Despite just recently airing, “Marry My Husband” quickly became a phenomenon in Korea, marking Park Min-young’s return after the scandal of her ex-boyfriend.
So far, not only did Park Min-young shine through this series, but the entire cast, from leads to supporting roles, has garnered special attention from the audience. Particularly, actor Lee Yi-kyung, who played the cheating husband in “Marry My Husband”, is making waves on social media with his outstanding background.
Real-life heir who doesn’t depend on family wealth
Born in 1989, Lee Yi-kyung’s background is anything but ordinary. His biological father, Lee Ung-beom, is the former CEO of LG Innotek, a company specializing in material technology services and component development for the global conglomerate LG, providing components to numerous partners worldwide.
Although born into wealth, Lee Yi-kyung does not rely on his family background. He worked part-time at a comic book and DVD rental store to earn money for his living expenses. Despite being a real-life heir, Lee Yi-kyung did not rest on his family wealth and instead independently strived to advance in his acting career.
Since entering the entertainment industry, Lee Yi-kyung has appeared in many impressive supporting roles, but did not gain much recognition over the following 10 years.
Despite contributing to highly popular dramas like “My Love from the Star” and “Descendants of the Sun,” he only played supporting roles and his lead roles did not generate much buzz. Nevertheless, Lee Yi-kyung did not lose heart and continued to work diligently.
It wasn’t until 2022 that Lee Yi-kyung’s name truly shone through the blockbuster film “6/45.” His humorous portrayal of a North Korean soldier made Lee Yi-kyung significantly more famous, leading to numerous film and advertising contracts. He also gained opportunities to showcase his enviable physique with a six-pack on magazine covers.
A far cry from his on-screen “cheating husband” role, Lee Yi-kyung is known for his modest, humorous, and amiable personality, even receiving praise for his friendliness and professionalism from co-stars.
Furthermore, Lee Yi-kyung was even a real-life hero, saving a person attempting suicide. This incident occurred late at night on March 19, 2020, when a man rushed onto the road on Hannam Bridge with the intention of ending his life. Fortunately, a truck stopped in time, but the man still screamed and intended to jump into the river.
Lee Yi-kyung, driving behind, quickly stopped his car, rushed out, and held onto the man, preventing him from taking any drastic actions. He held onto the man for a while, even removing his coat to cover the distressed individual, before the police arrived. While everyone on the road was shocked, Lee Yi-kyung acted without hesitation to save the man’s life. This courageous act earned him praise from the public and Korean media.
However, when asked about it, Lee Yi-kyung simply stated that he did what needed to be done and felt it was not something grand to talk about.
Special friendship with BTS’s Jin, fleeting romance
BTS’s Jin met Lee Yi-kyung when the idol was only 18 or 19 years old. At that time, Lee Yi-kyung had just completed his military service and decided to study acting at a nearby academy. Here, the on-screen husband of Park Min-young became acquainted with and quickly became close friends with Jin.
The actor recalled that Jin was already very famous for his handsome appearance, attracting many admirers. However, due to Lee Yi-kyung studying at the Seoul Arts Academy and Jin attending Konkuk University, the two gradually lost touch.
It wasn’t until 2018 that the close friends had the chance to meet again when both attended the MAMA awards ceremony. By this time, BTS had become one of the leading K-pop groups, but Jin still remembered his old friend. He warmly called Lee Yi-kyung and greeted him. In 2019, the two had a sweet moment at MAMA, causing a frenzy among the 38,000 fans present at the awards ceremony.
Despite his great personality, Lee Yi-kyung’s love life has not blossomed. In April 2018, Lee Yi-kyung and actress Jung In-sun officially announced their relationship. The two actors met through mutual acquaintances in 2017 and became a couple. They kept their relationship private while co-starring in “Welcome To Waikiki.” However, after just two months of going public, the couple decided to part ways.
Lee Yi-kyung was also entangled in dating rumors with comedian Lee Guk-joo, but it was clarified as a misunderstanding. From then until now, the actor remains single.
