Lee Joon-ik (이준익) is a South Korean film director, producer, and occasional actor. Best known for mega-hit King and the Clown (2005), Hope (2013), and The Throne (2015).
Biography from TMDB.
- September 21, 1959 (67)
- Seoul, South Korea
- Director and producer
- 14 on MovieCove · 30 credits in all
What are Lee Joon-ik's films like?
Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 9
Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 8
Grounded 2 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 1
A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 5
Steady 3 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0
Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0
Casual 2 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 0 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 6
Resolved 4 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy1
- Bittersweet6
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Lee Joon-ik's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).
Subscription and free streaming for Lee Joon-ik's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
30 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
My Father's Table (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
My Father's Table (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
Yonder(2022)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all shows
The Book of Fish(2021)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Sunkist Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Sunset in My Hometown(2018)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Anarchist from Colony(2017)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Mood of the Day(2016)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
The Throne(2015)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Tazza: The Hidden Card(2014)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Hope(2013)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Battlefield Heroes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
The Unjust(2010)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Blades of Blood(2010)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Sunny(2008)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Shadows in the Palace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
The Happy Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Radio Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Love Phobia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
The King and the Clown(2005)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Hi, Dharma 2: Showdown In Seoul (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Hi, Dharma! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Terror Taxi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
The Anarchists (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
The Spy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Kid Cop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
A Firefly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Gyosan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 30 titles, 28 of them dated from 1993 to 2026.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Lee Joon-ik's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 13; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 82nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up6
- 50th to 74th5
- 25th to 49th2
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
6 of their 14 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved2
- Crowd Pleaser6
- Mixed6
Reviewers score the atmosphere 75/100 and the pacing 44/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Lee Joon-ik work with?
People who share at least 2 of Lee Joon-ik's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kim Jae-beom shares the most, 6.
Writers
- Seok-Hwan ChoiShared titles: Blades of Blood (2010), Sunny (2008), The King and the Clown (2005), Once Upon a Time in the Battlefield (2003)See all 4 shared titles with Seok-Hwan Choi
- Cheol-Hyeon JoShared titles: The Throne (2015), Blades of Blood (2010), Once Upon a Time in the Battlefield (2003)See all 3 shared titles with Cheol-Hyeon Jo
- Sung Hyeon OhShared titles: The Throne (2015), Blades of Blood (2010), Sunny (2008)See all 3 shared titles with Sung Hyeon Oh
- Se-Gyeom KimShared titles: The Book of Fish (2021), Sunset in My Hometown (2018)See all 2 shared titles with Se-Gyeom Kim
Actors
- Jung Jin-youngShared titles: Yonder (2022), Sunny (2008), The King and the Clown (2005), Once Upon a Time in the Battlefield (2003)See all 4 shared titles with Jung Jin-young
- Lee Jeong-eunShared titles: Yonder (2022), The Book of Fish (2021)See all 2 shared titles with Lee Jeong-eun
- Cha Soon-baeShared titles: The Book of Fish (2021), Sunset in My Hometown (2018)See all 2 shared titles with Cha Soon-bae
- Ryu Seung-ryongShared titles: The Book of Fish (2021), Blades of Blood (2010)See all 2 shared titles with Ryu Seung-ryong
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Kim Jae-beomShared titles: The Throne (2015), Hope (2013), Blades of Blood (2010), Sunny (2008), The King and the Clown (2005), Once Upon a Time in the Battlefield (2003)See all 6 shared titles with Kim Jae-beom
- Kim Sang-beomShared titles: The Throne (2015), Hope (2013), Blades of Blood (2010), Sunny (2008), The King and the Clown (2005)See all 5 shared titles with Kim Sang-beom
- Jun-seok BangShared titles: The Book of Fish (2021), The Throne (2015), Hope (2013), Sunny (2008)See all 4 shared titles with Jun-seok Bang
- Ui-tae LeeShared titles: The Book of Fish (2021), Sunset in My Hometown (2018)See all 2 shared titles with Ui-tae Lee
Producers
- Chang-Yeon SungShared titles: The Throne (2015), Hope (2013)See all 2 shared titles with Chang-Yeon Sung
- Sun Jin ParkShared titles: Blades of Blood (2010), Sunny (2008)See all 2 shared titles with Sun Jin Park