Lee Jae-wook made his debut in the 2018 science fiction thriller Memories of the Alhambra. He also played a supporting role in Search: WWW, which caused a surge in his popularity and led him to debut on the big screen through the war film The Battle of Jangsari.
The first one was in the drama Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol, where Lee Jae-wook played a 19-year-old part-timer named Sun Woo Joon. He won the Excellence Award for Actor in a Miniseries at the KBS Drama Awards for his commendable performance on the show.
In 2022, Jae-wook was cast as the main lead in a fantasy romance tvN drama, Alchemy of Souls. Set in the Joseon era, the Netflix show gained massive popularity as Jang Wook (Lee Jae-wook’s character) stole hearts worldwide.
Considered to be Jae-wook’s breakout role, the actor won multiple awards, including the Global Excellence Award at the Korea Drama Awards for his global contribution to the Hallyu wave.
Due to high public demand after the first season, Alchemy of Souls season two, Light and Shadow, returned within months. The new season premiered in December, with Jae-wook reiterating his role opposite a new lead played by Go Yoon-jung instead of Jung So-min.