Lee Joo Bin
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Lee Joo Bin

이주빈
  • Korean Name:이주빈
  • Birthday:September 18, 1989
  • Nationality:South Korean
  • Zodiac Sign:Virgo
  • Height:161cm
  • MBTI Type:INTJ
  • Blood Type:AB
  • Occupation:Actress
  • Years Active:2017-Present
  • Agency:Key East
  • Education:Dongduk Women's University
  • SNS:Instagram: @hellobeen

Biography

Lee Joo-bin is a South Korean actress and model. She is best known for her roles in numerous television dramas and series spanning romance, comedy, and thriller genres. Lee’s breakthrough came with Be Melodramatic, and she has since built a versatile acting portfolio including Find Me in Your Memory, She Would Never Know, Doctor Lawyer, Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area, and Queen of Tears. In 2025, she earned her first leading role in the drama The Divorce Insurance.

Early Life and Education

Lee Joo-bin was born on September 18, 1989, in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, South Korea. From a young age, she aspired to enter the entertainment industry and initially trained under DSP Media with hopes of debuting in the girl group Rainbow. However, she ultimately decided not to pursue a career as a singer and left the agency.

She later attended Dongduk Women’s University in Seoul, where she studied performing arts, preparing for a future in acting.

Career

Pre-Debut and Early Work (2010s)

Lee Joo-bin began her career as a model and transitioned to acting in the late 2010s. She made her on-screen debut with a role in the drama Whisper (2017), and subsequently appeared in series such as Trap and Item (both 2019), gaining experience in supporting roles.

Her notable early role came in the 2019 comedy-romance Be Melodramatic, where her performance drew positive attention and helped establish her in the television drama landscape.

Rising Prominence (2020–2023)

Lee continued to expand her range with key roles in Hello Dracula and Find Me in Your Memory (both 2020), with the latter earning her a Best New Actress nomination at the 2020 MBC Drama Awards.

She further solidified her presence with major roles in She Would Never Know (2021) and Doctor Lawyer (2022), showcasing her ability to handle both romantic and dramatic material.

In the same period, she appeared in Netflix’s Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area (2022), expanding her exposure to international audiences. In 2026, Lee Joo-bin starred in the South Korean romantic comedy television series Spring Fever, alongside Ahn Bo-hyun.

Awards and Nominations

  • MBC Drama Awards, 2020 – Best New Actress nomination for Find Me in Your Memory
  • MBC Drama Awards, 2022 – Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries nomination for Doctor Lawyer

Relationship

In December 2017, reports emerged suggesting she was in a relationship with actor Kim Min-seok. Allegedly, the two had been dating since July 2017 and were seen together in Fukuoka, Japan. 

However, both Lee Joo-bin’s and Kim Min-seok’s agencies promptly addressed these rumors, stating that the two are close friends but not romantically involved. They clarified that their coincidental presence in Japan was due to overlapping schedules, and any claims of a romantic relationship were unfounded. 

Since then, Lee Joo-bin has not publicly confirmed any relationships, and there have been no further reports linking her to any romantic partners. She continues to focus on her career, gaining recognition for her roles in various television dramas.​

Fun Facts

  1. She was a former DSP Media trainee and part of Rainbow’s debut team but left when their debut was repeatedly delayed. In an interview, she shared that she didn’t have a strong desire to become a singer and felt too old for idol life. She also mentioned on “Happy Together” that she didn’t think her singing skills were strong enough, which led her to quit and pursue acting.
  2. Her specialty is ballet, and she frequently posts photos and videos of her ballet practice on her personal Instagram, showcasing poses that maintain the fundamentals of dance.
  3. She has expressed a strong desire to take on roles in action, thriller, noir, and time-loop genres, even though she has mostly appeared in romantic comedies so far.
  4. In a MapleStory commercial released on August 28, 2014, she made a significant impact by showing off her strong fist skills, appearing as a master of rock-paper-scissors.
  5. As an actress, her role models are Kim Hye-soo and Seo Hyun-jin.
  6. In 2023, she bought a new BMW X4.
  7. She is a senior at university to actress Jeon Yeo-bin, with whom she starred in “Be Melodramatic.”
  8. She used to have a Maltese dog named Sunny, who passed away on February 21, 2020, but as of November 2024, she has been raising a Chartreux cat.