Lee Jun-ho reflects on growth through Typhoon Company

Dec 03, 2025, 09:20 am

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Actor Lee Jun-ho of Typhoon Company poses for a promotional photo. / O3 Collective

“I’ve always wanted to keep riding a wave of success. Of course, that’s not something I can achieve by effort alone, but as a human being, the desire to do well is always there. If fortune allows, I hope the good momentum continues.”

Meeting Asia Today at a café in Seongsu-dong on December 2, actor Lee Jun-ho shared his thoughts on wrapping up tvN’s Typhoon Company. “We worked on it for more than a year, so letting it go wasn’t easy,” he said. “Even now, the feeling of it lingers.”

Typhoon Company tells the story of Kang Tae-poong (played by Lee), a young man who suddenly finds himself running a company during the 1997 IMF financial crisis. The final episode recorded a nationwide rating of 10.3 percent, according to Nielsen Korea, ending the series on a high note. Lee admitted, “I wanted us to break 10 percent toward the end. We kept hovering around it, and I’m grateful we finally crossed that line.”

Although he was too young to remember the era fully, the emotional landscape of the IMF years resonated with fragments of his childhood. “My father was a sailor and would be away for six months at a time. My mother worked too. Back then, neighbors took care of each other’s children. There was a warmth and sense of community we don’t often feel today. I think the drama helped reconnect those emotions with that era.”

Kang Tae-poong is a character whose emotions are vivid and unfiltered. Because he doesn’t hide his joy, anger, or tears, Lee faced the challenge of conveying those shifts with immediate conviction. “Tae-poong is very pure and straightforward, with big emotional waves. I felt pressure to make sure his heart reached viewers the moment it appeared,” he said. Filming also brought its share of difficulties—from scenes shot at sea while fighting motion sickness to moments covered head-to-toe in flour. “But I endured it because Tae-poong represents the young people who lived through the IMF crisis.”

This project was also Lee’s first drama since launching his one-man agency. “Playing Tae-poong reminded me how difficult yet essential it is to put ‘people first,’” he said. “In real life too, I’m learning what responsibility feels like up close.”

His creative input shaped several scenes. “The moment where Tae-poong pierces rebar with safety shoes, or the scene where he writes a message on the sole of his shoe—those were ideas I suggested. The director and writer trusted me, so it was a joyful process.”

In the latter half of the series, the scene in which Tae-poong drinks soju alone at his father’s favorite restaurant was originally written without tears. Lee explained, “When I imagined what my father felt sitting there, the emotions rose naturally.”

Since his military discharge, Lee has recorded three consecutive dramas with double-digit ratings—The Red Sleeve (17.4%), King the Land (13.8%), and now Typhoon Company. “Among all the compliments, the one I remember most is, ‘I didn’t see Lee Jun-ho; I only saw Kang Tae-poong,’” he said. “This was a project where I could fully embrace the feelings the character was experiencing.”

With his next work, Netflix’s Cashiero, set for release, Lee said he remains excited. “Creating a new character is endlessly enjoyable. That feeling is why I continue living as an actor. I hope those opportunities keep coming.”

He added, “Whatever the genre or project, I want to be the kind of actor whose name alone makes people want to watch. Hearing ‘a trustworthy actor’ or ‘a reliable singer’—that is my biggest goal.”

#Lee Jun-ho interview #Typhoon Company #Kang Tae-poong