Lee Junyoung / Jun (준) (이준영)

Lee Jun-young built his public profile first as a member of South Korean group U-KISS, then steadily repositioned himself as a dramatic actor — a pivot that gained clear momentum with the 2026 JTBC series "Rookie Chairman Kang", in which his lead performance drove national viewership from 3.8 percent at premiere to 8.2 percent within four episodes.

From Idol to Lead Actor

Originally associated with U-KISS and the temporary project group UNB, Lee Jun-young has spent recent years establishing himself on the acting side of the industry rather than the musical one. The transition places him in a category he has spoken about openly — idol-turned-actors — and one he has said he hopes to see more of, citing Im Si-wan, Do Kyung-soo, and Park Ji-hoon as peers who made the same crossing successfully.

His profile as an actor rose noticeably through his role in the Netflix series "You Have Done Well", in which he played the boyfriend of IU's character — a part that brought him renewed public attention and wider name recognition beyond the existing U-KISS fanbase.

"Rookie Chairman Kang" and a Breakout Lead Role

The JTBC weekend drama "Rookie Chairman Kang," which premiered in May 2026, represents the most substantial acting showcase of Lee Jun-young's career to date. He plays Hwang Jun-hyun, a promising professional soccer player whose body becomes occupied by the soul of a 72-year-old chaebol chairman, Kang Yong-ho, following a collision. The conceit asks Lee Jun-young to portray simultaneously the physical presence of a young athlete and the interior weight of a seasoned corporate patriarch — a dual register that drew critical notice for its demands on the performer.

The drama's viewership trajectory was steep. The premiere episode recorded 3.8 percent nationally. By episode three, that figure had climbed to 6.7 percent, making it the highest-rated JTBC weekend drama of 2026 at that point. Episode four pushed the number to 8.2 percent, a more than twofold increase across four broadcasts. Coverage attributed a meaningful share of that momentum to Lee Jun-young's performance and to the ensemble chemistry he developed with co-stars Lee Joo-myung and Lee Sung-wook, whose character functions as Hwang Jun-hyun's ally within the drama's succession-battle storyline.

Standing

Lee Jun-young's career arc — from group member to supporting television roles to a lead performance sustaining a JTBC drama's ratings climb — follows a path that a number of his contemporaries have attempted with varying results. The viewership figures attached to "Rookie Chairman Kang" offer the most concrete evidence yet that his transition is gaining traction with a general audience rather than remaining confined to an existing fan base. His own public commentary, in which he frames idol-to-actor crossovers as a space worth expanding, suggests a considered awareness of where he is positioned and where he is aiming.