Sungmin was born in the Hogae district of Anyang, Gyeonggi. He has a younger brother, Lee Sungjin. Sungmin's father Lee Chun-hwa, is the CEO of two companies: SendBill, which creates e-tax software, and Network Mania, an analytics company.[2][3]
In 2001, he entered the SM Youth Best Contest and jointly won first place for the Best Outward Appearance award with future band mate Donghae. Together, they signed a contract with SM Entertainment and received training in singing, dancing, and acting.
Sungmin was placed in a project R&B group with Junsu and future band mate Eunhyuk. In 2002, along with Typhoon, Rose and Attack, the six of them made their first television appearance in a show called Heejun vs. Kangta, Battle of the Century: Pop vs. Rock. Moon Hee-jun taught Typhoon, Rose and Attack on to sing rock while Sungmin, Xiah, and Eunhyuk were taught other singing techniques by Kangta. The six trainees separated a year later, then Typhoon, Rose, and Attack debuted as members of rock band TRAX. The trio separated when Junsu went on to debuted as a member of TVXQ.[4] Then Sungmin and Eunhyuk joined ten other trainees and formed Super Junior 05, the first generation of rotational boy band Super Junior.
In 2005, before Super Junior's debut, he played young Kang Dong-shin in MBC drama Sisters of the Sea.
[edit]2005-2006: Debut with Super Junior
Sungmin officially debut as part of 12-member rotational group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS's music programme Inkigayo, performing their first single, "Twins (Knock Out)".[5][6] Their debut album SuperJunior05 (Twins) was released a month later on 5 December 2005 and debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.[7]
In March 2006, SM Entertainment began to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation. However, plans changed and the company declared a halt in forming future Super Junior generations. Following the addition of thirteenth member Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior.[8] The re-polished group's first CD single "U" was released on 7 June 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009.[9]
Sungmin guest starred in SBS's Banjun Theatre drama Finding Lost Time and played Yoochun's high school friend.
[edit]2007-2009: Acting and sub-groups
In February 2007, Sungmin was placed in sub-group trot-singing Super Junior-T.[10] In July, Sungmin's took part with fellow Super Junior members in Attack on the Pin-Up Boys, a SM Pictures production. He played the role of a pretty school boy who gets attacked by an unknown criminal.[11] He replaced band mate Kangin as one of the DJs at Reckless Radio, with Girls' Generationmembers from June 2007 to July 2008.
In 2008, he became a member of sub-group Super Junior-Happy and participated in a short half-hour drama Super Junior Unbelievable Story with Leeteuk. Sungmin played himself, a member ofSuper Junior-T who is constantly overshadowed by his members.
In 2009, he starred as male lead, Ro, in musical Akilla at the Hanjeon Art Center in Seoul from 9 October to 8 November.[12]
[edit]2010-2011: DJ and musical theatre
In 2010, Sungmin starred in the title role of musical Hong Gil Dong, alongside group mate Yesung who also played the historical figure Hong Gildong. It played at the Woori Financial Art Hall at the Olympic Park from 18 February 2010 for two months.[13]
In October, Sungmin was one of 20 South Korean singers who recorded the theme song, "Let's Go", for the 2010 G-20 Seoul summit. He provided vocals along with labelmates Seohyun,Jonghyun and Luna.[14] In December He starred in KBS drama The President as Jang Sungmin, the ambitious son of Jang Il Joon the president.[15]
In January 2011, he was placed in Mandopop sub-group Super Junior-M, as one of two new members along with Eunhyuk. Then spend the next few months promoting their third EP Perfection in Taiwan and China. For July and August, Sungmin performed as male lead Daniel, rotating with Ahn Jae-wook, Um Ki Joon, and Lee Ji-hoon, in musical Jack the Ripper at Chungmu Arts Hall.[16]
[edit]2012-present: Comeback with Super Junior
In 2012, Sungmin took part in We Got Married's spin-off program with Sistar's Hyorin called "Pit-a-Pat Shake" to air as a Lunar Year special.[17] Sungmin along with band mate Ryeowook, took over Super Junior's Kiss the Radio, when former DJs Leeteuk and Eunhyuk left due to their busy schedules. On 29 March 2012, Sungmin released his first solo digital single, "Oh Wa", the ending theme song for KBS sitcom, We Need a Fairy.[18]
For the month of September 2012, Sungmin reprise his role of Daniel, with Ahn Jae-wook, in musical Jack the Ripper at Aoyama Theater in Tokyo, Japan. [19]
In June 2012, Sungmin reunited with his Super Junior band mates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single for released on 4 July. On 25 June his teaser photo was released showing a side-profiled Sungmin with a feminized look and long blond hair holding a large bouquet of baby’s breath flowers.
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