He is best known for his starring roles in Seoyoung, My Daughter (2012), Angel Eyes (2014), Liar Game (2014), On the Way to the Airport (2016), Whisper (2017), About Time (2018), VIP (2019), and One the Woman (2021).

[6][7] The same year, he also played lead roles in the medical drama Angel Eyes and mystery thriller series Liar Game.

[18] In 2020, Lee made his silver screen comeback with the action comedy Okay Madam where he played a charismatic North Korean spy who hijacks an airplane.

[19] Lee also made his live stage debut as the main lead of The Last Session, a philosophical play based on Mark St. Germain's 2010 broadway hit that deals with discussions of the meaning of life.

[23][24] He had entered as a freshman in 2000, but his acting career and mandatory military service had caused him to take several years of leave from SNU, resulting in his delayed graduation.