Lee Kwang-soo, who is better known as an entertainer than an actor thanks to his stint on SBS variety show “Running Man,” wrapped up tvN mystery-comedy drama series “The Killer’s Shopping List” with a satisfactory happy ending.


The series revolves around Ahn Dae-sung, a 36-year-old who works as a cashier at his mother’s supermarket. With razor-sharp observation and memorization skills, Dae-sung was something of a child prodigy until he went through a traumatic incident that led him to repeatedly flunk the civil service exam. When mysterious crimes start happening around his hometown, Dae-sung follows the clues he finds on the receipts from the townspeople's shopping to track down the culprit.

The series wrapped up last week after eight episodes, the culprit was caught and Dae-sung and Do-hee (portrayed by Kim Seol Hyun), his longtime girlfriend and a police officer, appear to have been brought closer together through their joint goal of solving the mystery.

Although the series tackled serious issues such as domestic violence, stalking and discrimination against sexual minorities, Lee managed to bring smiles to the viewers’ faces with his distinctive comedy. The series marked the actor’s first return to the small screen in four years after last starring in the tvN drama series “Live,” where he portrayed a rookie police officer named Yeom Sang-soo.

Thanks to his long legs and height, many may mistake him for a model, but Lee debuted as an actor through MBC sitcom series “Here He Comes” in October 2008 before featuring in the mega-popular MBC sitcom series “High Kick!” the following year. Despite the popularity of the sitcom, Lee did not see the same success as his fellow cast members.

The actor earned public praise as an entertainer after appearing as a host on the SBS variety show “Running Man” in 2010. To this day, “Running Man” is one of the longest-running variety shows in the local broadcasting industry. Formerly classified as an “urban action variety,” a genre of variety shows set in an urban environment where the hosts and the guests complete missions at a landmark to win, the program has shifted to be considered a "reality variety show," based on discussion and games. The show is hugely popular in other parts of Asia thanks to Hallyu fans, leading to the actor’s global fame. Lee even earned the nickname “Prince of Asia,” given to him by comedian Yu Jae-seok due to his global popularity.

Lee was one of the original and longest-standing members of the show until he quit in April 2021. He said he needed to take time off to recuperate both physically and mentally, mainly due to injuries he sustained after a traffic accident in 2020.

During his time on the show, Lee continued to pursue his acting career, taking on both big and small roles in film and on television. His popularity helped “Collective Invention” (2015) earn an invitation to be screened at the Vanguard section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. In the film Lee portrays mutant fish-man Park Gu.

His popularity also led him to be appointed as the honorary ambassador for "Mekong-ROK Exchange Year" by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last year, which aimed to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the cooperation between the ministers representing Korea and the five countries around the Mekong River — Laos, Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

Lee earned praise for his roles in SBS drama series “It’s Okay, It’s Love” (2014), “Dear My Friends” (2016) on tvN, and films such as “The Accidental Detective 2: In Action” (2018) and “Inseparable Bros” (2019).

Since leaving “Running Man,” the actor has featured in films such as “Sinkhole” (2021), “A Year-end Medley” (2021) and “The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure” (2022).


Lee Kwang-soo


Date of birth: July 14, 1985
Zodiac sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Namyangju, Gyeonggi
Debut: October 2008 through MBC sitcom series "Here He Comes”
Agency: Kingkong by Starship


Lee debuted on the small screen through MBC sitcom series "Here He Comes" in October 2008. His global popularity, however, stems from his 11-year long appearance as one of the main hosts on SBS variety show "Running Man" (2010-), earning him the nickname "Prince of Asia." The actor has consistently starred in small and large roles over the years, in both films and on television. He quit "Running Man" in 2021 citing health reasons. Since leaving the show he has featured in films such as "Sinkhole" (2021), "A Year-end Medley" (2021) and "The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure" (2022). TvN drama series "The Killer's Shopping List" marked his first return to the small screen in four years since "Live" (2018) on tvN.

This information was confirmed by Kingkong by Starship on May 19, 2022.




BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]