Lee Dong Ha's Citizenship Choice Stuns Viewers

Lee Dong Ha is drawing new attention through SBS drama Manager Kim, but the renewed spotlight is not only about his cold-blooded screen presence as Chief Nam. As the drama's ratings surge, Korean media and viewers are revisiting a striking detail from his past: he once gave up Italian citizenship so he could complete military service in South Korea.

The story has resurfaced because Lee's role in Manager Kim has turned him into one of the drama's most talked-about supporting figures. He plays Nam, the chief secretary to Joo Gang Chan, a powerful figure portrayed by Joo Sang Wook. On screen, Nam functions as a shadow, a shield and a threat, giving the series a sharper edge whenever he appears.

Off screen, the actor's background tells a different kind of story. In a 2016 appearance on SBS Power FM's Cultwo Show, Lee said he had given up his Italian citizenship in order to serve in the Korean military. He explained at the time that his parents were Korean and that he had no practical reason to live in Italy, so he chose the Korean path.

A Villain Role That Made Viewers Look Twice

Manager Kim has become one of the year's loudest Korean drama hits, and Lee's character is part of the reason audiences are paying close attention. Nam is introduced as the right-hand man to Joo Gang Chan, operating with calculation, discipline and a cool expression that heightens the tension around the central revenge story.

The drama follows an ordinary father who reveals a dangerous hidden past while trying to save his daughter. That premise already gives the series a high-stakes engine, but supporting villains and enforcers are what keep a thriller feeling dangerous from episode to episode. Lee's Nam fills that space with a controlled, unnerving presence.

Multiple Korean reports note that viewers became especially interested after scenes connected Nam to brutal intimidation within the drama's power structure. In one talked-about storyline, Nam is associated with the punishment of Geum I-bbal, played by Jo Bok Rae, and his cold response made the character stand out beyond a standard secretary role.

That on-screen intensity contrasts sharply with the warmer personal image that has circulated through Sojin's public support for her husband. The former Girl's Day member, now also active as an actor, has shared glimpses of Lee and cheered his work in Manager Kim, creating a playful contrast between the frightening Nam of the drama and the affectionate spouse seen off camera.

The Italian Citizenship Story Returns

The citizenship detail adds another layer because it is unusual even in an industry filled with international backgrounds. According to Korean reports, Lee was born while his parents were studying in Italy and spent his early childhood there. That gave him a connection to Italy before he later built his life and career in South Korea.

During his 2016 radio appearance, Lee said he had given up Italian citizenship to go through Korean military service. The explanation was simple, but it has gained renewed power in the current news cycle because fans are learning about it while watching him play a disciplined, intimidating character in a major action drama.

For international readers, the context matters. Military service is a major public issue for male Korean entertainers, and decisions around nationality can be scrutinized closely. Lee's account frames his choice as a personal alignment with Korea rather than a branding move. He said his family was Korean and that there was no real reason for him to live in Italy, so he chose to serve.

That background does not define his acting, but it does make the current attention feel more substantial. Viewers are not only asking who plays Nam in Manager Kim; they are also discovering a career that stretches across television, film, musical theater and personal decisions that were made long before this ratings spike.

From Signal To Manager Kim

Lee Dong Ha first became more widely recognizable to many drama viewers through tvN's Signal, where he played lawyer Han Se Kyu. Before and after that role, he appeared in works including Secret Love, It's Okay, That's Love, Eve's Love, One More Happy Ending and Agency.

He has also worked across different formats, with credits connected to the film Ghost Mansion, the Netflix series Mercy for None and stage productions including The Goddess Is Watching. That range helps explain why a supporting role like Nam can feel so precise. The performance is not built only on a severe look; it depends on restraint, timing and the ability to suggest threat without overplaying every beat.

The role also arrives at a moment when Manager Kim is performing strongly with general audiences. Korean reports cited Nielsen Korea numbers showing the drama passing 20 percent early in its run, with episode four reaching 21.6 percent nationwide and episode six climbing to 22.3 percent. The latest figure placed it near the top tier of SBS Friday-Saturday dramas, behind the network's biggest modern hits.

Those numbers matter because they turn supporting actors into search subjects overnight. When a drama crosses the 20 percent threshold, casual viewers begin looking up faces they may have seen before but cannot immediately place. Lee's name, his marriage to Sojin and his nationality story all re-entered the public conversation through that effect.

Sojin's Support Adds A Human Counterpoint

Lee and Sojin married in November 2023 after first crossing paths through the 2021 film Ghost Mansion. Their relationship has become part of the renewed coverage because Sojin has publicly supported his current drama work, sharing posts that highlight the difference between Lee's real-life warmth and Nam's intimidating screen aura.

Reports described Sojin calling attention to his appearance in Manager Kim and joking about how frightening the character is. In another post, she used affectionate descriptions of Nam that softened the image of the ruthless secretary. Fans responded to that contrast, noting how different Lee appears away from the character.

That reaction is useful for the drama, too. A memorable villain often needs a life outside the show to keep viewers talking between episodes. Sojin's posts give fans a lighter entry point into a role that is otherwise defined by menace, while Lee's citizenship story gives entertainment coverage a more surprising biographical angle.

Why The Renewed Attention Matters

Lee Dong Ha's current moment is not a sudden debut. It is a delayed burst of visibility for an actor who has been moving through dramas, films and theater for years. Manager Kim has given him a high-rating platform, and Nam's severe presence has made viewers curious enough to follow the trail back through his personal and professional history.

The result is a cleaner kind of celebrity rediscovery. There is a ratings hook, a character hook, a marriage hook and a citizenship hook, all tied to verifiable moments in Lee's career. For a supporting actor, that combination can be powerful because it gives audiences several reasons to remember the name after the episode ends.

As Manager Kim continues its run, Lee's role will likely remain tied to the drama's tension and its villain hierarchy. But the resurfaced story about giving up Italian citizenship for Korean military service has already shifted the conversation around him. Viewers are seeing not only Chief Nam, the ruthless right hand of Joo Gang Chan, but Lee Dong Ha, an actor whose real-life choices are now drawing almost as much curiosity as his screen transformation.