Lee took a break from acting in 2005, claiming he felt overwhelmed with his workload in both television and film.[3] He resumed his work in 2006, with Smile Again.
During a fan meeting event in Japan held on 5 December 2005, Lee announced the release of his first photobook which also included a making-of DVD, poster and postcard. The success of Lovers in Paris along with promotions for his new film My Boyfriend Is Type B helped to increase his popularity in Japan.[4][5]
Lee participated in the Hallyu Expo in Asia on Jeju island which commenced on 28 November 2006 and spanned a total of 100 days. This large-scale event was intended to promote Korean culture across Asia and expected to bring in 150,000 tourists to stimulate the local economy.[6][7] He also attended the sequel to the Hallyu Expo which was held in Japan titled FACE in Japan Premium Event. This two-day event from 14 to 15 August 2007, featured Korean celebrities with large fanbases and was intended as a cultural exchange program between Korea and Japan.[8]
Lee released a 14-track album titled My Biography in 2008, his first full-length album in a decade.[9] It included 6 Korean songs, 6 Japanese songs and 2 instrumentals. It was first released in Japan before becoming available in Korea.[10] The same year, he starred in the television series Night After Night alongside Kim Sun-ah,[11] and starred alongside an ensemble cast in the romance film Love Now.[12]
In December 2011, three months prior to the completion of his mandatory military service, Lee signed with talent agency Mask Entertainment.[13][14] After the termination of his contract with Mask Entertainment,[15][16] Lee signed with FNC Entertainment in November 2012.[17][18]
In the historical drama Queen for Seven Days, Lee impressed viewers with his a wide range of emotions and acting performance with his role as the tyrannical Joseon ruler Yeonsangun.[24] He then starred in action drama Sketch, playing a member of a special operations command who seeks revenge for the death of his wife;[25][26] and slice-of-life drama Where Stars Land.[27]
On 20 March 2008, Lee's 19-year-old brother Lee Joon-yub, a student at the University of Sydney, was fatally stabbed during a brawl with two Chinese teenage gang members at Hungry Jack's in World Square, Sydney.[29] The victim's friend, 22-year-old Song Jung-ho, was critically injured but survived.[30] Lee flew to Sydney to identify his brother's body and attend a requiem mass at the Chapel of St. John's College; after cremation, his family brought back Lee Joon-yub's ashes to Seoul.[31]
On 28 February 2017, Lee Dong-gun was confirmed to be dating Jo Yoon-hee, his co-star in The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop.[35] On 2 May, Lee announced that they have registered their marriage and are expecting their first child.[36][37] The couple held a private wedding ceremony on 29 September[38] and welcomed a baby girl on 14 December 2017.[39] On May 29, 2020, they divorced due to irreconcilable differences.[40]
^Moon Ji-yeon (26 May 2022). "[공식] '셀러브리티' 박규영·강민혁·이청아 캐스팅..넷플릭스 확정" [[Official] 'Celebrity' Park Gyu-young, Kang Min-hyuk, Lee Cheong-ah Casting... Netflix Confirmed] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Retrieved 26 May 2022 – via Naver.
.jpg)
