Lee Won-yong was born in Seoul, graduated from Kyungshin School, and focused on sports. His debut in cinema was in 1927. Lee Won-yong's acting style began to change in 1934 when he appeared in director Ahn Jong-hwa's Crossroads of Youth which is currently the oldest surviving Korean film. Afterwards, Lee Won-yong appeared in director Ahn Jong-hwa's Passion in the Galaxy (1935) and The Passage of Life (1937). He decorated the second half of his acting career with director Ahn Jong-hwa.