Lee Min Ho is looking toward a new chapter in his acting career as he approaches his 40s, saying he wants to move away from the fiery romantic comedy roles associated with his younger years and show viewers a more mature image.
During an interview for his new film The Assassin(s), Lee Min Ho spoke about the types of characters he hopes to take on in the future.
“Next year, I’ll fully be in my 40s. I have this desire to emphasize a more mature sexiness,” he said. “Starting next year, I want to think about what ‘sexy’ means in this era.”
The actor added that he expects to become interested in rougher and more grounded characters rather than roles that feel overly polished or protected.
Lee Min Ho also revealed that his recent approach to choosing projects included a personal decision to stay away from romantic comedies for about five years. Instead of focusing on stories built mainly around one star character, he became more interested in productions with larger narratives and strong ensemble casts.
That approach led him to projects such as Pachinko, Omniscient Reader, and The Assassin(s), all of which gave him opportunities to explore characters outside the romantic roles that helped build his career.
However, Lee Min Ho made it clear that he is not completely giving up romance.
He explained that love remains an important subject for him, but he now wants to portray relationships that better match his age and experience.
“If Lee Min Ho keeps falling in love at first sight everywhere like he did in his 20s, it may not feel appropriate for his age anymore,” he said.
He continued, “I think I’m at a stage where I should show a different kind of love. Rather than fiery romantic comedies representing youth, I want to portray romance that I can express at this age.”
According to Lee Min Ho, even if he returns to romantic comedy, he wants the story to reflect the emotions and perspective of someone in his current stage of life instead of repeating the same youthful formula.
“If I did the same kind of romantic comedy now that I did in my 20s, I don’t think it would create new energy,” he said. “But I think I’ll continue telling love stories because love is one of the most important, direct, and powerful subjects in life.”
Lee Min Ho also said he has been reviewing more film scripts and hopes to move between movies and television dramas more frequently.
As he approaches his 40s, the actor appears focused on expanding his image beyond the romantic leading man roles closely associated with his earlier career, while still leaving room for more mature love stories in the future.
