day.^[28]

In 2019, Lee appeared on stage as Elvis impersonator Casey withPark Eun-seok andKang Young-seok in the musicalThe Legend of Georgia McBride. It was written by American playwrightMatthew Lopez and premiered in the United States in 2014.^[29][30]

In the same year, Lee appeared on television as a villain inSpecial Labor Inspector and as baseball coach Yang Seung-yeop inWhen the Camellia Blooms.^[31]

In 2020, Lee starred in 100 episodes weekend dramaOnce Again, where he played the role of Yoon Jae-seok, a dentist and the younger brother of one of the show's leads, Yoon Gyu-jin, portrayed byLee Sang-yeob. Lee's romantic storyline withLee Cho-hee's character became a fan favorite, and their on-screen couple, known as the Sadon Couple, was lovingly referred to as the "national in-law". At the end of the year they won the Best Couple Award at the2020 KBS Drama Awards. Lee also won Best New Actor Award at the same event. The drama's success helped him gain tremendous popularity.^[32]

After a two-year hiatus from musical theater, Lee returned to perform inA Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. He played the role of Monty Navarro, a man who aims to become a count by eliminating eight heirs of the D'Ysquith family. Lee's performance won over the hearts of the audience with his unique 'nerd beauty' and solid acting skills, as he comically searched for the members of the D'Ysquith family one by one. He received positive feedback for his talent as an actor.^[33][34][35]

Lee remained busy in 2021. In May, he joined the cast of the KBS2 Monday-Tuesday dramaYouth of May^[36] as Lee Soo-chan, a determined individual balancing family responsibilities and running a business in 1980s Gwangju. Despite challenges, he remained resilient, supported by his affection for nurse Kim Myung-hee, portrayed byGo Min-si. Lee Sang Yi's authentic portrayal received praise, exploring themes of love, family, and ambition.^[34]

in the same year, in May 2021, Lee appeared on the variety show programHangout with Yoo and debuted as a member ofMSG Wannabe as part of the sub-unit JSDK.^[37]

In June 2021, he was confirmed to star in thetvN dramaHometown Cha-Cha-Cha alongsideKim Seon-ho andShin Min-a. He portrayed Ji Sung-hyun, a workaholic variety show director who has a bright personality.^[38] In the drama, Lee covered a song titled "Love is Forgotten" by Love from the artistHareem [ko].^[39] He also contributed to the OST by singing a song called "I Hope You're Happy," which was released as a single on October 17, 2021.^[40]

On November 24, 2021, Lee reprised his role as Ji Sung-hyun and became avirtual guide for Gongjin VR tour which build on the popularity ofHometown Cha-Cha-Cha and was were released throughLG U+ XR platformU+DIVe.Studio Dragon utilized its premium intellectual property to presentvirtual reality (VR) contents in partnership withKorea Tourism Organization andLG U+. The project aimed to promote Korea's beautiful tourist destinations using drama content as a medium.^[41]

In November 2021, Lee reprised his role as Monty Navarro in the musicalA Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.^[42]

Also in November 2021, Lee confirmed his appearance in the Netflix Original SeriesBloodhounds. It depicts a story about three young people who set foot in the world of private loans in pursuit of money and get caught up in a huge force.^[43]

At the end of 2021, Lee became an MC for the2021 MBC Entertainment Awards withJun Hyun-moo andKim Se-jeong.^[44]

In 2023, Lee took part inKim Dong-yeon's playShakespeare in Love, adapted from the1998 film of the same name.^[45] He shared the role ofWilliam Shakespeare withJung Moon-sung andKim Sung-cheol in a triple cast.The play received favorable reviews and Lee's performance was praised by the critics and the audience.^[46]

In 2024, Lee returned to the small screen in the romantic comedyNo Gain No Love in a supporting role as the main character's boss, CEO Bok Gyu-heon.^[47] The chaebol businessman posts negative comments about a romance novelist, portrayed byHan Ji-hyeon, but later falls in love with her. The couple was such a hit that the creators added a two-episode spin-off, this one starring Lee and Han as a couple trapped in a romance novel.^[48]

• Lee Sang-yi atHanCinema
• Lee Sang-yi atIMDb 
• Lee Sang-yi at theKorean Movie Database
• Lee Sang-yi at PlayDB(in Korean)
• Lee Sang-yi at Naver(in Korean)

• Excellence in Acting, Actor for APAN Star Awards winners
• Excellence Award, Actor for Korea Drama Awards winners
• 1991 births
• Living people
• People from Ansan
• Male actors from Gyeonggi Province
• 21st-century South Korean male actors
• South Korean male musical theatre actors
• South Korean male stage actors
• South Korean male film actors
• South Korean male television actors
• Korea National University of Arts alumni
• Anyang Arts High School alumni

• CS1 uses Korean-language script (ko)
• CS1 Korean-language sources (ko)
• CS1 Chinese (Taiwan)-language sources (zh-tw)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from September 2024
• Articles containing Korean-language text
• Official website not in Wikidata
• Articles with hCards
• All articles lacking reliable references
• Articles lacking reliable references from July 2024
• Articles with Korean-language sources (ko)