Lee Deok-hwa

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Lee Deok-hwa

Role / Field:

Esteemed South Korean actor known for historical roles and industry leadership.

Born:

1952-05-08

Century / Era:

1952s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Lee Deok-hwa (Korean: 이덕화; born May 8, 1952) is a South Korean actor. He served as 3rd chairman of Korean Film Actors Association (2009 – 2011). Lee Deok-hwa studied theater and film at Dongguk University, and made his acting debut in 1972. He and his father, movie star Lee Ye-chun starred together in the 1975 horror film The Man with Two Faces. In 1976, Lee and actress Im Ye-jin starred in Never Forget Me and I Am Really Sorry, both movies in the "Really Really" series that dealt with teenagers' aspirations and romance.

Career & Major Achievements

They were box office hits, and hugely popular among high school students of that generation. (1977), The First Snow (1977), The Hey Days of Youth 77 (1979), and Love's Scribble (1988). Lee received acting recognition for his subsequent films, including three Best Actor awards from the Grand Bell Awards for Lost Love (also known as In the Name of Memory, 1989), Fly High Run Far (1991), and I Will Survive (1993). Lee also became the first Korean actor to win an award at an international film festival in 1993 when he was chosen as Best Actor at the Moscow International Film Festival for I Will Survive. On the small screen, Lee won the prestigious Daesang (or "Grand Prize") for the contemporary drama Love and Ambition (1987) and period epic Han Myung-hoe (1994).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The latter is among the many real-life historical figures that Lee has played in his prolific career, including Joseon prime minister Han Myung-hoe in Han Myung-hoe (1994), Goryeo military dictator Yi Ui-min in Age of Warriors (2003), Tang dynasty general Xue Rengui in Dae Jo-yeong (2006), Goryeo military commander Gang Gam-chan in Empress Cheonchu (2009), and King Dongmyeong of Goguryeo in The King of Legend (2010). In 2005, Lee played Chun Doo-hwan in the television drama 5th Republic, in an ongoing series on MBC about modern Korean political history. The Fifth Republic stands for the period that Chun was in power as president, depicting how he assumed power through a military coup and was forced to resign after a series of democratic movements. The drama was controversial and provoked mixed reactions. Some viewers complained that Lee's charismatic turn as Chun was an attempt to beautify or whitewash the image of the dictator, whereas former aides of Chun accused MBC of distorting history.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1952 (1952-05-08): Birth of Lee Deok-hwa — Esteemed South Korean actor known for historical roles and industry leadership.
2. 1972: 1972 Milestone — Lee Deok-hwa studied theater and film at Dongguk University, and made his acting debut in 1972.
3. 1975: 1975 Milestone — He and his father, movie star Lee Ye-chun starred together in the 1975 horror film The Man with Two Faces.
4. 1976: 1976 Milestone — In 1976, Lee and actress Im Ye-jin starred in Never Forget Me and I Am Really Sorry, both movies in the "Really Really" series that dealt with teenagers' aspirations and romance.
5. 1977: 1977 Milestone — (1977), The First Snow (1977), The Hey Days of Youth 77 (1979), and Love's Scribble (1988).
6. 1987: 1987 Milestone — On the small screen, Lee won the prestigious Daesang (or "Grand Prize") for the contemporary drama Love and Ambition (1987) and period epic Han Myung-hoe (1994).
7. 1989: 1989 Milestone — Lee received acting recognition for his subsequent films, including three Best Actor awards from the Grand Bell Awards for Lost Love (also known as In the Name of Memory, 1989), Fly High Run Far (1991), and I Will Survive (1993).
8. 1993: 1993 Milestone — Lee also became the first Korean actor to win an award at an international film festival in 1993 when he was chosen as Best Actor at the Moscow International Film Festival for I Will Survive.
9. 1994: 1994 Milestone — The latter is among the many real-life historical figures that Lee has played in his prolific career, including Joseon prime minister Han Myung-hoe in Han Myung-hoe (1994), Goryeo military dictator Yi Ui-min in Age of Warriors (2003), Tang dynasty general Xue Rengui in Dae Jo-yeong (2006), Goryeo military commander Gang Gam-chan in Empress Cheonchu (2009), and King Dongmyeong of Goguryeo in The King of Legend (2010).
10. 2005: 2005 Milestone — In 2005, Lee played Chun Doo-hwan in the television drama 5th Republic, in an ongoing series on MBC about modern Korean political history.
11. 2009: 2009 Milestone — He served as 3rd chairman of Korean Film Actors Association (2009 – 2011).

Notable Quotes by Lee Deok-hwa

“Injo is a king who acceded to the throne due to revolutionary force. He had no philosophy of his own and was just a puppet king. It is more interesting for me to portray a king that we are unfamiliar with.” (2013)

“I willingly accepted the request to teach because I wanted to contribute to training talented film experts for the future of the Korean film industry...” (2009)

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Lee Deok-hwa

True or False: “Lee Deok-hwa won Best Actor at the Moscow International Film Festival in 1993.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): He achieved this recognition for his role in the film I Will Survive.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adi Shamir — Contemporary (Born in 1952) (1952): Pioneering Israeli cryptographer, co-inventor of the RSA algorithm.
• Ahn In-sook — Contemporary (Born in 1952) (1952): South Korean actress known for her early career successes in film and television.
• Ahn Sung-ki — Contemporary (Born in 1952) (1952): Respected South Korean actor known for diverse roles across six decades.
• 6ix9ine — Shared historical date (05-08 · Born) (1996): American rapper known for aggressive style and controversial public persona.
• Ali Hassan Mwinyi — Shared historical date (05-08 · Born) (1925): Key Tanzanian statesman who presided over the shift from socialism to multi-party democracy.
• Albert Bassermann — Historical peer (Died in 1952) (1952): Esteemed German stage and screen actor, celebrated for his dramatic versatility.
• Alexandra Kollontai — Historical peer (Died in 1952) (1952): Pioneering Marxist feminist, diplomat, and Bolshevik leader in early Soviet history.
• Aage Bohr — Historical peer (Died in 2009) (2009): Pioneering Danish nuclear physicist, Nobel laureate for atomic structure theory.
• Abdurrahman Wahid — Historical peer (Died in 2009) (2009): Influential Indonesian politician, Islamic leader, and fourth President known for pluralism.
• Al Davis — Historical peer (Died in 2011) (2011): Pioneering NFL executive and coach, known for building the legendary Oakland Raiders.
• 1952 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1952
• May 8 (05-08) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on May 8

Frequently Asked Questions about Lee Deok-hwa