Lee Eun-ju (December 22, 1980 – February 22, 2005) was a South Korean actress. She was the star of hit films including ''
Taegukgi
The national flag of South Korea, also known as the Taegukgi (also spelled as ''Taegeukgi'', ) and colloquially known as the flag of Korea, has three parts: a white rectangular background, a red and blue Taegeuk in its center, accompanied by fo ...
'' and ''
The Scarlet Letter
''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a work of historical fiction by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne ...
''. She
died by suicide at age 24.
Life and career
Born in
Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea, Lee studied piano for much of her youth, without giving much thought to becoming an actress. She moved to
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...
after graduating high school and was first noticed in the mid-1990s as a model for school uniforms.
After finding work as a model, she began to be offered roles in various TV dramas, including ''Start'' and ''KAIST''. Her film debut came in 1999, when she played the younger sister in Park Chong-wan's award-winning feature ''Rainbow Trout''.
Her first lead role came as the title character in
Hong Sang-soo
Hong Sang-soo (홍상수, born 25 October 1960) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter.
Early life
Hong's parents owned the film production company Cinetel Soul. Hong took the entrance exam and entered the theater department at Chun ...
's ''
Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors
''Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors'' (''Oh! Soo-jung'') is a 2000 South Korean erotic comedy- drama, directed by Hong Sang-soo. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.
It follows the romantic trava ...
'' (2000).
Following this, she teamed with actor
Lee Byung-hun in the 2001 hit film ''
Bungee Jumping of Their Own
''Bungee Jumping of Their Own'' () is a 2001 South Korean film starring Lee Byung-hun and Lee Eun-ju. The film had 947,000 admissions, making it the 10th most attended film of the year. '', and also scored a hit opposite
Cha Tae-hyun in the melodrama ''
Lovers' Concerto''.
Lee's later career was marked by several turns in films that failed at the box-office, plus a key role in the record-breaking
Korean War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Korean War
, partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict
, image = Korean War Montage 2.png
, image_size = 300px
, caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
film ''
Taegukgi
The national flag of South Korea, also known as the Taegukgi (also spelled as ''Taegeukgi'', ) and colloquially known as the flag of Korea, has three parts: a white rectangular background, a red and blue Taegeuk in its center, accompanied by fo ...
''. In 2004 she appeared in the very popular
Korean drama
Korean dramas (; RR: ''Han-guk deurama''), more popularly known as K-dramas, are television series in the Korean language, made in South Korea.
They are popular worldwide, especially in Asia, partially due to the spread of Korean popular cultu ...
, ''
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
'', and later that year she starred in her last feature,
Daniel H. Byun
Byun Hyuk (born January 1, 1966), also known as Daniel H. Byun, is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He graduated from La Fémis in 1997.
Best known for his working on his film debut ''Interview'' (2000) using the Dogme 95 movement, ...
's ''
The Scarlet Letter
''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a work of historical fiction by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne ...
'' which screened as the Closing Film at the 2004
Pusan International Film Festival
The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF, previously Pusan International Film Festival, PIFF), held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan (''also'' Pusan), South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The first festi ...
.
"I'm called a new generation star, but I don't want to be the kind of person who achieves instant fame and then is quickly forgotten. I want to learn step-by-step how to become a good actress, and gradually work my way up. A star achieves brilliance, but is soon forgotten; to become an actress takes more time."
nterview Excerpt: Kino, #60, February 2000ref name=paquet />
Death and subsequent tributes
On the night of February 22, 2005, only a few days after her graduation from
Dankook University
Dankook University (commonly referred to as Dankook), abbreviated as DU or DKU, is a prestigious private research university in Yongin and Cheonan, South Korea. The university was established in 1947. It was the first university established after ...
, Lee died by
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
at her apartment in
Bundang, Seongnam, after slitting her wrists and
hanging
Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...
herself. She was 24 years old. The family blamed the suicide on severe bouts of
depression and
mental illness
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
and said she had been suffering from
insomnia
Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, ...
due to the
nude scene
In film, nudity may be either graphic or suggestive, such as when a person appears to be naked but is covered by a sheet. Since the birth of film, depictions of any form of sexuality have been controversial, and in the case of most nude scene ...
s she had done in ''The Scarlet Letter'', but it could also be traced from ''
Bungee Jumping of Their Own
''Bungee Jumping of Their Own'' () is a 2001 South Korean film starring Lee Byung-hun and Lee Eun-ju. The film had 947,000 admissions, making it the 10th most attended film of the year. '', where all her characters since then have died, so she was too invested in her characters.
She left a
suicide note
A suicide note or death note is a message left behind by a person who dies or intends to die by suicide.
A study examining Japanese suicide notes estimated that 25–30% of suicides are accompanied by a note. However, incidence rates may depe ...
scrawled in blood, in which she wrote, "Mom, I am sorry and I love you." A separate note said, "I wanted to do too much. Even though I live, I'm not really alive. I don't want anyone to be disappointed. It's nice having money... I wanted to make money."
The news of her death prompted a massive outpouring of grief from fellow actors and filmmakers and fans. Lee Eun-ju was cremated and enshrined in a
crypt
A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics.
Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...
at
Goyang
Goyang (''Goyang-si''; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province in the north of South Korea. It is part of the Seoul Capital Area, making Goyang one of Seoul's satellite cities. It is one of the largest cities in the Seoul Capital Area, with a populatio ...
. Hundreds of her fellow actors and entertainers attended her funeral. Vocalist
Bada
Bada (stylized as bada; Korean: ) is a discontinued mobile operating system developed by Samsung Electronics for devices such as mid- to high-end smartphones and tablet computers. The name is derived from " (bada)", meaning "ocean" or "sea" in ...
sang "You Were Born to be Loved", and friends spoke in her memory.
Her friends and colleagues have held memorials for Lee every year since her death. The 2007 event was marked by a music CD released in her name, featuring
remastered
Remaster refers to changing the quality of the sound or of the image, or both, of previously created recordings, either audiophonic, cinematic, or videographic. The terms digital remastering and digitally remastered are also used.
Mastering
A ...
versions of her
cover performance of ''
The Corrs
The Corrs are an Irish family band that combine pop rock with traditional Irish themes within their music. The group consists of the Corr siblings, Andrea (lead vocals, tin whistle, mandolin, ukulele), Sharon (violin, keyboards, vocals), Car ...
"
Only When I Sleep" from ''
The Scarlet Letter
''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a work of historical fiction by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne ...
'', as well as tribute performances by her friends in the entertainment industry.
Filmography
Film
Television series
Music video
Discography
Awards and nominations
See also
*
Suicide in South Korea
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Eun-ju
1980 births
People from Gunsan
Dankook University alumni
Suicides by hanging in South Korea
South Korean film actresses
South Korean television actresses
2005 suicides
Female suicides
2005 deaths