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Park Jeong-su (; born July 1, 1983), known professionally as Leeteuk (; ), is a South Korean singer, songwriter, presenter, radio personality, and actor. He debuted as the leader of the boy band
Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band. The group is composed of Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun. Han Geng, Kibum, and ...
in November 2005 and since then has participated in its subgroups
Super Junior-T Super Junior-T (; an initialism for Super Junior-Trot) is the second official sub-unit of South Korean boy band Super Junior, consists of Leeteuk, Heechul, Shindong, Sungmin and Eunhyuk. They are known as the first idol group for capitalizing ...
,
Super Junior-Happy Super Junior-H (, also known as Super Junior-Happy or SJ-Happy), is the fourth official sub-unit of South Korean boy band Super Junior with consists of five Super Junior members: Leeteuk, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, and Eunhyuk. The unit is speci ...
, and Super Junior-L.S.S. He began his career as a television presenter on the music show ''
M! Countdown ''M Countdown'' () is a South Korean music program broadcast by Mnet from the CJ E&M Center Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul. It features appearances by popular music artists who also perform live on stage. First hosted by Leete ...
''. He is best known for his role in presenting '' Strong Heart'', ''
Star King ''Star King'' (also published as ''The Star King'') is a science fiction novel by American writer Jack Vance, the first in his Demon Princes series. It tells the story of a young man, Kirth Gersen, who sets out to track down and avenge himsel ...
'', ''
The Best Cooking Secrets ''The Best Cooking Secrets'' is a South Korean cooking show that premiered on 2 October 2000 on EBS 1TV and airs from Monday to Friday at 10:50AM KST. It is the longest-running cooking program in South Korea. The program is hosted by Kim Dong-wa ...
'', ''
I Can See Your Voice ''I Can See Your Voice'' (abbreviated as ''ICSYV'') is a television mystery music game show franchise created by Lee Seon-young and produced by CJ ENM, which originated from I Can See Your Voice (South Korean game show), the South Korean program ...
'', and ''
Idol Star Athletics Championships The Idol Star Athletics Championships (, abbr. 아육대) is a South Korean reality television program which aired for the first time in 2010. The program features celebrities, most notably Korean pop idols singers and groups, which compete in ...
''. He is also a regular figure in the South Korean year-end awards; he has presented
Golden Disc Awards The Golden Disc Awards (, formerly spelled the Golden Disk Awards before 2015) is an annual South Korean major music awards ceremony that honors achievements in the local music industry. The awards ceremony was founded with the purpose to prom ...
three times,
Gaon Chart Music Awards The Circle Chart Music Awards (), formerly known as the Gaon Chart Music Awards, is a major music awards ceremony that is presented annually in South Korea by the Korea Music Content Association primarily based on the commercial performance of t ...
six times, and
Asia Artist Awards Asia Artist Awards (; abbreviated AAA) is an awards ceremony organized by South Korea-based business newspaper ''Money Today'' and its global media brands StarNews and MTN. This honors the outstanding achievements and international contribution ...
six times. He regularly hosts the Dream Concert and the
Asia Song Festival Asia Song Festival, A-Song-Fe or ASF, is an annual Asian pop music festival held in South Korea, since 2004. It is hosted by Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange (KOFICE) and features artists from Asian countries. Participating a ...
annual concerts.


Early life

Leeteuk was born on July 1, 1983, as the second child of Park Yong-in and Yoo Suk-yeong. His elder sister,
Park In-young Park In-young (; born 18 March 1982) is a South Korean actress and singer. She debuted in 2009 with the musical ''Boeing Boeing'' (). She graduated from Chung-Ang University. Early life Park In-young was born on 18 March 1982, in Seoul, South ...
, is a singer and an actress. His parents divorced in 1998. He has spoken about his parents' relationship publicly on several television shows. He attended
Chungwoon University Chungwoon University () is a private university in western South Korea. The campus is located in Hongseong County in South Chungcheong province. The current president is Kim Hui-jung (김희중). Academics Undergraduate offerings are divided ...
and graduated with a bachelor's degree. He is also an alumnus of
Gachon University Gachon University () is a private university located in South Korea. The current structure of Gachon university is the result of a merger between four existing universities. Gachon University of Medicine and Science and Gachon-gil College merged ...
.


Career


2000–2005: Pre-debut

When Leeteuk traveled to
Apgujeong-dong Apgujeong-dong (; ) is a ward of Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea. It is considered one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country. It was reported that housing price of Apgujeong-dong is approximately US$28,300 per one square meter by ...
to sightsee in early 2000, a talent scout approached him and recommended he audition for
SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1995 by Lee Soo-man. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies and has been responsible for fostering and popularizing the car ...
's Starlight Casting System. After several test recordings and performances, he signed with SM Entertainment and became a trainee. In the same year, he appeared as an
extra Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * The Extra (1962 film), ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * The Extra (2005 film), ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * Extra (newspaper), ...
in the drama ''
All About Eve ''All About Eve'' is a 1950 American Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story (and subsequent 1949 radio drama) "The Wisdom of E ...
'' which aired on
MBC TV MBC TV (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Television) is a South Korean free-to-air television channel launched on 8 August 1969 and owned by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation. History The Seoul Private Broadcasting Corporation was establish ...
, and briefly modelled for
Pepsi Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...
in 2002. In 2003, he was put into the five-member boyband Smile with future bandmate
Donghae Donghae () may refer to: * East Sea, the South Korean name of the Sea of Japan ** Donghae Expressway, the name of the expressway in South Korea ** Donghae Line, a railway line in Busan, South Korea * Donghae City, in South Korea ** ''Donghae''-c ...
, which aimed to rival the group
TVXQ TVXQ (stylized as TVXQ!; , ), known as Tohoshinki in Japan, is a South Korean pop duo formed by SM Entertainment, composed of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin. Originally a five-member boy band which also consisted of members Kim Jae-joong, Hero ...
. The project was dropped, and they were put into the rotational group
Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band. The group is composed of Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun. Han Geng, Kibum, and ...
along with ten other boys. Being older than the other trainees, Leeteuk became the group's leader. Leeteuk has explained that he uses a stage name because of his desire to have a name with the same effects as
Kangta An Chil-hyun (; born October 10, 1979), known professionally as Kangta (stylized sometimes in all caps and formerly as KangTa; ), is a South Korean singer, composer, songwriter, record producer, actor and radio personality. He is well known as a ...
, and to prevent confusion between veteran actress Park Jung-soo and himself. His stage name Leeteuk, means "special". He previously rejected two of the stage names designated for him by his agency. The agency's then-chairman,
Lee Soo-man Lee Soo-man (, born 18 June 1952) is a South Korean business executive and record producer who is best known for being the founder of SM Entertainment, a multinational entertainment company based in Seoul. He has also been referred to as the "p ...
, called him "a special child" and said the name Leeteuk suited him better.


2005–2012: Debut with Super Junior and sub-groups, MC roles and variety shows

Leeteuk officially debuted as part of the 12-member project group, Super Junior 05 on November 6, 2005, on
Seoul Broadcasting System Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS; ) is one of the leading Television in South Korea, South Korean television and radio broadcasters. The broadcaster legally became known as SBS in March 2000, changing its corporate name from Seoul Broadcasting ...
's (SBS) music program ''
Popular Songs Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
'', performing their first single, "
Twins (Knock Out) "Knockout" is the debut single recorded by the United Kingdom, British pop music, pop/rock music, rock group Triple 8, released on 21 April 2003 in the United Kingdom. The single reached a peak position of number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. Track ...
". Their debut album ''
SuperJunior05 (Twins) ''Twins'' (also known as ''Super Junior 05'') is the debut studio album by South Korean boy band Super Junior 05, now known as just Super Junior. It was released through SM Entertainment on December 5, 2005. The album spawned two singles: the gr ...
'' was released a month later on December 5, 2005, and debuted at number three on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts. Originally, the band was meant to have rotational line-ups, much like the Japanese girl group
Morning Musume , formerly and commonly known as and colloquially referred to as , is a Japanese girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon, Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most to ...
, but the idea to form new generations of Super Junior was dropped after fans objected. Following the addition of a thirteenth member, Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and officially became Super Junior. The re-polished group's first CD single " U" was released on June 7, 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of " Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009. In February 2007, Leeteuk was placed in the
trot The trot is a two-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is som ...
-singing subunit,
Super Junior-T Super Junior-T (; an initialism for Super Junior-Trot) is the second official sub-unit of South Korean boy band Super Junior, consists of Leeteuk, Heechul, Shindong, Sungmin and Eunhyuk. They are known as the first idol group for capitalizing ...
. The subunit debuted with the single "
Rokkugo "Rokkugo" () is the first single by Super Junior-T, released on February 23, 2007. Over 45,997 copies were sold by the end of the year, marking it Korea's sixteenth best-selling record and best-selling single of 2007. "Rokkugo" has been one of Su ...
", which quickly reached number one on the weekly music chart and held the spot for two consecutive weeks. A year later, Leeteuk became a member of
Super Junior-H Super Junior-H (, also known as Super Junior-Happy or SJ-Happy), is the fourth official sub-unit of South Korean boy band Super Junior with consists of five Super Junior members: Leeteuk, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, and Eunhyuk. The unit is ...
, a subunit focusing on bright and cheerful music, in contrast to the genre of the songs released by the core group. Besides music, he also participated in Super Junior-centric television shows like ''
Mystery 6 Super Junior (; ''Syupeo Junieo'') is a South Korean boy band. Formed in 2005 by producer Lee Soo-man of S.M. Entertainment, the group comprised a total of thirteen members at its peak. Super Junior originally debuted with twelve members, consist ...
'' and ''
Full House ''Full House'' is an American television sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The show is about the recently widowed father Danny Tanner who enlists his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and childhood best friend ...
''. He made his first film appearance with Super Junior members in ''
Attack on the Pin-Up Boys ''Attack on the Pin-Up Boys'', also known as ''Flower Boys' Series of Terror Events'' or simply ''Flower Boys'' (), is a 2007 South Korean high school mystery comedy film, and is the first film produced by SM Pictures, a subsidiary of SM Ente ...
'' in 2007, playing the role of the school's panda mascot. Apart from Super Junior activities, he has hosted several television shows. In 2005, he became the host of a weekly music show, ''
M! Countdown ''M Countdown'' () is a South Korean music program broadcast by Mnet from the CJ E&M Center Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul. It features appearances by popular music artists who also perform live on stage. First hosted by Leete ...
'', his first gig as a host, with bandmates
Shindong Shin Dong-hee (; born September 28, 1985), known professionally as Shindong (lit. meaning: "prodigy"), is a South Korean rapper, singer, dancer, host, radio personality, and video director. He is best known as a member of Super Junior and its s ...
and
Kangin Kim Young-woon (born January 17, 1985), better known by his stage name Kangin (lit. meaning: "strong benevolence"), is a South Korean former singer, actor, television host, and radio personality. He is best known as a former member of Super ...
. This eventually landed him his first solo hosting act on the reality show ''Leeteuk's Love Fighter'', which aired on the cable television channel
Mnet M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
in 2008. He received praise for his work as a newcomer and received a plaque of appreciation from the show's crew members on his last appearance on the show. Leeteuk became a radio DJ for KBS '' Super Junior's Kiss The Radio'' (''Sukira'') with Eunhyuk in August 2006. From March to June 2011, bandmate
Yesung Kim Kang-hoon (born Kim Jong-woon; August 24, 1984), better known by his stage name Yesung, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, actor, radio personality, and television presenter. He debuted in 2005 as a member of Super Junior and its subgroup ...
temporarily replaced Eunhyuk while he was away doing promotional activities for
Super Junior-M Super Junior-M (an initialism for Super Junior-Mandarin, also known as SJ-M), is the third sub-unit of the South Korean boy band Super Junior focusing on Chinese market, currently composed of six Super Junior members Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Siwon, ...
's third EP ''
Perfection Perfection is a state, variously, of completeness, flawlessness, or supreme excellence. The terminology, term is used to designate a range of diverse, if often kindred, concepts. These have historically been addressed in a number of discre ...
''. Leeteuk left the program in November 2011 because of conflicting work schedules. Between 2008 and 2009, he hosted several television programs including three variety shows which aired on
KBS2 KBS 2TV is a South Korean free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen ...
; ''Road Show Quiz Expedition'', ''Challenge! Good Song'', and ''Challenge! Golden Ladder'' —co-hosting with several senior television presenters such as
Jee Seok-jin Jee Seok-jin (; born February 10, 1966) is a South Korean comedian, singer, television presenter, actor, and broadcaster. He made his entertainment industry debut in 1992 as a singer and gained worldwide popularity with the variety show '' Run ...
,
Lee Hyuk-jae Lee Hyuk-jae (; born on July 5, 1973) is a South Korean comedian. Filmography Television shows * ''Road Show Quiz Expedition'' (KBS2 KBS 2TV is a South Korean free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio ser ...
, Boom, and
Kim Shin-young Kim Shin-young (; born December 20, 1983) is a South Korean comedian, MC and DJ. She debuted in 2004 on the SBS show ''People Looking For Laughter'' and won 'Best Variety Performer' at the 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards in 2006. She has hosted nu ...
. From 2009 onwards, Leeteuk, Eunhyuk, and Shindong were regular guests on SBS's '' Strong Heart'', where they hosted a special segment, Boom Academy, headed by Boom. In October 2009, when Boom enlisted for
mandatory military service Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...
, Leeteuk took over his role and the segment's name was changed temporarily to ''Teukigayo'', or Teuk's Academy. As of the April 10, 2012, broadcast, following the change in MCs and the departure of Shindong from ''Strong Heart'', the show was re-vamped with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk billed as two of the 'six-fixed guests'. In 2010, he appeared as one of many hosts of , a special program to support the
South Korea national football team The South Korea national football team (; recognized as Korea Republic by FIFA) represents South Korea in men's international Association football, football and is governed by the Korea Football Association, a member of FIFA and the Asian Foot ...
at the
2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
. In the same year, he became the new host for MBC's ''Enjoy Today'', replacing
Big Bang The Big Bang is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models based on the Big Bang concept explain a broad range of phenomena, including th ...
's
Seungri Lee Seung-hyun (; born December 12, 1990), better known by the stage names Seungri () and V.I, is a South Korean former singer-songwriter and was a member of the South Korean boy band BigBang (South Korean band), BigBang formed by YG Entertain ...
who left the program to focus on his band's new album. He released the single "Grumbling", a duet with
f(x) F, or f, is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet and many modern alphabets influenced by it, including the modern English alphabet and the alphabets of all other modern western European languages. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounc ...
's Krystal, through the show. Leeteuk was also the MC for MBC's ''Love Chaser'' and SBS's ''Oh! Brothers'', further cementing his position as an emerging host for the country's terrestrial television channels. Since 2009, he has been a frequent guest on ''
Star King ''Star King'' (also published as ''The Star King'') is a science fiction novel by American writer Jack Vance, the first in his Demon Princes series. It tells the story of a young man, Kirth Gersen, who sets out to track down and avenge himsel ...
'', with other Super Junior members. In 2011, following
Kang Ho-dong Kang Ho-dong (born July 14, 1970) is a South Korean television host and comedian, who first became known to Koreans as one of the top Korean traditional wrestlers. In 2008, Kang became the first comedian in history to win the Baeksang Arts ...
's retirement from the entertainment industry, Leeteuk and Boom took over as co-hosts of ''Star King''. From September to November, Leeteuk played the role of a father in '' Hello Baby season 4'', a reality-variety show where the cast had to take care of a baby, with
girl group A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...
Sistar Sistar (; stylized in all caps) was a South Korean girl group formed in 2010 by Starship Entertainment. The group consisted of Hyolyn, Yoon Bo-ra, Bora, Soyou and Kim Da-som, Dasom. They made their official debut with the song "Push Push (Sistar ...
becoming the baby's mothers. Leeteuk also became part of the MBC reality show ''
We Got Married ''We Got Married'' () was a South Korean reality variety show that aired on MBC from 2008 to 2017. The show paired up celebrities who pretended to be married couples and completed various challenges together. The show ran for four seasons and i ...
'', half of a new on-screen couple, with actress
Kang So-ra Kang So-ra (; born February 18, 1990) is a South Korean actress. Career Kang made her acting debut in the 2009 thriller movie '' 4th Period Mystery'', but rose to fame when she starred in the 2011 blockbuster '' Sunny'', a coming-of-age film ...
becoming his on-screen wife. In June 2012, he and
Mir ''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russia, Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to ...
were cast as additional hosts to raise the ratings of ''Jewellery House'' but the show's rating continued to plummet, and it was cancelled after four episodes. He appeared in four television dramas in between 2011 and 2012, making cameo appearances as a radio DJ in ''
Dream High ''Dream High'' () is a 2011 South Korean television series starring Bae Suzy, Kim Soo-hyun, Ok Taec-yeon, Hahm Eun-jung, Jang Wooyoung and Lee Ji-eun. It aired on KBS2 from January 3 to February 28, 2011, every Monday and Tuesday at 22:00 ( ...
'', a blind date partner in '' All My Love For You'', a television host in ''
Salamander Guru and The Shadows ''Salamander Guru and The Shadows'' () is a 2012 South Korean sitcom starring Choi Min-ho, Ryu Hyun-kyung, Im Won-hee, Lee Byung-joon and Oh Dal-su. It aired on SBS from January 27 to March 30, 2012 on Fridays at 23:00 for 10 episodes. It is ...
'', and as an extra in ''
My Bittersweet Life ''My Bittersweet Life'' () is a South Korean television series starring Jung Eun-chae, Jay Kim, Yoon A-jung and Choi Min. It aired on KBS1 from May 16, 2011 to November 4, 2011 on Mondays to Fridays at 20:25 for 125 episodes. Synopsis Go Eun-ni ...
'' to support Kang So-ra, who acted in the leading role. He also became the host of the ''
2011 Melon Music Awards The 2011 Melon Music Awards were held on Thursday, November 24, 2011, at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, South Korea, the event's first use of the venue. Organized by Kakao M through its online music store Melon, the 2011 ceremony was the ...
'' show, his first year-end awards hosting gig.


2012–2014: SM Town, military enlistment and returning to work

Leeteuk returned to the silver screen by taking part in the documentary film ''
I Am. ''I Am - SM Town Live World Tour in Madison Square Garden'' is a 2012 South Korean documentary film directed by Choi Jin-sung, that is about 32 SM Town K-pop artists on their journey to become the first Asian singers to stage their milestone '' SM ...
'' directed by Choi Jin-sung as a member of
SM Town SM Town (stylized in all caps as SMTOWN) is a musical collective for the recording artists under South Korean entertainment company SM Entertainment. SM Town artists have performed at the annual SM Town Live world tours since the SM Town Liv ...
, the collective title for artists signed under SM Entertainment. The film, which documented the singers' journey and experience during the
SM Town Live '10 World Tour SM Town Live '10 World Tour was the 2010–11 worldwide live concert tour by SM Town. The tour commenced with one show in Seoul in August 2010 and continued on to the United States, Japan, China and France. Background SM Town is the name fo ...
concert at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
in New York, was theatrically released on June 21, 2012. In July, Leeteuk reunited with his Super Junior bandmates for their sixth studio album, ''
Sexy, Free & Single ''Sexy, Free & Single'' (reissue name ''Spy'') is the sixth Korean studio album of South Korean boy band Super Junior. It was released on July 4, 2012, by SM Entertainment, distributed by KMP Holdings and available from online music portal site ...
'' which was released on July 4, 2012, just over a month after the band's first world tour Super Show 4 was concluded. In the repackaged edition of the album, re-titled ''Spy'', Leeteuk composed "Only U" and co-wrote the lyrics with Donghae. He participated in the concert tour SM Town Live World Tour III which began in May 2012 but did not appear at his supposed last appearance on the tour during its Indonesia leg on September 22. He apologized on his
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
account the following day, revealing he could not perform with his label mates because of exhaustion and
enteritis Enteritis is inflammation of the small intestine. It is most commonly caused by food or drink contaminated with pathogenic microbes,Dugdale, David C., IIII, and George F Longretc"Enteritis" MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, 18 October 2008. Acces ...
. In September 2011, Leeteuk said he planned to enlist for his mandatory military service in 2012. He made his final appearance before enlistment at the
Style Icon Awards Style Icon Asia (SIA, formerly known as Style Icon Awards) is an awards ceremony held annually in South Korea since 2008 to showcase Asian fashion designers and to honor individuals who have made the most outstanding contributions in setting new ...
on October 25, 2012. He took part in a photoshoot documenting the shaving of his hair for the male fashion magazine ''Geek'' before his enlistment, and was featured on the cover of its December 2012 issue. On October 30, 2012, he reported to the 306 Reserve Battalion training camp in
Uijeongbu Uijeongbu (; ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is the tenth-most populous city in the province and a suburb of Seoul within the greater Seoul Metropolitan Area. History Uijeongbu was estab ...
,
Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level ''special city'' since 1946. Incheon, ...
, to undergo five weeks of basic training, followed by active duty for 21 months. He was initially ineligible for active duty following a car crash in 2007 and an aggravated
herniated disk A disc herniation or spinal disc herniation is an injury to the intervertebral disc between two vertebrae, usually caused by excessive Strain (injury), strain or trauma to the Vertebral column, spine. It may result in back pain, pain or sensatio ...
, but after receiving treatment he was able to enlist for active duty. ''Strong Heart'' belatedly aired a special episode entitled "Goodbye Leeteuk" on November 13 for his departure from the series. In January 2013, Leeteuk co-starred in the military musical ''The Promise''. It was co-produced by the Republic of Korea's
Ministry of National Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divide ...
and the Korea Musical Theatre Association to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
armistice. It ran from January 9 to 20 at the
National Theater of Korea The National Theater of Korea () is a national theatre located in the neighborhood of Jangchung-dong, Jung District, Seoul South Korea. It is the first nationally managed theater in Asia. Affiliation The National Theater of Korea was establis ...
, co-starring actors
Ji Hyun-woo Ji Hyun-woo (born Joo Hyung-tae on 29 November 1984) is a South Korean actor and musician. He was formerly the lead guitarist for Korean indie rock band and is best known for his leading roles in the cable Korean drama, TV series ''Queen and I ...
,
Kim Mu-yeol Kim Mu-yeol (; born May 22, 1982) is a South Korean actor. Following a successful career in musical theatre, Kim was first cast in minor parts on film and television. After gaining recognition for his performance in ''War of the Arrows'' (2011), ...
,
Jung Tae-woo Jung Tae-woo (; born March 23, 1982) is a South Korean actor. Much of his work has been in the genre of Korean historical dramas such as '' Taejo Wang Geon'', '' Dae Jo-yeong'', and ''The King and I''. Career Like many South Korean actors Jun ...
, and singers Yoon Hak of
Supernova A supernova (: supernovae or supernovas) is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last stellar evolution, evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion ...
, and
Lee Hyun Lee Hyun (; born November 8, 1983) is a South Korean singer. He debuted in 2007 as a member of the co-ed vocal group 8Eight, which disbanded in 2014. He was also a member of the disbanded vocal duo Homme from 2010 to 2018. Lee is currently ...
of
8Eight 8Eight () was a South Korean "hybrid" (meaning co-ed) trio group managed by Source Music and produced by Big Hit Entertainment, consisting of Baek Chan, Lee Hyun, and Joo Hee. Active from 2007 to 2014, their last single was "Don't Go Crazy". H ...
. The musical centers around a group of soldiers who keep a promise made to each other during the Korean War. He won the Newcomer Award at the 7th Daegu International Musical Festival for his role as Miss Kim in the musical. In June 2013, he was selected to be the MC for the 2013 Military Service Award Ceremony, an annual military event. Leeteuk completed his military service and was discharged as a
sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
on July 29, 2014. He made his first stage appearance after being discharged at the South Korean leg of SM Town Live World Tour IV concert tour on August 15, 2014, performing "Sorry, Sorry" and " Mr. Simple" with Super Junior. He also returned to the band's line-up for the August performance on ''
Music Bank ''Music Bank'' () is a South Korean music program which airs every Friday at 17:15 KST on KBS2. the show is also broadcast in more than a hundred countries through KBS World. Episodes are filmed at the KBS New Wing Open Hall in Yeouido-dong, Ye ...
'', marking the first time he,
Heechul Kim Hee-chul (; born July 10, 1983), better known mononymously as Heechul, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, presenter, and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Super Junior and has further participated in its subgroup Su ...
and
Kangin Kim Young-woon (born January 17, 1985), better known by his stage name Kangin (lit. meaning: "strong benevolence"), is a South Korean former singer, actor, television host, and radio personality. He is best known as a former member of Super ...
had been together in the line-up since they each completed their military service. He returned as a television presenter becoming the special MC in episode 783 of ''
Inkigayo ''Inkigayo'' (; English title: ''The Music Trend'', previously ''Popular Song'') is a South Korean music program broadcast by SBS. It airs live every Sunday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who perform on stage. ...
'' with
Heechul Kim Hee-chul (; born July 10, 1983), better known mononymously as Heechul, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, presenter, and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Super Junior and has further participated in its subgroup Su ...
and
Lee Yu-bi Lee So-yul (; born Im Yu-jin, November 22, 1990), better known by the stage name Lee Yu-bi () is a South Korean actress. Early life Yu-bi is the daughter of the actors Kyeon Mi-ri and Im Young-gyu. Her parents divorced in 1993. When her mother ...
, standing in for
Baekhyun Byun Baek-hyun (; born May 6, 1992), known mononymously as Baekhyun, is a South Korean singer and actor. He is a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo, its subgroup Exo-K and its subunit Exo-CBX. In 2019, Baekhyun became a leader of ...
,
Suho Kim Jun-myeon (; born May 22, 1991), better known by his stage name Suho (), is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actor. He is the leader of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo and its sub-unit Exo-K. He debuted as a soloist on March 30, ...
and
Kwanghee Hwang Kwang-hee (; born August 25, 1988), also known mononymously as Kwanghee, is South Korean singer, actor, and TV personality. He debuted in 2010 as a member of the boy band ZE:A. He is also known for his appearances on variety shows and wa ...
who had conflicting work schedules.


2015–2016: ''I Can See Your Voice'', ''Idol Star Athletics Championships'', and established presenter

He hosted three awards ceremonies in January 2015—the
29th Golden Disc Awards The 29th Golden Disc Awards ceremony was held on January 14–15, 2015, at the MasterCard Center in Beijing, China. It was the third time the event had been hosted outside South Korea, following ceremonies in Japan in 2012 and Malaysia in 2013. ...
with
Jun Hyun-moo Jun Hyun-moo (born November 7, 1977) is a South Korean host and television personality. Before becoming a host, he was a KBS news anchor and radio announcer. Education Jeon graduated from Yonsei University Yonsei University () is a Privat ...
and
Tiffany Young Stephanie Young Hwang (born August 1, 1989), known professionally as Tiffany or Tiffany Young, is an American singer-songwriter of Korean descent. Born and raised in California, she was discovered by South Korean entertainment agency SM Entertai ...
, the 4th Gaon Chart Music Awards with
Hyeri Lee Hye-ri (; born June 9, 1994), better known mononymously as Hyeri, is a South Korean actress, singer, and television personality. She rose to fame as the youngest member of girl group Girl's Day, and was named as the "Nation's Little Sister ...
, and the 24th Seoul Music Awards, also with Jun Hyun-moo and
Soyou Kang Ji-hyun (born February 12, 1992), known professionally as Soyou, is a South Korean singer. She is best known as a former member of the South Korean girl group Sistar. Early life and education Soyou was born on February 12, 1992, in Jeju ...
. He received praise for his witty remarks during the ceremonies. He was subsequently selected to host the 30th Golden Disc Awards with Jun Hyun-moo and Krystal Jung, and several more editions of the Gaon Chart Music Awards—the 5th edition with Yura, the 6th with
Solar Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...
, the 7th with
Dahyun Kim Da-hyun (; born May 28, 1998), known mononymously as Dahyun, is a South Korean singer, rapper, and actress. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Twice, formed by JYP Entertainment in 2015. Life and career Dahyun was born in Seo ...
, the 9th with
Itzy Itzy (; Japanese language, Japanese: イッチ; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group consists of five members: Yeji (singer), Yeji, Lia (South Korean singer), Lia, Ryujin (rapper), Ryujin, Chae ...
's Lia, and the 10th edition, also with Lia. He began hosting the biannual celebrity sports competition, ''
Idol Star Athletics Championships The Idol Star Athletics Championships (, abbr. 아육대) is a South Korean reality television program which aired for the first time in 2010. The program features celebrities, most notably Korean pop idols singers and groups, which compete in ...
'' in February 2015 by commenting on the '' 2015 Idol Star Athletics Basketball Futsal Archery Championships'' with Kim Sung-joo, Jun Hyun-moo, Kim Jung-geun and Kwanghee, followed by the ''
2015 Idol Star Athletics Ssireum Basketball Futsal Archery Championships The 2015 Idol Star Athletics Ssireum Basketball Futsal Archery Championships () was held at Goyang Gymnasium in Goyang, South Korea on August 10 and 11, 2015 and was broadcast on MBC on September 28 and 29, 2015. At the championships, a total nu ...
'' in September 2015, again with Jun Hyun-moo, Kim Jung-geun and Kwanghee, as well as new co-hosts
Jun Jin Park Choong-jae (; born August 19, 1980), known professionally as Jun Jin, is a South Korean singer, actor and entertainer, known as a member and rapper of six-member boy band Shinhwa. He debuted as a dancer and rapper in Shinhwa in 1998 but sta ...
and Kim Young-chul. He had participated previously as a competitor in the series with other members of Super Junior in the
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
and
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
editions, during which he infamously disqualified himself during the
110 metres hurdles The 110 metres hurdles, or 110-metre hurdles, is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is included in the athletics (sport), athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metres hurdles. As part of a rac ...
race in both competitions. He was a field reporter in the
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
Swimming Championships. Since hosting the two editions in 2015, Leeteuk had become a fixture in the series along with senior presenter Jun Hyun-moo as he had hosted the program seven more times, once in 2016, twice in 2018, twice in 2019, once in 2020, and the special edition ''Idol Star Championships: Hall of Fame'' that aired in 2021 in lieu of the usual competition due to
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. A week after he hosted his first ''Idol Star Athletics Championships'' in 2015, he appeared as the presenter on Mnet's new mystery music
game show A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...
, ''
I Can See Your Voice ''I Can See Your Voice'' (abbreviated as ''ICSYV'') is a television mystery music game show franchise created by Lee Seon-young and produced by CJ ENM, which originated from I Can See Your Voice (South Korean game show), the South Korean program ...
'' alongside
Yoo Se-yoon Yoo Se-yoon (; born September 12, 1980) is a South Korean comedian and television comedy show host. He hosts and co-hosts a variety of shows, in addition to being a part of musical/comedic duo, UV. Yoo has been a part of shows such as South Kor ...
and
Kim Bum-soo Kim Bum-soo or Kim Beom-soo () is a Korean name consisting of the family name Kim and the given name Bum-soo, and may refer to: * Kim Bum-soo (singer) (born 1979), South Korean singer * Kim Beom-soo (businessman) Kim Beom-soo (; born March 8 ...
. Kim left the program after three seasons to focus on his music career and was replaced by singer and entertainer
Kim Jong-kook Kim Jong-kook (; born April 25, 1976) is a South Korean singer, entertainer, and actor. Kim debuted as a member of South Korean duo Turbo in 1995. The duo was considered to be one of the most popular idols in that time and sold out millions of ...
. As of 2021, Leeteuk has hosted all eight seasons of the series. When asked about the secret to the series' longevity, he said that although it "has a mild taste" compared to other entertainment shows, it is "full of charm". In a separate interview, he noted that the show's solid format has allowed it to air for a long time. Since its start, the program has grown into a global franchise, spawning shows in different countries and languages, including
the UK The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and
the US The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
versions. He appeared as host of several other programs in 2015 like ' with
Lee Hwi-jae Lee Hwi-jae (born Lee Young-jae on December 29, 1972) is a South Korean TV presenter, comedian, actor, and singer. Lee studied theater at the Seoul Institute of the Arts, then made his TV debut in 1992 as a comedian after working as a floor di ...
, a reboot of 2002 program ''Kang Ho-dong's Match Made in Heaven'', ''White Swan'' with
Lee Seung-yeon Lee Seung-yeon (; born August 18, 1968) is a South Korean actress, television host and beauty pageant titleholder. Career Lee Seung-yeon graduated from Inha Technical College in Incheon with a degree in Airline Navigation, and became a flight a ...
, ''
The Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and briefly returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first te ...
'' with
SM Rookies SM Rookies (, stylized in all caps as SMROOKIES) is a pre-debut training team created by South Korean entertainment agency SM Entertainment in 2013, composed of trainees who have yet to join an idol group. From 2013 to 2023, the team officiall ...
as the Mouseketeers, and episode 782 of ''
Music Bank ''Music Bank'' () is a South Korean music program which airs every Friday at 17:15 KST on KBS2. the show is also broadcast in more than a hundred countries through KBS World. Episodes are filmed at the KBS New Wing Open Hall in Yeouido-dong, Ye ...
'', filling in for
Park Seo-joon Park Yong-kyu (; born December 16, 1988), better known by the stage name Park Seo-joon (), is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his starring roles in the television series ''Fight for My Way'' (2017), ''What's Wrong with Secretary Kim'' ...
. He returned to the set of ''Star King'', first as a special host for episode 400 in February 2015, then as a regular host beginning in April 2015, until its cancellation in August 2016. He made a cameo appearance as a music show host in episode 5 of television drama ''Persevere, Goo Hae-ra'' which aired in March 2015. That year, he participated in his first travel series ''Super Junior's One Fine Day'' with bandmates Eunhyuk and Donghae, followed by '' The Friends in Switzerland'' with
Ryeowook Kim Ryeo-wook (born June 21, 1987), better known by the mononym Ryeowook, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and musical actor. He is best known as a member of boy group Super Junior and its subgroups, Super Junior-K.R.Y. and Super Junior- ...
, both of which were filmed in Switzerland. His band released a compilation album ''
Devil A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...
'' in July 2015, followed by its repackaged version ''
Magic Magic or magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces ** ''Magick'' (with ''-ck'') can specifically refer to ceremonial magic * Magic (illusion), also known as sta ...
'' in September. Leeteuk wrote the track "Sarang♥" on ''Magic'', and sang it as a duet with
Heechul Kim Hee-chul (; born July 10, 1983), better known mononymously as Heechul, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, presenter, and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Super Junior and has further participated in its subgroup Su ...
. It was the band's last release before going on a hiatus because most of the band members were carrying out their mandatory military services. Leeteuk returned to hosting. In 2016, he co-hosted the entertainment programs ''Hidden Camera Shot Battle'' with
Lee Kyung-kyu Lee Kyung-kyu (born September 21, 1960) is a South Korean actor, comedian, MC, film producer, and screenwriter. He was the highest paid entertainer on the KBS network in 2010, with earnings of . Lee patented his instant noodle recipe ''Kkokk ...
and
Noh Hong-chul Noh Hong-chul (; born 31 March 1979) is a South Korean entertainer and entrepreneur. He is the co-host of the variety show ''Talents for Sale''. He previously appeared on the television programs '' Infinite Challenge'' and '' I Live Alone''. He ...
, ''The Birth of a Song'' with
Jung Jae-hyung Jung Jae-hyung (; born January 12, 1970) is a South Korean pop singer-songwriter, pianist and film music composer. Currently, his agency is the Antenna. Biography Jung Jae-hyung was born in Seoul and graduated from Hanyang University's Col ...
and
San E Jung San (; born ), more commonly known by his stage name San E (), is a South Korean rapper. He debuted in 2010 under JYP Entertainment, where he was the label's first solo rapper. He left the company in 2013 to sign with hip hop label Brand New ...
, and ''Reform Show'' with Lee Hwi-jae and Kwanghee. He made a return as radio DJ of ''Sukira'' in April 2016, replacing Ryeowook who had enlisted in the military. He celebrated the 10th anniversary of the radio show in August before leaving the program for good in October 2016. He took part in the
reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of everything in existence; everything that is not imagination, imaginary. Different Culture, cultures and Academic discipline, academic disciplines conceptualize it in various ways. Philosophical questions abo ...
-
documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
show ''
Law of the Jungle "The law of the jungle" (also called jungle law) is an expression that has come to describe a scenario where "anything goes". The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' defines the Law of the Jungle as "''the code of survival in jungle life'', now usuall ...
'', filming for '' Law of The Jungle in Papua New Guinea''. Despite it being his first time participating in an outdoor entertainment program, the program's director, Park Joong-won, praised his effort, commenting that he had worked hard during the filming process, and adapts easily for an urban person. He presented ''
Star Show 360 ''Star Show 360'' () is a South Korean variety television show on MBC Every1, which aired Monday at 5:30 PM KST with a rerun at 11:10 PM KST. The show was hosted by Leeteuk, Tak Jae-hoon and Kim So-hye Kim So-hye (; born July 19, 1999), kno ...
'', season 2 of ''Please Take Care of My Vanity'', and ''Idol Party'', as well as participating in the variety show ''Lucky Race''. He was slated to co-host ''Star Coming'', a South Korea-China joint program in late 2016, but its production was abruptly cancelled following rising tensions between the two countries. His roles in the industry earned him the top three spots on the Idol MC of the Year list published by ''My Daily'' news portal. The journalist in charge of the list, Lee Seung-gil, praised him for his unique ability to make his guests or his co-hosts to stand out and considered him a "professional MC". He moved out of his comfort zone of studio work by becoming the MC of '' 7 First Kisses'' press conference, and the preview screening of the documentary film ''See-Saw''. On top of that, he became a
public speaker Public speaking, is the practice of delivering speeches to a live audience. Throughout history, public speaking has held significant cultural, religious, and political importance, emphasizing the necessity of effective rhetorical skills. It all ...
through SM Entertainment's cultural lecture series, The Moment, which featured lecture collaborations between SM artists and experts in various fields with the theme "Healing the wounded 2016 and welcoming the year 2017 happily": partnering with chef Lee Won-il for the lecture entitled "The Single Man's Lifestyle" in February 2016; with a mental health specialist, Yang Jae-jin for "Healing Counseling for Young People" in May; with Kim Ji-yoon, director of the Institute for Good Relationships for "Love and Romance" in September; and "Leeteuk's Unique Day with Webtoon Writer Lee Jong-beom" in December. In June 2016, he collaborated with Suho,
Kassy Kim So-yeon (; born October 6, 1995), known by the stage name Kassy (), is a South Korean singer-songwriter. Since her debut in 2015, she has released five extended plays and numerous singles. In 2016 she competed on the survival reality show ' ...
and songwriter Cho Young-soo in a song titled "My Hero", part of SM Entertainment's music project
SM Station SM Station is a digital music project by South Korean record label SM Entertainment. It undertook to release one digital single every Friday starting from February 3, 2016. The project's first season ended on February 3, 2017, with 52 songs. It ...
, as a tribute to South Korean Olympians past and present in honor of the
2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...
. Leeteuk embarked on his first solo Asia fanmeeting tour, Star;Teuk, making stops in
Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
, China, in September, and
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
, Taiwan, in December 2016.


2017–present: ''The Best Cooking Secrets'', home shopping, reality shows and overseas works

Leeteuk became the host of ''
The Best Cooking Secrets ''The Best Cooking Secrets'' is a South Korean cooking show that premiered on 2 October 2000 on EBS 1TV and airs from Monday to Friday at 10:50AM KST. It is the longest-running cooking program in South Korea. The program is hosted by Kim Dong-wa ...
'', the longest running cooking show in South Korea, in January 2017, replacing ZE:A's Kwanghee, who enlisted in the military. His first episode as host was broadcast on the
Educational Broadcasting System Korean Educational Broadcasting System () or EBS is a South Korean educational public radio and television network covering South Korean territory, and the only major South Korean radio and television network joint venture Ministry of Science a ...
(EBS) on January 30, 2017. He filled in for
Lee Soo-geun Lee Soo-geun (; born February 10, 1975) is a South Korean comedian who has worked on a number of comedy shows on South Korean television. He began his career as a comedian on KBS '' Gag Concert''. Career Before entering the entertainment indu ...
and
BoA Boa, BoA, or BOA may refer to: Snakes * Any member of the Boidae, a family of medium to large, non-venomous, constricting snakes ** Any member of the Boinae, a subfamily of boid snakes *** Any member of ''Boa'' (genus), a group of boid snakes * ...
as the host of episode 10 of ''
Singderella ''Singderella'' () is a South Korean variety show. The show was originally aired every Thursday at 23:00 ( KST) on Channel A, but changed to air every Friday at 23:00 ( KST) as of January 13, 2017. Cast ;Season 1 * Kang Sung-yeon * Kim Tae-w ...
'' and episode 6 of '' Produce 101 Season 2'', respectively. He took part in several variety shows throughout the year including ''Hard Workers'', as a
courier A courier is a person or organization that delivers a message, package or letter from one place or person to another place or person. Typically, a courier provides their courier service on a commercial contract basis; however, some couriers are ...
in ''We Have Delivery'', as a detective in ''Sherlock's Room'', and as a celebrity mentor in ''Fearless Guys''. As an actor, he made a cameo appearance as a radio DJ in episode 7 of the television drama ', which aired on October 27, 2017. He became one of the special hosts with other members of Super Junior of the television
home shopping Home shopping is the electronic retailing and home shopping channels industry, which includes such billion dollar television-based and e-commerce companies as Shop LC, HSN, Gemporia, TJC, QVC, eBay, ShopHQ, Rakuten.com and Amazon.com, ...
program ''Super Market'' which aired on CJ O Shopping in November 2017, becoming the first
idol Idol or Idols may refer to: Religion and philosophy * Cult image, a human-made object that is venerated or worshipped for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents * Murti, a devotional image of a deity or saint used during puja ...
to do so, . He hosted six concerts in 2017—the K-Drama Festa in Pyeongchang, a concert event to promote
Pyeongchang Pyeongchang ( , ; in full, ''Pyeongchang-gun'' ) is a county in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea, located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is about east southeast of Seo ...
ahead of the
2018 Winter Olympics The 2018 Winter Olympics (), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and also known as PyeongChang 2018 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held between 9 and 25 February 2018 in Pyeongchang County, South Ko ...
; the Going Together Concert in April, a concert held jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam and the Embassy of South Korea in Vietnam to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries; the 2017 Dream Concert in June; the 2017 Incheon Airport Sky Festival K-pop Concert in September, a part of the annual outdoor music festival held by the
Incheon International Airport Incheon International Airport is the main international airport serving Seoul, the capital of South Korea. It is also one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. This airport opened for business on 29 March 2001, to replace the old ...
; the 2017 Asia Song Festival with
Jackson Wang Jackson Wang ( zh, t=王嘉爾, s=王嘉尔; born Wang Ka-yee; 28 March 1994) is a Hong Kong rapper, singer, and songwriter. After a career as a competitive fencer, he joined the South Korean boy band Got7, which debuted under JYP Entertainm ...
in September; and the 2017 Dream Concert in Pyeongchang in November, which was a special edition of Dream Concert held as part of the
Cultural Olympiad Cultural programmes of the Olympic Games have taken various forms over the years. From 1912 until shortly after the Second World War in 1948, art competitions were held to accompany the Summer Olympics. Since 1952 a series of cultural events has ...
to accompany the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Leeteuk joined Super Junior as part of the main cast of '' Super TV'', which aired on the new television channel
XtvN tvN Show (stylized as tvN SHOW) is a South Korean TV channel, owned by CJ ENM CJ ENM Co., Ltd (, CJ Entertainment aNd Merchandising) is a South Korean entertainment and retail company founded in 1994. CJ ENM was established as a result of th ...
from January 28 until April 13, 2018. The show was immediately renewed and the second season aired from June 7 until August 23, 2018. He wrote the single "Super Duper" for Super Junior, and it became the 50th single of the project
SM Station Season 2 SM Station is a digital music project by South Korean record label SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1995 by Lee Soo-man. It is one of South Korea's largest e ...
after it was released on March 23, 2018. The song was later inserted into Super Junior eighth repackage album, '' Replay''. He returned with his band for the second time to ''Super Market'' and sold out facemasks during the hour they were on air. After his appearances on the program, he was cast in the variety show ''Sell to Return'', a collaboration with Thai and Malaysian home shopping channels. He played a supporting role in the commercial web drama ''
Secret Queen Makers ''Secret Queen Makers'' () is a South Korean promotional web series produced for Lotte Duty Free Shop. It premiered online through Naver TV Cast and YouTube every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday starting from June 4 to June 19, 2018. Synopsis ...
'' in June 2018. The
branded entertainment Branded content (also known as branded entertainment) is a type of entertainment product made or otherwise funded by an advertiser. They are designed to build awareness for a particular brand by presenting content that reflects its values and image ...
was well-received and has been watched over a hundred million times since its release. In August 2018, he joined the cast and hosted the second season of '' Real Life Men and Women'', a program that looks into everyday life of celebrities and compares the differences between those of men and women. He hosted of the 2018 edition of ''
Quiz on Korea Quiz on Korea is a South Korean television game show organized as part of an annual international public diplomacy program by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and KBS television. The quiz tests participants general knowle ...
'' alongside
Sam Okyere Samuel Nana Kwesi Okyere Jan Tuiniboa Coduia Dalco (born 21 April 1991) is a Ghanaian television personality active in South Korea and Ghana. Early life He was accepted into the Korean Government Scholarship Program in 2009 and moved to Korea t ...
in September, hosted the 2018 Asia Song Festival on October 2 and October 3, and the 1st Korea Popular Music Awards (KPMA) with
Jin Se-yeon Kim Yoon-jung (; February 15, 1994), commonly known as Jin Se-yeon (), is a South Korean actress. She is notable for her appearances in television series '' Bridal Mask'' (2012), '' Doctor Stranger'' (2014), '' Flowers of the Prison'' (2016), an ...
in December 2018. In January 2019, he appeared as a special host on the twelfth episode of the reality show ''
Under Nineteen Under Nineteen () was a survival show on Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation for trainees under the age of 19 years old. There were a total of 57 contestants competing to debut as a member of 1THE9. The trainees were put into groups that specialize ...
'', filling in for the regular host
Kim So-hyun Kim So-hyun (; born 4 June 1999) is an Australian-born South Korean actress. She is known for her leading roles in the youth series ''Who Are You: School 2015'' (2015), historical dramas ''The Emperor: Owner of the Mask'' (2017), ''The Tale o ...
, who had a conflicting work schedule. He also hosted the final episode of the show with Kim, which was broadcast live on February 9, 2019. He participated in a few programs which were filmed overseas for the next few months. In May, he appeared in a Japanese travelling show ''Leeteuk's Solo Travel'', which showcased his trip to the
Kagoshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,527,019 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 9,187 Square kilometre, km2 (3,547 Square m ...
in
Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...
. From May to July 2019, Leeteuk hosted a Thailand-based talk show ''Beauty No. 9'', which focused on Korean beauty products. His hosting act was well received by the locals and media. He starred in a YouTube Original series '' Analog Trip'' with fellow band members, Eunhyuk, Donghae and Shindong, as well as TVXQ's
Yunho Jung Yunho (; born February 6, 1986), better known by his stage name U-Know Yunho () or simply U-Know, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, actor, and a member of the pop duo TVXQ. Born and raised in Gwangju, South Korea, Yunho started his musi ...
and
Changmin Shim Chang-min (; born February 18, 1988), better known by his stage name Max Changmin (), is a South Korean singer-songwriter, actor, and a member of the pop duo TVXQ. Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Changmin was scouted by an SM Ente ...
in September 2019. The travel documentary which showcased the band members' close relationships was shot in
Jogjakarta Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an important centre for cl ...
, Indonesia. He is credited as one of the composers of the show's soundtrack, "Come a Little Closer". He was cast as a host for
JTBC JTBC (shortened from Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company; ; stylized in all lowercase) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on December 1, ...
music show ''Melody Bookstore'' in October. He wrote the soundtrack for the show, "This Is Me", which is sung by
Sunwoo Jung-a Sunwoo Jung-a (, born May 11, 1985), stylized as Sunwoojunga, is a South Korean musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer who has worked with numerous Korean artists including IU (singer), IU, Suran (singer), Suran, GD & TOP, 2NE1, Lee ...
and
Suran The Survivable Radio Network (SURAN) project was sponsored by DARPA in the 1980s to develop a set of mobile ad hoc network (MANET) radio-routers, then known as "packet radios". It was a follow-on to DARPA's earlier PRNET project. The program began ...
. In October 2019, he became the host of the music talk show ''Hidden Track'', which focuses on introducing artists' lesser known songs. JTBC and KT produced the show jointly. It aired live on
Olleh TV Genie TV (; formerly Olleh TV) is an IPTV service provided by South Korea's main telecom operator KT. It broadcasts VOD including TV programs, movies, children's programs, sports, documentaries and animations. On 4 October 2022, KT rebranded it ...
for eight weeks, beginning on October 2, 2019. The show was renewed for a second season in March 2020, and a third in April 2021. Leeteuk reprised his role in both seasons. He hosted the 4th
Asia Artist Awards Asia Artist Awards (; abbreviated AAA) is an awards ceremony organized by South Korea-based business newspaper ''Money Today'' and its global media brands StarNews and MTN. This honors the outstanding achievements and international contribution ...
on November 26, 2019, which was held at
Mỹ Đình National Stadium The Mỹ Đình National Stadium () is a multi-purpose stadium in Nam Từ Liêm district, Hanoi, Vietnam. It has a capacity of 40,192 seats and is the centerpiece of Vietnam's National Sports Complex. It was officially opened in September 2003 ...
in Vietnam. In August 2019, it was announced that Leeteuk would publish a
cookbook A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes. Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food. Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: by course (food), course (appetize ...
targeted at single-person households. He became the first idol to do so. It was published on January 20, 2020. He appeared as a
talent manager A talent manager (also known as an artist manager, band manager, or music manager) is an individual who guides the professional career of Entertainer, artists within the entertainment industry. The responsibility of a talent manager is to ove ...
in ', a reality show aimed to produce a trot idol group, and began hosting the Japanese variety show ''Super Junior's Idol vs Idol'' with bandmate Yesung in July 2020. In the same month, he left ''The Best Cooking Secrets'' after being its host for more than three years. Following his departure, he appeared in several food related shows, as a chef in ''Home Cooking Live'' in August, as a host of ''Neighbourhood Two-Top'' in November, and as a cooking disciple in ' between December 2020 to February 2021. He became a mentor for North Korean and overseas competitors in the reality competition ' beginning in September 2020. In October, he hosted the '' 2020 Miss Korea''
beauty pageant A beauty pageant is a competition in which the contestants are judged and ranked based on various physical and mental attributes. Per its name, beauty pageants traditionally focus on judging the contestants' physical attractiveness, sometimes sol ...
, which aired online because of the
COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea The COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea is part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first case in South Korea was announced on 20 Januar ...
. Many events were broadcast online instead of being held in public because of
social distancing In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dise ...
rules implemented during the pandemic, which include the banning of public gatherings. Leeteuk hosted events such as the K-Pop Global Donation Concert World Is One, a charity concert organised by the
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC; ) is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. Its flagship terrestrial television station MBC TV broadcasts as channel 11. MBC News Now broadcasts as channel 12. Establish ...
and World Vision Korea for their COVID-19 pandemic relief fund, the 26th Dream Concert, the 2020 Taekwondo Performance in Seoul, and the DMZ Concert, a part of the 2020 Live in DMZ festival—a peace festival which was held at
Imjingak Imjingak (, pronounced Ihm-jin-gak), and sometimes in English called the Imjingak resort, is a park located on the banks of the Imjin River along the tracks of the former Gyeongui Line (1904–1945), Gyeongui Train Line outside the city of Paj ...
near the
Korean Demilitarized Zone The Korean Demilitarized Zone () is a heavily militarized strip of land running across the Korea, Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in half. It wa ...
(DMZ). He returned to radio hosting ''Party B'', which aired on the web radio
Naver NOW Naver (; stylized as NAVER) is a South Korean online platform operated by the Naver Corporation. The company's products include a search engine, email hosting, blogs, maps, and mobile payment. History Naver was the first Korean web provider ...
, from September to December 2020. On July 5, 2023, Super Junior-L.S.S., a sub-unit group consisting of Super Junior bandmates Leeteuk,
Siwon Choi Si-won (; born April 7, 1986), known mononymously as Siwon, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, model, and actor, known for his work as a member of South Korean boy group Super Junior. Choi was a special representative for UNICEF Korea ...
, and
Shindong Shin Dong-hee (; born September 28, 1985), known professionally as Shindong (lit. meaning: "prodigy"), is a South Korean rapper, singer, dancer, host, radio personality, and video director. He is best known as a member of Super Junior and its s ...
, debuted with their first Japanese single "Close The Shutter". The trio later made their official Korean debut on January 22, 2024 with the single "Suit Up".


Personal life


Car accident

On April 19, 2007, almost two months after Super Junior-T's release of their first single "Rokkugo", Leeteuk was seriously injured in a car accident with
Shindong Shin Dong-hee (; born September 28, 1985), known professionally as Shindong (lit. meaning: "prodigy"), is a South Korean rapper, singer, dancer, host, radio personality, and video director. He is best known as a member of Super Junior and its s ...
,
Eunhyuk Lee Hyuk-jae (born April 4, 1986), better known by his stage name Eunhyuk, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, and television host. He is a member of the South Korean boy group Super Junior and its subgroups Super Junior-T an ...
, Kyuhyun, and two managers. Returning home after a recording of the radio show ''Super Junior Kiss the Radio'', they were on the highway when the front left tire burst as the driver was switching lanes. The van ran into the guard rail on the driver's side and skidded for about 30 metres. At some point, the momentum caused the van to flip over on its right side. While Shindong and Eunhyuk suffered minor injuries, Leeteuk and Kyuhyun sustained more serious injuries, which required both to be hospitalised. Leeteuk had glass shards embedded in his back and above his eyes, requiring over 170 stitches. He was discharged from the hospital on April 30, 2007. Because of the accident, Leeteuk made only a minor appearance in Super Junior's debut big-screen production, ''Attack on the Pin-Up Boys'' in 2007. He was credited as the panda mascot at the end of the film, although it was later confirmed that it had been Ryeowook who portrayed it throughout most of the film.


Death of father and grandparents

On January 6, 2014, while Leeteuk was in the military, news broke out that his father, Park Yong-in, and grandparents, Park Hyun-seok and Chun Kyung-tae, were found dead in their home. SM initially released a statement saying that the trio had died in a car accident. It was later revealed it had been a murder-suicide, with Park Yong-in strangling his parents and then hanging himself. A note left near the bodies read, "I will take my parents with me." The news reported that Park had been dealing with depression for a long time. He was also struggling with financial problems on top of having to take care of both his parents who were suffering from
dementia Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform activities of daily living, everyday activities. This typically invo ...
. According to the police, Park had planned to admit his parents to a
nursing home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of older people, senior citizens, or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms ...
the next day but changed his mind. They concluded that it is highly likely that Park blamed himself for being unable to continue taking care of his parents. The funeral was held on January 8, with the Super Junior members in attendance. Leeteuk, who was granted emergency leave, resumed his mandatory military service on January 11, 2014, and was discharged on July 29, 2014.


Discography


Singles


Soundtrack


Other appearances


Lyrics and composition


Filmography and videography


Bibliography

* ''Iteugui teukbyeolhan siksa'' () / ''Lee Teuk Cook Book - simple, easy recipes''. Seoul: Geurigo Chaek, 2020. and ; . The title alone is in English as well as Korean. * ''Super Junior Lìtè qīnshǒu zuò! Tè gē dì měiwèi liàolǐ mìjué'' () / ''Lee Teuk Cook Book - simple, easy recipes''. Translated by Zhang Yuqi. Taiwan: China Times Publishing Company, 2020. ; . Chinese version of ''Iteugui teukbyeolhan siksa'' with alternate cover and
preface __NOTOC__ A preface () or proem () is an introduction to a book or other literature, literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a ''foreword'' and precedes an author's preface. The preface o ...
.


Awards and nominations


Notes


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leeteuk 1983 births Japanese-language singers of South Korea Living people Male actors from Seoul South Korean male idols K-pop singers South Korean male pop singers South Korean dance music singers South Korean contemporary R&B singers South Korean J-pop singers Trot singers South Korean male dancers South Korean male film actors South Korean pianists South Korean radio presenters 21st-century South Korean singer-songwriters South Korean male television actors South Korean television presenters South Korean game show hosts South Korean male web series actors Super Junior members Super Junior-H members Super Junior-T members Singers from Seoul South Korean male pianists South Korean male singer-songwriters