Famous for his starring roles in the 2012 film Rooftop Prince and in the short-lived South Korean television series Moon Embracing the Sun, he is also notable for his performances in the films Running Man and Howling. By early 2015, he had nearly three million Twitter followers.
When he was just five years old, he appeared in the situation comedy Soonpoong Clinic.
He played a supporting role in the South Korean television series Prime Minister and I.
He and his older sister were raised in Namyangju, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
Early in his career, he considered taking on a stage name to distinguish himself from another popular actor named Lee Min-ho; however, his parents urged him to retain his birth name and strive to become as accomplished as his same-named contemporary.