Lee Hong-gi

Lee Hong-gi (; born March 2, 1990), also known mononymously as Hongki, is a South Korean singer, actor, and media personality. He is best known as the front man of rock band F.T. Island. In 2015, Lee debuted as a solo artist with the releases of his first Korean extended play FM302 and his first Japanese album, AM302. As an actor, Lee started his career by starring in children drama Magic Kid Masuri. He later successfully transitioned to adult role and participated in various television dramas, notably You're Beautiful (2009) and A Korean Odyssey (2017). He started a YouTube career by launching personal channel Honggi Jonggi in April 2022.

Acting career

Before Lee Hong-gi debuted as a singer with the band F.T. Island, he was a child actor, making his acting debut in 2002 with KBS2 TV series Magic Kid Masuri as Masuri's friend Kim Ji-hoon. This children drama gained popularity among elementary school students during its run. He was also featured in EBS children drama Kkangsooni, where he played the character of Eo Soo-bong, and sang for the drama's OST.

In 2008, he was offered the lead role in Master of Study, the Korean adaptation of Japanese drama Dragon Zakura. Master of Study should have aired in the beginning of 2009 but due to preproduction difficulties, the drama was postponed to the beginning of 2010 which led FNC Entertainment to refuse Lee's role because of his busy schedule with the band.

Lee then played Lysander in a Korean musical theatre version of A Midsummer Night's Dream, To promote the drama, he also contributed solo tracks to the OST, such as "Promise" and "Still/As Ever." He received a New Star Award at the 2009 SBS Drama Awards for his performance. You're Beautiful recorded modest ratings in South Korea, but it became an international success and with it, Lee's worldwide popularity increased.

In April 2011, Lee starred in the TBS Japanese drama Muscle Girl! opposite Yui Ichikawa. This was followed by a 90-minute Korean-Japanese co-production titled Noriko Goes to Seoul, in which he played a young aspiring singer who meets an older woman (Takashima Reiko) who inspires him through hardships to achieve his dream.

In June 2013, he made his big screen debut in the movie Rockin' on Heaven's Door (Korean title: Passionate Goodbye), with Baek Jin-hee, in which Lee portrayed as a rebellious music star who is sent to work in a hospice.

Lee began filming Bride of the Century with Yang Jin-sung. He went on a four-week rest after he dislocated his shoulder and suffered facial fractures during December 2013. He resumed shooting in January 2014, and the drama aired that February.

Lee also starred in SBS Modern Farmer alongside Park Min-woo, Lee Ha-nui, and others. The drama aired from October 18, 2014, to December 21, 2014, at 20:40 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Lee Hong-gi was cast in the musical Sugar, an adaptation of the 1959 film Some Like It Hot. He plays Joe (Josephine), a saxophonist who disguises himself as a woman after witnessing a gang murder. The show runs at the KEPCO Art Center Grand Theater in Seoul from December 12, 2025, to February 22, 2026.

Music career

F.T. Island

In 2007, Lee debuted in the band F.T. Island as the lead singer. He can also rap and beatbox.

Lee decided to pursue a career in singing after he starred in Kkangsooni, for which he sang a song for the soundtrack. At the end of the drama, he performed the song live on stage. He was 13 years old at that time. Impressed by his powerful vocal ability, a few music agents approached him, not wishing to waste his talent for singing. Then-fledgling label company FNC Music signed Lee and fully trained him to become the lead singer of F.T. Island.

Solo debut In 2015, Lee announced through social media that he was working on both a Korean and Japanese album, which was released in November and December respectively. The mini Korean album was revealed to be FM302, and the album was released on November 18, 2015, while the Japanese album was revealed to be AM302, and it was released on December 9, 2015. 'FM302' combines the radio terminology frequency modulation (FM) with Lee's birthday which is on March 2, to create the effect of his own radio frequency that resonates his music across the world. The title song "Insensible" is a ballad track and it tells the sad story of a man who is unable to forget his previous love. The music video was published on November 18, 2015. The lead actress of the music video is actress Park Shin-hye. Prior to his official music video release, a showcase was organized. Upon the release of FM302, it topped both Naver's real-time search chart, as well as Hanteo sales chart. The album still retained its position next week, selling more than 19,000 albums within two weeks. Moreover, six days after the release of the album, Lee won first place on SBS MTV's The Show for the first time. The album charted at No. 2 on Gaon Chart's national physical albums ranking, as well as No. 5 on the Gaon Social Chart in the 3rd week of November.

On the other hand, the music video for the lead single of the Japanese album AM302, "モノローグ (Monologue)", was published on November 11, 2015, on F.T. Island's Official Japanese YouTube channel. The Japanese album contained some tracks from the Korean album FM302, but was translated into Japanese. The album is also available in three different sets, namely, the original version, Primadonna version (for fans), and the limited edition DVD version. Upon release, it charted at #4 in the Oricon charts.

Soundtrack appearances Lee has sung many OSTs for different dramas such as You're Beautiful, Heartstrings and The Heirs.

On May 21, 2015, Dal Shabet official YouTube channel uploaded a video titled "Joker" in Rock Version. The video was a collaboration with Lee and Subin singing Joker in rock version. It was believed that the two decided on a collaboration when Lee and Subin met on Hello Counselor.

Compositions and lyric-writing In recent years, Lee has also begun composing music, contributing the songs "Black Chocolate" and "Orange Sky" to F.T. Island's Japanese album Rated FT, as well as the title track "Memory" and the song "Always With You" on F.T. Island's Korean mini-album Thanks To, "Siren" from their album The Mood and title song "Wind" from their album Over 10 Years . He also composed Japanese songs "On My Way", "Just Please" and "Born to be a Rock n Roller".

Personal life

Lee was enrolled in Kyunghee University studying theatre and film. It was originally based in Seoul, but has since expanded its business to Hong Kong, and Tokyo, Japan.

On September 30, 2019, Lee began his mandatory military service, becoming the first F.T. Island member to enlist. Lee was discharged on April 18, 2021.

Philanthropy In August 2012, Lee, Jung Yong-hwa, and Park Shin-hye served as surprise guests at a fundraising event called 'Hopes, Dreams, Happy Trip to Korea' organized by the non-profit organization 'Good Friends Save Children' (GFSC). They met with 80 victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, who were students and staff from Ogatsu Middle School in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. They provided gifts and offered words of encouragement.

Discography

Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales JPN AM302 Released: December 9, 2015 Label: Warner Music Japan Formats: CD, download, streaming 6 JPN: 25,444 Cheers Released: December 5, 2018 Label: Warner Music Japan Formats: CD, download, streaming 10 JPN: 13,585

Extended plays Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales JPN FM302 Released: November 18, 2015 Label: FNC Entertainment Formats: CD, download, streaming — 2 KOR: 36,925 Do N Do Released: October 18, 2018 Label: FNC Entertainment Formats: CD, download, streaming 38 2 JPN: 2,056 KOR: 17,516 Drawing Released: September 22, 2021 Label: Warner Music Japan Formats: CD, download, streaming 11 — JPN: 6,633

Singles

Soundtrack appearances Title YearAlbum "Lately I" 2007 Unstoppable Marriage OST "Still" 2009 You're Beautiful OST "Jump" 2013 Rockin' on Heaven's Door OST "Goodbye" "Two of Us" We Got Married Global Edition OST "I'm Saying" The Heirs OST "What I Wanted to Say" 2014 Bride of the Century OST "When Love Comes" Modern Farmer OST "Do Or Die" "Raise Me Up" 2018 Switch OST "El's Word" 2021 Elsword OST

Filmography

Television series Year Title Role Notes 2002–2004 Magic Kid Masuri Kim Ji-hoon recurring cast 2003 TV Tale: Bicycle Thief Park Min-woo main cast TV Tale: Devil's Temptation Kim Young-ho lead role TV Tale: Beautiful May Sa Hong-jun lead role 2004 There's Light at the Tip of My Fingernails Han Joo-min/ Han Joo-myung lead role Kkangsooni Eo Soo-bong main cast Freezing Point Choi Hwan supporting role 2005 Flower Butterfly and Sunflower Min-woo Winter Child 2006 Happy Time After School- Master of Hanja Dororong Dororong's brother educational skit2008 Unstoppable Marriage Hwang Sa-baek's friend cameo, ep. 62 On Air himself cameo, ep. 1 2009 Style himself cameo, ep. 6 You're Beautiful Jeremy main cast2010 More Charming By the Day chicken delivery guy cameo, ep. 111 My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho Jeremy cameo, ep. 162011 Muscle Girl! Yoo Ji-ho lead role / Japanese drama Noriko Goes to Seoul Kim Min-ha lead role 2013 Cheongdam-dong 111 himself reality show 2014 Bride of the Century Choi Kang-joo lead role Modern Farmer Lee Min-ki lead role 2015 Coming Out FTISLAND himself reality show (with F.T. Island members) 2017 A Korean Odyssey P.K main cast 2019 I Hate You, Juliet Cha Yool lead role Melting Me Softly Son Hyeon-gi (young) cameo

Film Year Title Role Notes 2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Draco Malfoy Korean dub 2013 Rockin' on Heaven's Door Choong-ui lead role 2014 How to Steal a Dog Seok-gu supporting role

Variety show Year Title Notes 2001 Love On The Air reenactment scene actor 2007 Happiness in 10,000 Won cast member 2008 Good Daddy cast member2009 Inkigayo regular MC Scandal cast member 2010 Oh! My School cast member (ep.1-12)2011 Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend regular performer (ep.4-7) Saddle The Wind cast member (ep.3-9) 2012 MCountdown regular MC 2013 We Got Married Global Edition cast member (with Fujii Mina)2015 A Look At Myself cast member (ep.1-6) King of Mask Singer contestant as "Blow Hot and Cold Bat Human" (ep.3)2017 King of Mask Singer contestant as "Lupin the Phantom Thief" (ep.105–106) The Life Academy cast member Night Goblin cast member (ep.2-32) 2018 Legendary Bowling cast member Find F.T. Island cast member Road to Ithaca cast member (ep.2-7) Produce 48 vocal trainer 2019 Produce X 101 MC for "The Beginning" episode Playing Oppa host Hackinssa Crew host 2021 The Playlist host Chosun Panstar judge Alphabet together cast member LoL The Next 2021host Lee Hong-ki's Playlist Once host 2022 Eden, Descendants of Instinct host Chuseok Idol Star Championships host Eden 2 host The Idol Band producer (with F.T. Island) Mr. Trot 2 master 2024SCOOLjudge

Radio show Year Title Network Notes 2016–2018 Lee Honggi Kiss The Radio (Hongkira) KBS Cool FM DJ from October 17, 2016, to April 15, 2018

Musical theatre YearTitle Role 2009 A Midsummer Night's Dream Lysander 2014 Vampire Dracula 2016 Those Days Mooyoung 2019 I Loved You Yoon Gichul 2020Return: The Promise of The DayHyunmin 2021 1976 Harlan County Daniel 2021–2022 Jack the Ripper Daniel 2022 Mata Hari Armand 2023 Harlan County Daniel