Lee Si-yeon (born Lee Dae-hak on July 24, 1980) is a South Korean actress and model. In 1999, Lee participated in the Anti-Miss Korea competition. In November 2007, Lee underwent sex reassignment surgery트렌스젠더 배우 이시연 가수 변신···“난 여자가 됐어”
강원일보 2010.04.13 and changed her name to ''Si-yeon''. Lee is the niece of Seo Jae-hyuk, a singer-songwriter and guitarist, member of Boohwal.

Life

Lee debuted as a male model under her birth name Dae-hak, becoming known for her feminine appearance and wearing women's clothing on the

catwalk A fashion show (French ''défilé de mode'') is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase their upcoming line of clothing and/or accessories during a fashion week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the Spring/Summer and Fal ...

, but ultimately wished to pursue a career as an actor. She appeared in the films '' My Boss, My Hero'' (2001) and '' Sex Is Zero'' (2002), providing

comic relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...

effeminate Effeminacy is the embodiment of traits and/or expressions in those who are not of the female sex (e.g. boys and men) that are often associated with what is generally perceived to be feminine behaviours, mannerisms, styles, or gender roles, rath ...

male roles, but felt pressured into cutting her hair and building up muscle. Lee recalled that, "once I entered showbiz, I was forced to live a life I didn't like", and growing increasingly unhappy, made several attempts at suicide before deciding to transition.Chang May Choon
"I have started my second life as a woman"
, ''Asiaone'', 31 January 2008. Retrieved on 2 February 2008. Adopting the given name Si-yeon, Lee underwent

sex reassignment surgery Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a transgender or transsexual person's physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their identified gender, and a ...

in 2007, and admitted to having doubts over her sexuality since being in secondary school. She returned to acting later that year in the sequel ''

Sex Is Zero 2 ''Sex Is Zero 2'' is the 2007 sequel to the South Korean comedy film ''Sex Is Zero'', and is the directorial debut of Yoon Tae-yoon. Starring Im Chang-jeong and Song Ji-hyo, the film reunites most of the cast from the original film, though Ha Ji- ...

'', with her character from the original film now also a transsexual. Lee publicly announced her sex reassignment prior to the release of the film, but was apprehensive about the reaction from audiences.Park Si-soo
"Male-Turned-Female Actress Appears in ''Sex Is Zero'' Sequel"
''The Korea Times'', 12 November 2007. Retrieved on 16 January 2008. Co-star Shin Yi observed that surgery had not changed her image much, and stated that she had always regarded Lee as a "kid sister".Yang Sung-jin, "''Sex is Zero 2'' sticks to toilet and bawdy humor", ''The Korea Herald'', 3 December 2007. A free copy of this article can be found a
''HanCinema''
Retrieved on 16 January 2007.

Filmography

Film

Studio albums

* ''I Became a Woman'' (2010)

References

External links