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According to AsiaOneLim’s agency Basecamp Company confirmed the news on Feb. 27 after a netizen claimed to have spotted the actor working at a Coupang logistics facility in Gyeonggi Province in August 2025.

He is no longer working there, as he has since begun preparing for his next acting role, the company said.

The revelation surprised many internet users, given Lim’s more than 20-year career in the entertainment industry. Others voiced support, describing him as “admirable” and “relatable” for taking on temporary work during a lull in acting engagements.

Industry observers say South Korea’s entertainment sector has faced mounting headwinds in recent years. A report by The Korea Heraldciting data from the Korean Film Council under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, showed that cumulative cinema admissions through November 2025 totaled 92.4 million, a 16% drop from the previous year, when attendance figures were already subdued. The year 2025 also marked the first time since the pandemic that no South Korean film surpassed 10 million admissions.

The report added that 2024 box-office revenue reached only 53% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019, underscoring the industry’s slow recovery. Rising production costs have further strained both film and television sectors. Between 2022 and 2024, the number of dramas aired on major over-the-top platforms and broadcasters declined by 25%, while film releases fell by 20%.

Lim, 44, debuted as a model in 2003 before making his television debut in the 2004 drama “Magic.” He made his film debut in “A Millionaire’s First Love” in 2006 and went on to take supporting roles before landing his breakthrough role in the 2009 series “Tamra, the Island.”

His most recent television appearance was in the 2022 drama “Three Bold Siblings.” He also returned to the stage in the play “Pride,” which concluded its run in June last year.