Lee Young-ah (; 李英雅) is a South Korean
actress
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...
and model. She is best known for playing the role of Nguyen Jin Joo in ''
Golden Bride
Golden Bride () is a 2007 South Korean weekend television drama series starring Lee Young-ah, Song Chang-eui, Choi Yeo-jin and Kim Hee-chul. It aired on SBS TV from July 23, 2007 to February 3, 2008, airing every Saturdays and Sundays at 20:45 fo ...
'', a 2008 drama that was extended by 14 episodes due to its popularity.
It was in the Top 3 Korean Dramas of the South Korean
Nielson Ratings
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rati ...
during January–February 2008 and the Top 7 for TNmS Ratings.
She is also known for her role in the drama ''
King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo'' as Yang Mi-sun, the love interest of main character, Kim Tak-goo. She won the 2010 KBS Drama Awards "Best Couple Award" for this role together with
Yoon Shi-yoon
Yoon Shi-yoon (; born Yoon Dong-gu on September 26, 1986), also known professionally as Yun Si Yun, is a South Korean actor and television personality. He is best known for his leading roles in ''King of Baking, Kim Takgu'' (2010), ''My Cute Guy ...
.
Career
Lee Young Ah began acting when she was 19 years old. She first appeared in the SBS TV Drama ''I Love You, My Enemy'' as well as ''The Youth in Bare Foot'', ''
Golden Apple
The golden apple is an element that appears in various national and ethnic folk legends or fairy tales. Recurring themes depict a hero (for example Hercules or Făt-Frumos) retrieving the golden apple (symbolism), apples hidden or stolen by a mons ...
'' and ''
Wedding
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...
''. In the 42nd
Baeksang Arts Awards
The Baeksang Arts Awards (), also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards, are awards for excellence in film, television and theatre in South Korea. The awards were first introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the Hankook Ilbo newspap ...
, she won the ''Best New Actress Award'' for her role as the young Kyung Sook in ''
Golden Apple
The golden apple is an element that appears in various national and ethnic folk legends or fairy tales. Recurring themes depict a hero (for example Hercules or Făt-Frumos) retrieving the golden apple (symbolism), apples hidden or stolen by a mons ...
''.
She also put in cameo appearances in movies such as ''Ghost Story'', ''Caramel'', ''
Two Faces of My Girlfriend
''Two Faces of My Girlfriend'' () is a 2007 South Korean romantic comedy film starring Bong Tae-gyu and Jung Ryeo-won.
This was Jung's first big-screen leading role, for which she won Best New Actress at the 28th Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2007 a ...
'' and lent her voice in ''
Dachimawa Lee
''Dachimawa Lee'' (; lit. "Dajjimawa Lee: Bye, Villain! Take the Express Train to Hell") is a 2008 South Korean film. It has been released via online streaming in the United States with the title ''Dachimawa Lee: Gangnam Spy''.
Plot
The legenda ...
''.
In 2006, she got her first lead in a TV series, ''
Love Can't Wait'', where she plays a 19-year-old senior in a girls' school who falls in love with a poor college law student played by
Hong Kyung-min
Hong Kyung-min (; born February 9, 1976) is a South Korean singer and actor. As a singer, Hong has released 10 albums and is best known for his 2000 hit song "Shaky Friendship" ().
Music career
1997–2000
He made his debut as a rock-ball ...
. In the same year, she appeared in a music video by
Eru
Eru may refer to:
People
*Eru (singer) (born 1983), Korean singer
*Eru Potaka-Dewes (1939–2009), New Zealand actor
*Syd Eru (born 1971), New Zealand rugby player
Other uses
* Eru (soup), a Cameroonian soup
* Eru (vegetable), a tropical Afri ...
, titled ''Black Glasses'' along with
Kim Hyun-joong
Kim Hyun-joong (; born June 6, 1986) is a South Korean actor, singer and songwriter. He is a member of the boy band SS501 and played roles in the Korean dramas '' Boys Over Flowers'' and ''Playful Kiss''.
After debuting with SS501 in 2005, K ...
.
Her next lead role in a drama was ''
Golden Bride
Golden Bride () is a 2007 South Korean weekend television drama series starring Lee Young-ah, Song Chang-eui, Choi Yeo-jin and Kim Hee-chul. It aired on SBS TV from July 23, 2007 to February 3, 2008, airing every Saturdays and Sundays at 20:45 fo ...
'' in 2007, where Lee plays a young bride from Vietnam. In order to appease her blind mother, she marries a Korean man to search for her father in Korea. The drama acquired high TV Ratings which led to the addition of 14 more episodes.
In 2008, she was cast as the second female lead in the drama ''
Iljimae
''Iljimae'' (; literally "One blossom branch") is a 2008 South Korean period-action television series, starring Lee Joon-gi in the title role of Iljimae. It is loosely based on the comic strip ''Iljimae'', published between 1975 and 1977, writt ...
'' where she played Bong Soon, a funny and silly swindler related to the past of the male lead. She co-stars with
Han Hyo-joo
Han Hyo-joo (Korean: 한효주; born February 22, 1987) is a South Korean film and television actress, model and singer. She is best known for her leading roles in television series such as ''Heaven & Earth'' (2007), '' Iljimae'' (2008), ''Brill ...
,
Lee Joon-gi
Lee Joon-gi (born 17 April 1982) is a South Korean actor, singer, dancer, and model. He rose to fame on his first leading role playing a clown in the critically acclaimed film ''The King and the Clown'' (2005) and gained further recognition in ...
and
Park Si-hoo
Park Si-hoo (born Park Pyeong-ho on April 3, 1978) is a South Korean actor. He began his entertainment career as an underwear model and stage actor, then made his official television debut in 2005. After several years in supporting roles, Park r ...
.
In 2009, she was in the drama ''
Empress Chun Chu
''Empress Cheonchu'' (; also known as ''The Iron Empress'') is a 2009 South Korean period television series based on the title character, an actual historical figure and her lifelong struggle to protect the country her ancestors built. The grand ...
'' where she played Empress Dae Mok.
In 2010, she was again one of the main leads in ''
King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo'' as Yang Mi-sun. She sang a song in the series titled ''Love Is''. The series earned high ratings and was also shown in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
and other countries.
After her success in ''
King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo'', she joined the main cast in
Vampire Prosecutor
''Vampire Prosecutor'' () is a South Korean television series, starring Yeon Jung-hoon, Lee Won-jong, Lee Young-ah and Kim Joo-young. The crime procedural drama tells the story of a prosecutor who hides his identity of being a vampire and solv ...
and again in
Vampire Prosecutor 2 as prosecutor, Yoo Jung-In.
In 2013, she starred in the short 10 episode drama ''Unemployed Romance'' along with
Namkoong Min
Namkoong Min (Hangul: 남궁민, born March 12, 1978) is a South Korean actor, director and screenwriter. He first gained recognition with neo-noir film ''A Dirty Carnival'' (2006), and has since received praise for his performances in '' Rememb ...
. The drama follows the love story of an unemployed drama screenwriter who ends up meeting and then falling in love with, the worker at the unemployment benefits center responsible for distributing her unemployment checks.
Personal life
In November 2018, it was confirmed by their respective agencies that Lee and her ''
Love to the End
''Love to the End'' () is a 2018 South Korean television series starring Lee Young-ah, Hong Soo-ah, Kang Eun-tak, and Shim Ji-ho. The series aired on KBS2 from Monday to Friday from 7:50 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ( KST) starting July 23, 2018.
C ...
'' co-star
Kang Eun-tak
Kang Eun-tak (born Shin Seul-gi on August 16, 1982) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the television series '' Land of Gold'' (2014), '' Apgujeong Midnight Sun'' (2014–2015), and '' Bubbly Lovely'' (2016–2017 ...
have been dating since October 2018. In April 2019, it was confirmed by their respective agencies that Lee and Kang Eun-tak had ended their relationship earlier that year.
Lee Young-ah is due to be married to her non-celebrity boyfriend in March 2020 originally, but due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
The COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first case in South Korea was announced on 20 January 2020. The numbe ...
, the wedding was postponed to the end of the year. On 23 August 2020, Lee's agency announced that Lee had given birth to her first child, a son.
Filmography
Television series
Movies
Variety shows
Music videos
Discography
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Lee Young-ahat Big Punch Ent
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Young-ah
South Korean television actresses
South Korean film actresses
South Korean stage actresses
South Korean female models
People from Seoul
1984 births
Living people
South Korean Buddhists