Lee Jun Young has had an exceptionally busy year, earning major awards such as Best Actor at the AAA 2025 and the Excellence Award at the KBS Drama Awards.
Reflecting on the past year, he said, “I truly experienced the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced. It was a year of pouring everything I had into my work.” He added, “It was honestly impossible, but I split my time into chunks and kept up a busy schedule. I wondered when I would ever be this busy again, and while it was fun, it was also exhausting. I released a solo album, appeared on MBC Hangout with Yooand I tried many new things.
In just one year he appeared in five projects, including Netflix series such as Melo Movie, When life gives you tangerinesAND Weak Hero Class 2along with a special appearance on the original TVING The queen who crowns and the KBS 2TV drama Increase healthy love. He also made special appearances in two films, Our sticky love AND Literalism (provisional title).
This year, he continues his relentless pace with two major projects coming out: JTBC’s weekend drama Born-again beginner and tvN’s upcoming drama Four hands.
Notably, Lee Jun Young claimed that part of his intense workload was due to his upcoming military enlistment, saying: “Since I will be enlisting this year, I have pre-filmed several projects in advance.”
Born on January 22, 1997, Lee Jun Young is expected to enlist this year. Despite becoming a trending star on television, he has expressed no regrets about entering a military hiatus.
“I don’t regret it. I think I’ll feel really relieved. Physically it was very exhausting.” he said.
Having worked at a breakneck pace, he also experienced the frightening moment of collapse due to overwork. He shared, “When two projects overlapped, the strength I thought I had was lost. I only had one or two days off a month and only slept two or three hours before filming. One day I suddenly fainted. Not only me, but also my manager and my staff have been through a lot. That’s why I feel more relieved.”
As he prepares to enlist at age 30 (Korean age), Lee Jun Young has been asked about his plans for years. However, he always responded with confidence.
When asked if he was tired of repeated questions about enlisting, he calmly responded: “Not really. The time has come and since no one knew when I would go, it’s a natural question.” He added honestly, “I also think I will go later than expected. My only concern is my health, my knees and back hurt a little. A few years ago, I think I would have arrived healthy and enjoyed myself, but now I just hope to get through everything safely.”
He continued, “Other than health issues, I don’t think about it much. I’ll just do the best I can with everything I’m told in the military. I don’t want to attach too much meaning to it. There will definitely be challenges as the oldest recruit, but I’ll go in with an open mind.”
Lee Jun Young also expressed a perspective based on fame, saying: “If you think that popularity is not yours, it becomes easier. After my return, I will work with those who still support me. If not, I will think about it later. It doesn’t control my emotions. What matters most to me now are the projects in front of me.”
He also teased his next dramas. With regard to Born-again beginnerhe shared, “I will have a double role for the first time, exchanging souls with senior actor Son Hyun Joo. It was a huge challenge. I think people will say, ‘Can he do this too?’ I also received praise from senior actors like Son Hyun Joo, Jeon Hye Jin, and Jin Goo.
From Four handshe said, “It’s a love story between two friends who love the piano. I acted alongside Song Kang, and it has a very different tone than Born-again beginner. It offers a different kind of fun.”
However, Lee Jun Young surprised many by announcing his retirement from his solo singing career. Last year he returned as a singer after five years with his first solo mini album LAST DANCE. He also performed in front of 55,000 fans at AAA 2025 and debuted a new song at ACON 2025 the following day.
Despite this, he stated, “I don’t have any plans as a singer for the future. LAST DANCE was my last album, that’s why I called it that. I don’t know what the future holds, but for now I think I’ve finished it well.”
Explaining his decision, he said, “For those who make singing their profession, what I do might seem like a one-time event. Singing was my main job during my time in U-KISS, but now my main career is acting. Releasing albums and promoting them requires immense effort for them. I asked myself if I could act and sing as well, and I realized I couldn’t. It would be disrespectful to them, so I decided to let it go.”
Originally a dancer before becoming an idol, Lee Jun Young added, “As an actor and dancer, I want to think about how to live the rest of my life well. But I don’t think that much will change. As a person, I will continue to move towards what I love.”
He concluded, “Dance was my beginning. I want to continue dancing even in my 60s or 70s, I love it. I wonder what kind of movements I will prefer then, and I also hope to dance without pain. Even now, I participate in dance competitions on weekends, drawing inspiration and healing through dance. Whether it is acting or dancing, I want to do it for a long time. And most importantly, I want to live in a way that I am not ashamed of in front of those who support me. My number one rule is simple: do not create problems.”
Sources: Naver
