After honing his acting in one-act dramas, Lee Min-ki first gained popularity on television in romantic comedies Love Truly (2006) and Dal-ja's Spring (2007).

[6][7] He gained favorable notices for his supporting roles in the thriller A Million as a hot-tempered Marine-turned-janitor who finds himself involved in a survival reality show,[8] and the disaster film Tidal Wave, in which he plays a lifeguard who makes a heartbreaking sacrifice when a tsunami hits the Korean beach town of Haeundae.

[9][10][11] Lee then solidified his bona fide movie star status with his leading roles in the action film Quick and romantic comedy Spellbound.

[15][16] He followed with leading roles in thriller Monster (2014),[17][18] action noir For the Emperor (2014),[19] and drama film Shoot Me in the Heart (2015), based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Jeong Yu-jeong.

[28] After performing a stylized version of "My Way" at the 2008 Mnet KM Music Festival, Lee lent his vocals to a track with Korean electronica/pop singer Sheean in a collaboration with Japanese electronica/Shibuya-kei artist FreeTEMPO.