Lee Jun-ho
Lee Jun-ho, known mononymously as Junho, is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actor. He rose to prominence as a member of the South Korean boy band 2PM. Lee made his acting debut in the film Cold Eyes and has since starred in Twenty as well as notable television series such as Good Manager, Rain or Shine, Confession, King the Land, Typhoon Family, and Cashero. His performance in The Red Sleeve earned him the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actor. As a solo artist, Lee has released two studio albums, one compilation album and eight extended plays, achieving significant success in Japan.
Early life and education
Lee was inspired to pursue filmmaking after watching the film Shiri in elementary school. However, by fourth grade his interests had shifted toward acting. Although he initially enjoyed dancing and singing, he aspired to become an actor and subsequently enrolled in the drama program at Sewon High School. During this time, Lee was active in the school's theater club and participated in various provincial and poetry competitions.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.
Despite joining the company as the winner of Superstar Survival, Lee faced significant challenges during his time as a trainee at JYP Entertainment. His first-place title created tension among other trainees, who viewed him with skepticism and placed high expectations on him. Lee later recalled feeling further discomfort because trainees were divided into "tall" and "short" teams for practice, while he did not clearly fit into either group, leaving him socially and professionally isolated.
Lee's struggles intensified when he was informed by a staff member that the company was considering removing him from the trainee program. Motivated by the news, he devoted himself to rigorous training over the next three months and ultimately earned recognition from JYP Entertainment founder Park Jin-young. Lee later revealed that he was given this second chance thanks to his mother, who personally contacted the company to advocate for him, arguing that he had not yet been given a real opportunity to demonstrate his potential. He has since expressed deep gratitude to his parents for their support and encouragement during this challenging period.
Lee participated in an undergraduate program at Howon University located in Gunsan, South Korea, with his bandmates Chansung and Wooyoung. Furthermore, he, alongside Chansung, attained a master's degree in cinematography from Sejong University.
Career
2008–2009: Debut with ''2PM''
In 2008, he participated in Mnet's Hot Blood Men, 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.Half a year following the televised airing of Hot Blood Men, the group 2PM made their debut with the release of their inaugural single "10 Out of 10" from their first single album titled Hottest Time of the Day. However, it was their second single album, 2:00PM Time For Change, that propelled them to mainstream success in Korean music, solidifying their meteoric rise. As of 2021, the group has released seven studio albums in Korea and five studio albums in Japan.
Despite the group's achievements, Lee has spoken about his struggles with lack of opportunities and recognition early in his career. He shared that he was often alone in the dormitory while the other members were busy with their scheduled activities. Lee also believed that, despite his interest in acting, JYP Entertainment had no intention of letting him pursue it.
Solo activities
In 2013, Lee made his initial foray as a solo artist in Japan with the release of his debut solo EP, Kimi no Koe, for which he undertook the roles of producer, composer, and lyricist across all the tracks. This album topped Tower Records' daily charts, while also peaking at number three on Oricon's daily and weekly charts. Commencing on July 9, Lee embarked upon his first solo tour titled Kimi no Koe, encompassing 12 shows across 5 cities and culminating on August 29 in Tokyo.On July 9, 2014, Lee released his second self-composed Japanese EP, Feel. Feel topped Oricon's daily album chart on the very day of its launch and reached number two on the weekly charts. On July 3, Lee embarked upon his second solo Japanese tour titled Feel, which encompassed 12 shows across five cities attracting 50,000 fans. The final show at the Nippon Budokan on August 13 was broadcast live in 38 theatres across 23 prefectures in Japan.
On July 15, 2015, Lee released his third Japanese EP, titled So Good. This album peaked at number three on Oricon's weekly albums chart, with first week sales exceeding 40,000 copies. It received praise, signifying Lee's growth into a mature artist, with emotional tracks like "Good Life" and "Pressure", giving a glimpse into his inner life. Concurrently, he embarked upon his 2015 Japan tour titled Last Night, which spanned across seven distinct cities, commencing on July 7 in Tokyo.
A total of 15 shows, including two performances at the Yokohama Arena and the World Memorial Hall each, attracted over 55,000 fans. The final show at the World Memorial Hall on August 6 was also broadcast live in 41 theatres across 32 cities nationwide.
In September, he released his debut studio album in South Korea, One, made up of Korean renditions of eleven previously released self-composed Japanese tracks. For the album's promotions, Lee made his first solo appearances on South Korean music shows including M Countdown, Music Bank, Show! Music Core and Inkigayo, performing the title track "Fire". His solo concert Last Night, held at the Olympic Hall in Seoul, spanned from September 19–20.
In July 2016, Lee released his fourth Japanese EP, DSMN. The album became Lee's first release to top both Oricon and Tower Records' daily albums charts. It also peaked at number two on Oricon's weekly albums chart. Furthermore, the pre-released single "DSMN" gained popularity on Japan's ringtone platform. Lee also held a special fan event titled Whispering Summer with Junho ~Acoustic Talk Night~ on August 22. His fourth Japanese tour, titled Hyper, culminated with two performances at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium on August 24–25. Lee was commended for producing the concert including the setlist, opening video, costume concept and stage sound and lighting. On December 3 and 4, Lee orchestrated a special encore concert titled Last Hyper Night at the Nippon Budokan, with 20,000 fans in attendance. This event was accompanied by a live viewing experience throughout Japan.
In July 2017, Lee released his fifth Japanese EP, 2017 S/S. It peaked at number two on Oricon's weekly albums chart, being recognized by Tower Records as the second best-selling Japanese release of 2017 by a Korean artist. From July through August, he embarked on his fifth Japanese tour, 2017 S/S.
In September 2017, Lee released his first Korean EP titled Canvas. The release was accompanied by music videos for tracks "Fine", which Lee dedicated to his cat Rambo's passing away, "Bye Bye" featuring Cheeze and the title track "Canvas". Following the release of the EP, Lee held a fan event on September 16 titled The Special Day "Canvas".
In January 2018, Lee released his sixth Japanese EP, Winter Sleep, diverging from his pattern of summer releases for his first five EPs, which had earned him the moniker "Lee Natsu". The title track "Winter Sleep" was released in both Korean and Japanese. The release topped Oricon's daily albums chart and Tower Records' weekly albums chart while peaking at number three on Oricon's weekly albums chart. Concurrently, Lee initiated his inaugural solo winter tour in Japan titled Winter Boy, encompassing nine stops across five cities, concluding with two shows at the Nippon Budokan on February 23–24.
On July 11, 2018, Lee unveiled his seventh Japanese EP, Souzou. This release topped Oricon's daily albums chart with a first-day sales estimate of 27,200 and became Lee's first release to top Oricon's weekly albums chart. His summer solo tour Flashlight commenced in late June in Nagoya and concluded with shows at the Nippon Budokan on August 20 and 21 and the Osaka Castle Hall on September 5. It featured twelve performances across five cities in Japan, with a show on September 4 at the Osaka Castle Hall being cancelled due to the effects of Typhoon Jebi. Lee then held his first solo fan meetings titled The Special Day "Unforgettable Day" on October 6 in Seoul.
On December 5, Lee introduced a Japanese compilation album titled Junho The Best, a collection of sixteen tracks. Following this, from December 6–8, Lee held a concert series of the same name at the Nippon Budokan. In Tower Records' year-end list of best-selling Japanese albums by Korean artists, Souzou and Winter Sleep ranked 6th and 10th, respectively. Lee was the only the only artist with multiple entries and the only solo artist in the top 10.
In January 2019, Lee released his second Korean studio album titled Two. On March 23–24, he brought the Junho The Best concert series to South Korea with two shows at the Olympic Hall in Seoul.
In 2022, Lee held fan meetings titled in Seoul titled Junho the Moment on January 22–23, the latter date also being broadcast online via Beyond Live. Lee then held a series of fan concerts titled Before Midnight from August 12–14 at the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul and from August 20–21 at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. The final show on August 21 was broadcast live on platforms such as Stagecrowd and Streaming+ and in theatres throughout Japan. It marked the 100th solo concert of Lee's career.
After filming King the Land in 2023, Lee immediately began his first concert arena tour in Japan since returning from military service, titled The Day We Meet Again. Two performances were held in Yokohama, Kobe and Nagoya each; 6 shows in all, starting on July 22–23 in Yokohama at the Pia Arena. The last show in Nagoya at the Nippon Gaishi Hall 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. He also released a special Japanese single titled "Can I" to commemorate the occasion. Following his Japan tour, Lee held his first solo fan meeting tour titled Junho the Moment 2023 from October 14 to December 10, with eight stops across Asia: Taipei, Macau, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and Bangkok.
On January 13–14, 2024, Lee held concerts at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul as an extension of The Day We Meet Again tour. It was screened in 50 CGV theatres nationwide in July 2024 to mark the 11th anniversary of his debut as a solo artist.
On January 17, Lee released the digital single "When We Meet Again", the Korean version of the track "Mata Aeru Hi" from his Japanese EP 2017 S/S. Billboard named it the 17th best K-pop song of the year in its first-half review of 2024.
In early 2025, Lee kicked off a fan concert tour titled Midnight Sun, with two shows on January 25–26 at the Inspire Arena in South Korea. The Japan leg scheduled on February 9–10 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium attracted over 18,000 fans.
Further performances were organised in Taipei on February 23–24 at the NTU Sports Center.
The tour's finale with two shows at the Vibra São Paulo in Brazil, on March 1–2, marked Lee's first solo concerts outside Asia.
In March, it was announced that Lee would leave JYP Entertainment after his contract expires on April 15, following seventeen years with the company. However, the label plans to continue overseeing Lee's solo activities in Japan. In April, it was revealed that Lee planned on establishing a one-person agency with preparations expected to be completed by mid-May. On August 18, Lee introduced his new agency named O3 Collective emphasizing "three key elements — the artist's identity , originality in content and a systematic management structure ."
In 2026, Lee held a fan concert titled "Stunning Us" on January 24 and 25 at Korea University's Hwajeong Gymnasium. In addition, the second day was streamed live globally on Weverse. To mark the occasion, a song titled Four Seasons was released on January 26th.