In 2006, Lee first gained public attention when he won Superstar Survival. The show started with twelve teenage competitors and, as the weeks went on, they were eliminated one by one until three were left. The process followed a similar style to that of the reality show Survivor. Lee signed a contract with JYP Entertainment after winning the contest, placing first out of 6,500 competitors. Future 2PM bandmates Taecyeon and Chansung also competed.[2]
In 2008, he participated in Mnet's show Hot Blood Men[6] a program that chronicles the rigorous training of thirteen aspiring trainees, all vying for a coveted spot in the boy band One Day. This initiative ultimately led to the formation of two distinct boy bands, namely 2AM and 2PM.
Lee in 2009
Half a year following the televised airing of Hot Blood, the group 2PM made their debut with the release of their inaugural single titled "10점 만점에 10점" ("10 Points out of 10 Points")[7] from their first EP named Hottest Time of the Day. However, their second EP, 2:00PM Time For Change, propelled their triumph within the realm of Korean music, solidifying their meteoric rise.
Solo activities
In 2013, Lee made his initial foray as a solo vocalist in Japan with the release of his maiden solo EP, "Kimi no Koe," for which he undertook the roles of producer, composer, and lyricist across all the tracks.[8] This album achieved the remarkable feat of securing the topmost position on Tower Records' charts, while also attaining the honourable rank of third on Oricon's daily chart.[9] Commencing on July 9, Lee embarked upon his inaugural solo tour, aptly titled "Junho 1st Solo Tour Kimi no Koe," culminating on August 29 in Tokyo.[10]
On July 9, 2014, Lee unveiled his second self-penned Japanese EP, Feel.[11] Remarkably, Feel promptly ascended to the summit of Oricon's daily album chart on the very day of its launch.[12] Spanning from July 3 to August 13, Lee embarked upon his second independent tour within Japan, aptly named Junho Solo Tour 2014 - Feel, a journey that encompassed five distinct Japanese cities.[13]
On July 15, 2015, Lee introduced his third Japanese EP, titled So Good. This album achieved the notable position of third on Oricon's weekly music chart, accomplishing the impressive feat of selling over 40,000 copies within its inaugural week.[14] Concurrently, he embarked upon his 2015 Japan tour named Last Night, which spanned across seven distinct cities, commencing on July 7.[15]
In September, he unveiled his inaugural album in Korea, a distinctive compilation titled One.[16] Within this album were Korean renditions of eleven previously-released self-composed Japanese tracks.[17] His solo concert "Last Night," hosted at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul, spanned from September 19 to the 20th.[18]
In 2016, Lee presented his fourth Japanese EP, DSMN. The album not only achieved supremacy on Oricon Daily Chart but also secured the apex of daily sales standings at Tower Records.[19] Furthermore, the pre-released single "DSMN" garnered notable popularity on Japan's ringtone platform.[20] His fourth Japanese tour, titled Hyper, reached its culmination with a grand audience of 20,000 in Tokyo on August 25.[21] On December 3 and 4, Lee orchestrated a special encore concert titled "Last Hyper Night" at Nippon Budokan. This event was accompanied by a live viewing experience throughout Japan.[22]
Progressing into 2017, Lee presented his fifth Japanese EP, 2017 S/S, in Japan.[23] This particular album marked a significant achievement for Junho, attaining the impressive rank of number two on Oricon's weekly music chart.[24] From July through August, he embarked on his fifth Japanese tour, fittingly named 2017 S/S.[25] Simultaneously during that year, his maiden Korean EP titled Canvas emerged, serving as his official introduction to the Korean music industry as a solo performer.[26]
In January 2018, Lee released the single "Winter Sleep" in both Korean and Japanese.[27] Following this, from January 20 to February 24, Lee initiated his inaugural solo winter tour in Japan, aptly titled the Winter Special Tour "冬の少年," encompassing a total of nine stops across five cities.[28] On July 11, 2018, Lee unveiled his seventh Japanese EP, Imagination (Souzou). This release promptly achieved the remarkable distinction of claiming the No. 1 position on the daily album chart maintained by Japan's foremost music statistics-tracking entity, Oricon, boasting an estimated sale of 27,270 units.[29] His summer solo tour "Flashlight" commenced in late June and extended until early September, featuring thirteen performances across five cities in Japan.[30] On December 5 the same year, Lee introduced a Japanese compilation album titled Junho the Best featuring a collection of sixteen tracks.[31] Following this, from December 6 to 8, Lee graced the Nippon Budokan stage with his last concert "Junho the Best."[32][33]
In January 2019, Lee unveiled his second Korean compilation album titled Two.[34] Lee will hold a solo concert series titled "Junho the Best in Seoul" in March.[35]
After filming King the Land (drama), Lee immediately launched into an Arena Tour full concert in Japan, called "the Day We Meet Again" (Mata Aeru Hi). Two performances were held in each of 3 cities (Yokohama, Kobe and Nagoya); 6 shows in all, starting on July 22 & 23 in Yokohama. The last show in Nagoya on August 27 was streamed live online and was also broadcast live in nine CGV theatres for Korean fans. These concerts marked his 10 year anniversary since debut as a solo artist.[36]
In 2016, Lee had a supporting role in tvN's thriller Memory.[46]
In 2017, Lee starred in the hit office comedy drama Good Manager.[47] He was praised for his villainous acting in the drama as the arrogant director of finances.[48] The same year, Junho landed his first lead role in JTBC's romantic melodrama series Rain or Shine.[49] He played a psychologically scarred survivor of a fatal incident.[50]
In 2018, Lee was cast in his first Japanese movie Rose and Tulip, written by popular manga artist Akiko Higashimura, in which he played a double role.[51] He was then cast in the SBS romance comedy drama Wok of Love, playing a star chef.[52] The same year, he was cast in the historical comedy film Gibang Bachelor.[53][54]
In 2019, Lee was cast in the legal drama Confession.[55]
In 2023, Lee was cast as the lead in the romantic-comedy drama King the Land alongside Im Yoon-ah.[59] It also garnered international attention, becoming the most-watched non-English show on Netflix during its broadcasting run.[60]
In 2024, he was cast as the lead in the Netflix superhero drama Cashero.[61]
Other activities
Composition
Junho's initial songwriting credit on a 2PM album materialized with "Give it to Me" in 2011, found within their second studio album, Hands Up. His inaugural contribution to a Japanese release transpired with "Kimi ga Ireba" (君がいれば; If You Are Here), a part of 2PM's fourth Japanese single album, Beautiful unveiled on June 6, 2012. Notably, this composition was also integrated into their second Japanese studio album, Legend of 2PM.
In 2012, Lee collaborated with actress Kim So-eun on MBC's program Music and Lyrics for the creation of the song "Sad Love". Crafted by Kim So-Eun and composed by Junho, this single garnered significant acclaim, promptly securing positions within the top 10 ranks of diverse music charts. It was further selected as the theme song for MBC's weekend drama, Feast of the Gods.[62] Junho's collaborative effort extended to a partnership with Vanness Wu on the song "Undefeated" featured on the soundtrack of the Taiwanese drama Ti Amo Chocolate soundtrack.[63]
The composition "Move On," a collaborative work between Lee and fellow member Jang Wooyoung, emerged with 2PM's compilation album 2PM Best~ 2008–2011 in Korea, subsequently surging to the zenith of Japan's Recochoku Chart.[64] In 2013, Lee ventured into composing for Wooyoung's Korean debut EP, 23, Male, Single contributing to the track "Be With You".[65] "Love Is True," a melodious creation graced by the vocals of Lee and Nichkhun, found its place in the supplementary CD of 2PM's Korean album Go Crazy! introduced in 2014. Another notable musical accomplishment came in the form of "Versus," a collaborative effort by Lee and Hwang Chan-sung, which he penned and recorded for the limited edition version D of 2PM's Japanese album, Galaxy of 2PM.[citation needed]
As of February 2019, Lee boasts a remarkable tally of a hundred compositions accredited by the Korea Music Copyright Association, positioning him as the seventh artist among the top ten idols with the most copyrighted songs.[66][unreliable source?]
Ambassadorship
In 2012, Lee was appointed as the honorary ambassador of the 24 Hour Famine Program hosted by World Vision.[67]
Television show
In 2012, along with the 2PM members, Lee participated in MBC's God of Victory, where they were pitted against the members of Shinhwa. Lee won the segment "Breaking Chopsticks With His Butt", as he was able to break 28 chopstick pairs with his rear end in under 15 seconds.[68]
In 2013, Junho's solo variety show titled 2PM Junho's SAY YES -Friendship- was broadcast on Tokyo MX. The show features Lee travelling across different places in Japan to make friends along with invited Japanese celebrities.[69]
Personal life
On May 30, 2019, Lee began his military service as a public service worker. Due to a severe shoulder injury he suffered in 2010 during an acrobatics practice and for which he underwent major surgery in 2012, he was judged unfit for active duty.[70][unreliable source?] Junho was discharged on March 20, 2021.[71]
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