[2][4] Lee graduated from the Catholic University of Pusan with a degree in public administration.

Due to his lack of height, he only had a few stints in fashion shows and mainly worked for magazines.

[1][5] Lee cited models-turned-actors Kim Woo-bin and Jang Mi-kwan as his inspiration to make the leap from modeling to acting.

[1][4] To support himself as he pursued a career as an actor, Lee worked part-time jobs in construction and cosmetology.

[6] Lee made his acting breakthrough in the TV series The Uncanny Counter for his portrayal of the villain character[7][8] from which he won his first acting accolade, receiving the Scene Stealer Award for the male actor category at the 2021 Brand Customer Loyalty Award organized by the Korea Consumer Forum.