Lee Ji-hoon Confirms KBS Historical Drama 'Munmu' — First Drama in ~10 Years

Back on the small screen after a decade

Lee Ji-hoon (이지훈), 46, is returning to Korean primetime drama for the first time in roughly ten years. The actor-singer confirmed a role in KBS's large-scale historical drama Munmu (문무), which is currently in production targeting a second-half 2026 broadcast. His last drama credit was Oh My Geumbi (오마이 금비) in 2016.

He marked the news with a low-key update on September 8: backstage photos showing him watching a packed outdoor stage from the wings.

From 1996 debut to 2026 comeback

Lee debuted in 1996 with his first album Rhythm Paradise. His debut track "왜 하늘은" scored multiple number-one finishes on major music broadcasts, establishing him as a ballad act. The Seoul Song Awards Rookie Award and the Golden Disc Main Award followed in 1997.

The chart wins kept coming. His 4.5th-album title track "인형" — a duet with Shin Hye-sung — hit number one four times on music programs in 2001. Two years later, project group S (Lee, Kang Ta, and Shin Hye-sung) went four-for-four on broadcast chart wins with "I Swear" in 2003, adding a main award and a popularity award at year-end ceremonies.

His career then expanded into musicals. He played Luigi Luccheni in Elisabeth across multiple seasons and won the 2013 Korea Musical Awards Best Supporting Actor prize for the role.

Recent moves before 'Munmu'

On the variety side, Lee appeared on TV Chosun's Dongsung Isong: You Are My Destiny alongside his wife, Japanese interpreter and translator Miura Ayane, whom he married on November 8, 2021. The couple won the Best Family Award at the 2021 SBS Entertainment Awards. They welcomed a daughter, Lee Ru-hee (이루희), on July 17, 2024.

Most recently, Lee entered TV Chosun's Mr. Trot 3 as a contestant, taking a swing at the trot genre. (A 30-year career arc from 90s ballad star to trot contestant to sageuk lead is not something you see every day.) Production on Munmu is ongoing, with the broadcast window set for the second half of 2026.