Lee Junho. Provided by O3 Collective.
“Life goals? Vaguely, I want to keep living like this for a long time. My goal is to do everything I can for as long as possible.”
Marking his 18th year as a singer and 13th as an actor, Lee Junho was seasoned. His body was busier, but he looked more relaxed at heart.
On the 2nd, at a caf in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Lee Junho met with Sports Kyunghyang for an interview to mark the end of the tvN drama ‘Typhoon Company’, which wrapped on the 30th.
Typhoon Company. Provided by tvN.
‘Typhoon Company’ is the struggle-to-success story of rookie company man ‘Kang Tae-pung’, who becomes president of a trading company with no employees, no money, and nothing to sell during the 1997 International Monetary Fund (IMF) foreign exchange crisis, when body, mind, and wallet were frozen.
In the drama, Lee Junho played Kang Tae-pung, who goes from a member of Apgujeong’s ‘orange tribe’ to a novice company president. Coincidentally, it is similar to Lee Junho’s situation this year, as he left JYP Entertainment after 17 years and became the head of a one-person agency.
“I spent most of 2025 as Tae-pung and found many points where we resembled each other, so it felt fresh. It was easy to immerse myself. While preparing the character Kang Tae-pung, I even thought, ‘What if I had lived like Tae-pung this early, too?’ It was a character that was truly hard to let go of, and I miss him.”
Typhoon Company. Provided by tvN.
Lee Junho described the character Kang Tae-pung as “a pure and honest friend.”
“Tae-pung is a free spirit who gets angry when he is angry and grieves when he is sad. He keeps to his lines, and he is that kind of cool character. Because he is so straightforward, I think I acted comfortably without thinking about anything else while playing him.”
Lee Junho. Provided by O3 Collective.
Starting with a 5.9% rating for its first episode, ‘Typhoon Company’ spread by word of mouth and achieved a double-digit 10.3% for its finale, successfully concluding. As a result, Lee Junho also notched three straight hits following MBC ‘The Red Sleeve Cuff’ in 2021 and JTBC ‘King the Land’ in 2023, establishing himself as a ‘home-screen box-office guarantee’. In a situation where pressure about performance could naturally arise, Lee Junho offered a ‘wise answer’.
“I actually think that, as an actor, you must have a sense of pressure about the project. There are so many people participating together. Without a sense of responsibility you can grow lax, so I think I always carry the pressure to stay in good condition and deliver good acting.”
Lee Junho. Provided by O3 Collective.
‘Typhoon Company’ earned praise for realistically portraying the circumstances of breadwinners and youths in Korea who faced hardship during the IMF era, delivering empathy and comfort to many who experienced that time. Lee Junho, who was an elementary school student then, recalled it as “a difficult yet romantic era.”
“I still remember the gold-collection campaign. My parents were very busy then because they both worked. Of course, it was tough for everyone since it was a first-time situation, but I think there was something romantic about that era. It was a time when neighbors would comfortably look after each other’s kids. The IMF period I experienced was one where I grew up watching ‘adults who were struggling greatly, yet there was more romance than now, and they tried in any way to overcome that time.’”
Lee Junho. Provided by O3 Collective.
As times change rapidly, dramas are trending toward becoming mini-series. In contrast, ‘Typhoon Company’ aired in a relatively long 16-episode run. Lee Junho said the longer rhythm of ‘Typhoon Company’ was actually good.
“With actor Kim Ji-young, who also appeared in ‘Country Diaries’, we once said, ‘It might have been nice if ‘Typhoon Company’ had an even longer run like ‘Country Diaries’.’ These days, there are so many short-breathed dramas that just as you are about to fall in love with the world, they end, which is a shame. That is why I liked the 16-episode ‘Typhoon Company’ even more. In a changing era, some might find it frustrating, but personally I was satisfied.”
Typhoon Company. Provided by tvN.
Lee Junho also praised the chemistry with his fellow actors.
“We kept saying to each other, ‘It will be hard to meet actors like this again; it is such a pity.’ Actor Kim Min-ha is candid, has nothing to hide, and is very receptive. Both of us tend to be quiet, but when we act there is no awkwardness. On set, she is a total lovable darling. With actor Moo Jin-sung, who was my on-screen nemesis, we had so many scenes where our faces were in the same frame, growling at each other, that we even joked, ‘Aren’t we actually a romance?’”
Lee Junho. Provided by O3 Collective.
‘Typhoon Company’ has ended, but Lee Junho’s 2025 is not over yet. Starting on the 14th in Tokyo, Japan, he plans to meet global fans through the ‘Typhoon Company Drama Fan Meeting with LEE JUNHO’. On the 26th, Netflix’s ‘Cashero’ will be released. The film ‘Veteran 3’, for which he has confirmed his appearance, is also about to start shooting.
“In the past, my desire to be perfect was too strong. I thought I absolutely could not be clumsy. Now I think I do things more because they are fun. I have less leeway in my schedule, but I feel I have more leeway in my heart.”
Lee Junho. Provided by O3 Collective.
‘Typhoon Company’ delivers the message to never give up on your goals no matter the adversity, and to overcome together with those around you. We asked Lee Junho, who debuted with the group 2PM in 2008 and has now become an 18-year veteran in the entertainment industry, about his life goals.
“Just vaguely, I want to keep doing projects and reading scripts, just like now. Especially in times like these, it is all the more something to be grateful for. Among the things I have now, not a single one is not precious. On the other hand, I also think I would like to let go more and be at ease, but will that not come naturally with time?”
