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Lee Chang-dong is a film director, screenwriter and writer. Lee Chang-dong was born in Daegu, South Korea on April 1, 1954. The age as of 2026 is 72. Schooling on record includes Kyeongbuk High School and Kyungpook National University. Recorded honors include Legion of Honour and Asian Film Award for Best Director (2008, 2011).
My Take
Lee Chang-dong is one of those filmmakers who makes you feel like cinema was invented specifically for what he does. The fact that he spent years as a novelist before ever touching a camera shows in every frame — his films aren't really "plotted," they're excavated. Peppermint Candy hit me like a gut punch with its reverse-chronology structure, and Secret Sunshine is just devastating in ways that sneak up on you slowly. Then Burning arrives in 2018 and somehow tops all of it, this slow-burn mystery that lodges itself in your brain for weeks. He also served as South Korea's Minister of Culture, and won the Legion of Honour from France, which tells you the world noticed. The guy had a full literary career before filmmaking and has directed only seven features — every single one essential.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Lee Chang-dong
- Name (Japanese)
- イ・チャンドン
- Reading
- い・ちゃんどん
- Born
- April 1, 1954 (age 72)
- Origin
- Daegu, South Korea
- Occupation
- film director / screenwriter / writer / novelist / politician
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Horse
2. Background
- High school
- Kyeongbuk High School
- University
- Kyungpook National University
Awards & achievements
- Legion of Honour
- 2008 Asian Film Award for Best Director
- 2011 Asian Film Award for Best Director
3. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee%20Chang-dong
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A4%E3%83%BB%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%89%E3%83%B3
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q239656
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Lee Chang-dong born?
Lee Chang-dong was born on April 1, 1954 and is 72 years old.
Where is Lee Chang-dong from?
Lee Chang-dong is from Daegu, South Korea.
What does Lee Chang-dong do?
Lee Chang-dong works as film director, screenwriter, writer, novelist, politician.
Where did Lee Chang-dong study?
Lee Chang-dong attended Kyungpook National University.
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