Sang-il Lee Biography: Nationality, Wiki, Age, Wife, Net Worth, Parents, Movies, Height, Religion
Sang-il Lee, is a Japanese film director and screenwriter, born in Niigata, Japan.
He is known for critically acclaimed films including Hula Girls, Villain, Unforgiven, Rage, The Wandering Moon, and Kokuho.
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His work has earned major Japanese film honors, including multiple Japan Academy Film Prize wins for Best Film and Best Director.
Kokuho also received the Akira Kurosawa Award at the 2025 Tokyo International Film Festival.
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Name: | Sang-il Lee |
| Born: | 6 January 1974 (age 52 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Niigata, Niigata, Japan |
| Nationality: | Japanese |
| Parents: | Mr. and Mrs. Lee |
| Occupation: | Film Director, Screenwriter |
| Net Worth: | $3 million |
Early Life and Education
Sang-il Lee first saw the light of day on 6 January 1974 in Niigata, Niigata, Japan, to parents referred to as Mr. and Mrs. Lee.
He is a third-generation Korean resident of Japan and was raised in Niigata before his family moved to Yokohama when he was four.
Information about siblings is not publicly available.
He attended Korean schools from elementary through high school, studied economics at Kanagawa University, and later entered the Japan Institute of the Moving Image, formerly known as the Japan Film School, where he studied filmmaking.
His graduation film Chong won four awards at the 2000 Pia Film Festival. He is of Korean Japanese heritage, and his religion is Christianity.
Career
Sang-il Lee began his directing career with the graduation film Chong in 1999, which won four awards at the Pia Film Festival.
His first feature, Border Line, followed in 2002 and earned him the Kinejun Best New Director award. He later directed 69, Scrap Heaven, and Hula Girls, which became his major breakthrough.
Sang-il Lee achieved major recognition with Hula Girls in 2006, winning Japan Academy Awards for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
He continued with Villain, Unforgiven, and Rage, all of which strengthened his reputation as a filmmaker known for examining complex human relationships and social conflicts.
Sang-il Lee later directed The Wandering Moon in 2022 and Kokuho in 2025. Kokuho premiered at Cannes and won Japan Academy Awards for Best Film and Best Director in 2026.
His body of work has established him as an important Japanese filmmaker, while his Korean-Japanese background has also informed several of his films.

Personal Life
Sang-il Lee appears single, and has not been publicly known to be married and have any children.
His public profile has remained focused primarily on his filmmaking career and professional achievements.
Net Worth
Sang-il Lee has an estimated net worth of approximately $3 million, accumulated through his long career as a film director, screenwriter, and producer, with earnings from major Japanese and international film productions.
Filmography
- Chong (2000)
- Border Line (2002)
- 69 (2004)
- Scrap Heaven (2005)
- Hula Girls (2006)
- Villain (2010)
- Unforgiven (2013)
- Rage (2016)
- The Wandering Moon (2022)
- Kokuho (2025)
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