Born in Pohang, Lee was raised in Incheon and attended Dong-ah Institute of Media and Arts, where he was a student of Kim Yeon-woo.[3][4] Before debuting with SG Wannabe he had worked as a backing vocalist and vocal coach and was a frequent performer in the Hongdae area's club scene.[5] He was already known to music industry scouts for his singing ability by the time he auditioned to join SG Wannabe.[6]
Career
With the impending departure of Chae Dong-ha from SG Wannabe, the group's label Mnet Media secretly held an audition to find his replacement and Lee heard about it by word of mouth from notable producer and composer Kim Do-hoon, now co-CEO of RBW.[7] At that time, he was planning to debut as a solo artist and had contributed a soundtrack for the SBS drama Lovers. He was selected out of several hundred candidates and officially revealed by the label as the new member in April 2008.[8] His first appearance was in the group's fifth studio album My Friend. Because Chae had abruptly left the group in the midst of preparing for the album, Lee only had several months to rehearse and record his parts and film the music video for the lead single "Lalala".
In 2009 Lee was a guest cast member on We Got Married 2 where he was paired with Kim Na-young after his bandmate Kim Yong-jun asked him to go on a blind date. In 2010 he became the first member to go solo with the release of his EPGreeting, which received positive reviews and also performed well in the Gaon Charts.[9] The EP was originally intended to be a full-length studio album but some of the unfinished tracks were accidentally deleted.[10] The songs "Station" (정거장) and "Ten Reasons I Love You" (그대를 사랑하는 10가지 이유) remained in the Gaon Digital Chart for over two months.[11] From 2011 to 2015, SG Wannabe was on hiatus as each member focused on his solo career and fulfilled their mandatory military service obligations. Lee released his second EP and participated in several popular drama soundtracks. He also went into radio and was the regular DJ of SBS Power FM's late night program Ten Ten Club from 2011 to 2012[12] and a relief DJ on various radio programs over the years.[13][14]
In January 2013 Lee enlisted for mandatory military service and was initially designated as a "celebrity soldier" assigned exclusively to public relations duties. After a series of controversies involving several of his contemporaries, the system was abolished that same year and all celebrities in the unit were designated as infantrymen and sent to various infantry units.[15] Lee was assigned to the 7th Infantry Division based in Hwacheon County, Gangwon Province and discharged in October 2014.[16] With SG Wannabe preparing their comeback, he focused his attention on group activities as the members were much more involved with the production and composition process.[17]
Lee was one of the two main vocal trainers in Mnet's survival programs Produce 101 (season 2) (2017) and Produce X 101 (2019).[18] After his appearances on the Produce 101 franchise programs, some of his previous releases have seen renewed interest, with "Ten Reasons I Love You" becoming a popular noraebang (karaoke) song, placing in the Gaon Noraebang Chart since 2017 and being named by several commentators in their list of best songs to sing in a noraebang.[19] In 2017 he made his solo comeback with the release of his third EP, featuring the song "She", which he dedicated to his wife, as the lead single. He composed and released the song "It Was You" (너였구나) to celebrate the birth of their son the following year.[20] In 2018 Lee made his debut in musical theater and was cast as the male lead in Kinky Boots. In 2019 Lee recorded one of the longest winning streaks on King of Mask Singer, winning the crown and then defending it a record five consecutive times.[21][22] He was double-cast in the popular Korean adaptation of The Man Who Laughs as Gwynplaine, the male lead, in its second run from January to March 2020.[23] His critically acclaimed performance won him a nomination for the Best New Male Actor at the 5th Korean Musical Awards.[24][25]
For the early half of 2021 Lee was a guest DJ for various radio programs, including covering for Jun Hyo-seong when she was in self-isolation after coming into contact with a suspected COVID-19 case.[26] He was cast in Marie Antoinette as the eponymous character's friend Swedish nobleman Axel von Fersen the Younger; the critically-acclaimed domestic production ran for the third time and opened on July 13.[27] In May, he returned to radio and took over Kang Susie as DJ for MBC's music-focused program Wonderful Radio.[28]
On March 9, 2022, it was confirmed that Lee will release his first full album Same Place via SNS on March 24, 2022.[29]
On October 21, 2022, it was announced that Lee will release his new album "ALIVE" on November 7.[30]
Personal life
Lee is married to ballerina Choi Sun-a, a former member of the Korea National Ballet, and they have a son (born in August 2018).[31][32] They first met on the MBC dating program Exciting Love Studio (두근두근 사랑의 스튜디오) in 2011 and continued their relationship off-screen.[33] The couple secretly registered their marriage in 2014 while he was still in the army and later had a private wedding ceremony in January 2016.[34][35][36]
^ abcThe Recording Industry Association of Korea (RIAK) tracked physical album, EP, and singles sales and released a consolidated sales and ranking chart monthly from January 1999 to September 2008. It did not track digital sales. The Gaon Music Chart was established in 2010 and is compiled by the Korea Music Content Industry Association, the successor organization of the RIAK. From January 2018, the Gaon Music Chart no longer publicizes sales figures but utilizes an index which accumulates sales figures from both physical and digital sales. [1]
Songwriting credits
Lee has 15 songwriting credits registered with the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA).[54] All credits are adapted from KOMCA, unless stated otherwise.
^Ahn, Jin-young (October 21, 2022). "이석훈, 11월 7일 새 싱글앨범 'ALIVE' 발매" [Lee Seok-hoon releases a new single album 'ALIVE' on November 7th] (in Korean). Munhwa Ilbo. Retrieved October 21, 2022 – via Naver.
^Gong Mi-na (September 16, 2021). "아이즈원 출신 조유리, 이석훈과 듀엣곡 발매..솔로 활동 본격화" [IZ*ONE former member Jo Yu-ri and Lee Seok-hoon released a duet song.. Solo activities in earnest]. Star News (in Korean). Retrieved September 16, 2021 – via Naver.
^Kim Joo-hee (July 11, 2022). "이석훈, 웹툰 '연애의 발견' OST 발매…'바보에게 바보가" [Lee Seok-hoon releases OST for webtoon 'Discovery of Love'... 'A fool to a fool] (in Korean). Newsis. Retrieved July 11, 2022 – via Naver.
^Jeong Ji-eun (September 27, 2021). "유연석부터 이상이까지, '젠틀맨스 가이드' 캐스팅 공개" [From Yoo Yeon-seok to Lee Sang, casting for 'Gentleman's Guide' revealed]. KBS Media (in Korean). Retrieved September 27, 2021 – via Naver.
^Park Ji-yoon (May 18, 2022). "이석훈, 뮤지컬 '킹키부츠' 주인공 3연속 발탁" [Seok-Hoon Lee, selected as the main character for the musical 'Kinky Boots' 3 times in a row] (in Korean). The Fact. Retrieved May 18, 2022 – via Naver.
^ abPark Seo-hyun (August 9, 2021). "이석훈 '다큐멘터리 3일' 내레이션 호평..꿀보이스로 전한 응원 메시지" [Lee Seok-hoon's 'Documentary 3 Days' narration is well received.. Cheering message delivered with a honey voice]. Herald POP (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
^Yeon Hwi-seon (August 31, 2021). "내일은 국민가수' 측 "김범수·백지영·케이윌·이석훈·김준수, 마스터 출연" [공식]" [Tomorrow's National Singer' side "Kim Beom-soo, Baek Ji-young, K.will, Lee Seok-hoon, Kim Jun-su, Master appearance" [Official]]. OSEN (in Korean). Retrieved August 31, 2021 – via Naver.
^Tae Yu-na (September 9, 2021). "[공식] 김연우·쌈디·제시·이석훈, '더마탤' 판정단 라인업 확정" [[Official] Kim Yeon-woo, Simon D, Jessi, and Lee Seok-hoon, 'Dermatal' judging team lineup confirmed]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Retrieved September 9, 2021 – via Naver.
^Jung Ji-hyun (February 21, 2022). "정재형·장윤주·이석훈, '아기싱어' 출연 확정…음악 선생님 변신 [공식]" [Jung Jae-hyung, Jang Yoon-ju, and Lee Seok-hoon confirmed to appear in 'Baby Singer'... Music Teacher Transformation [Official]] (in Korean). My Daily. Retrieved February 21, 2022 – via Naver.
^Baek Seung-hoon (April 20, 2022). "이석훈, 장애인의 날 특집 MBC '봄날의 기적' MC" [Seok-Hoon Lee, MC for MBC's 'Miracle in Spring' for the Day of the Disabled] (in Korean). iMBC. Retrieved April 20, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim Hyeon-jeong (July 11, 2022). "김종진·김현철·윤일상·박선주·이석훈, MBC 강변가요제 뉴챌린지 심사위원 [공식입장]" [Kim Jong-jin, Kim Hyeon-cheol, Yoon Il-sang, Park Seon-joo, Lee Seok-hoon, MBC Riverside Song Festival New Challenge Judges [Official Position]] (in Korean). X-ports News. Retrieved July 11, 2022 – via Naver.
^Lee Seung-gil (July 20, 2022). "이현이·이석훈·윤태진·정세운, '연애는 직진' MC 발탁" [Lee Hyun-i, Lee Seok-hoon, Yoon Tae-jin, and Jeong Se-woon, 'Dating is Straight' MCs] (in Korean). My Daily. Retrieved July 20, 2022 – via Naver.
^Lee Da-gyeom (August 17, 2022). "이석훈, '다시갈지도' 합류...랜선 여행 스윗가이 예약" [Lee Seok-hoon joins ‘Map to Go Again’…Sweet Guy reservation for LAN travel] (in Korean). Star Today, Maeil Business News. Retrieved August 17, 2022 – via Naver.
^Park So-young (September 13, 2022). "차태현X조세호X이석훈, ENA 북토크 예능으로 뭉쳤다 [공식]" [Cha Tae-hyeon X Jo Se-ho X Lee Seok-hoon united through ENA Book Talk entertainment [Official]] (in Korean). Osen. Retrieved September 13, 2022 – via Naver.
^Jin Hyang-hee (October 19, 2022). "불타는 트롯맨' 이석훈-김준수-신유-박현빈-이지혜 합류" [‘Burning Trotman’ Lee Seok-hoon, Kim Jun-su, Shin Yoo, Park Hyun-bin, and Lee Ji-hye join] (in Korean). Mail Business Star Today. Retrieved October 19, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kang, Seo-jeong (March 14, 2023). "이석훈, '월간 더 스테이지' MC 발탁..라이브 음악프로 명맥 잇는다" [Lee Seok-hoon, selected as the MC for ‘Monthly The Stage’… Connecting to live music pro] (in Korean). OSEN. Retrieved March 14, 2023 – via Naver.
^Kim, Hyun-rok (November 7, 2023). "MBC 연애 리얼리티 '학연'…이은지‧권은비‧이석훈‧유병재‧김대호 MC" [MBC dating reality 'Hakyeon'...Eunji Lee, Kwon Eun Bi, Lee Seok Hoon, Yoo Byung Jae, Kim Dae Ho MCs]. SpoTV News (in Korean). Retrieved November 8, 2023 – via Naver.
^Baek, Ji-eun (December 12, 2023). [공식] 이석훈·백호·서은광·솔라·웬디, Mnet '빌드업' 심사위원 확정 [[Official] Lee Seok-Hoon, Baek Ho, Seo Eun-Kwang, Solar, and Wendy confirmed as judges for Mnet's 'Build Up'] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Retrieved January 22, 2024 – via Naver.
^Cha Hye-young (April 22, 2022). "이석훈, 웹예능 '썰플리' 메인 호스트 출격...유트브 첫 입성 기대↑" [Lee Seok-hoon, web entertainment 'Sulfly' main host sortie... Expected to enter YouTube for the first time↑] (in Korean). Ten Asia. Retrieved April 23, 2022 – via Naver.
^Ha Ji-won (April 27, 2022). "티빙, '결혼과 이혼 사이' 5월 20일 공개…김구라xMC그리 출연 [공식입장]" [Teabing, 'Between Marriage and Divorce' released on May 20th... Gura Kim x MC Gree Appearance [Official Position]] (in Korean). Export News. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim Ji-won (November 7, 2022). "이석훈X모니카, 타투숍 매니저 됐다…웨이브 '더 타투이스트' 16일 공개" [Seok-Hoon Lee X Monica became a tattoo shop manager... Wave 'The Tattooist' released on the 16th]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Retrieved November 7, 2022 – via Naver.
^Lee Seul-bi (March 21, 2022). "이석훈, '이석훈의 브런치카페' DJ 합류…28일 첫 방송" [Seok-Hoon Lee joins ‘Lee Seok-Hoon’s Brunch Cafe’ DJ… First broadcast on the 28th] (in Korean). Sports Donga. Retrieved March 21, 2022 – via Naver.
^Hwang Hye-jin (March 22, 2022). "이석훈, 정규 1집 타이틀곡 '사랑은 또' MV 티저 공개 '애절한 감성" [Lee Seok-hoon, 1st regular album title song 'Love Again' MV teaser released 'Sorrowful emotion'] (in Korean). Newsen. Retrieved March 22, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim, Chae-yeon (February 16, 2023). "이석훈, 뉴진스·김용명 등 함께 서울시 홍보대사 위촉.."자랑스럽고 영광" [Lee Seok-hoon, New Jeans, and Kim Yong-myeong were appointed as public relations ambassadors for Seoul..“Proud and honored] (in Korean). OSEN. Retrieved February 16, 2023 – via Naver.
^"2021 올해의 브랜드 대상 수상 기업" [2021 Brand of the Year Grand Prize Winner]. kcforum (in Korean). August 19, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
^Lee Min-ji (August 19, 2021). "유죄남' SG워너비 이석훈, 2021 브랜드 대상 2관왕 등극" ['Guilty Man' SG Wannabe's Lee Seok-hoon wins two crowns at the 2021 Brand Awards]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
^Cha Sang-yeop (December 30, 2022). "MBC연예대상' 전현무 대상… '나혼산' 올해의 예능프로그램(종합)" ['MBC Entertainment Awards' Jeon Hyun-moo Grand Prize... 'Nahonsan' Entertainment Program of the Year (Comprehensive)] (in Korean). Money S. Retrieved December 30, 2022 – via Naver.