Lee Young-ae
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Lee Young-ae (born January 31, 1971) is a South Korean actress. She is known for her appearances in the Korean historical drama ''
Dae Jang Geum ''Dae Jang Geum'' (; literally "The Great Jang-geum"), also known as ''Jewel in the Palace'', is a 2003 South Korean historical drama television series directed by Lee Byung-hoon. It first aired on MBC from September 15, 2003 to March 23, 20 ...
'' (2003), and as a revenge seeking single mother in
Park Chan-wook Park Chan-wook ( ; born 23 August 1963) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. He is considered as one of the most prominent filmmakers of South Korean cinema as well as world cinema in 21st century. ...
's crime thriller film ''
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance ''Lady Vengeance'' (; ; titled ''Sympathy for Lady Vengeance'' in Australia and Russia) is a 2005 South Korean psychological thriller film directed by Park Chan-wook. The film is the third and final installment in Park's '' Vengeance Trilogy'', ...
'' (2005). For her performance in the film, she received Best Actress awards at the 38th Sitges Film Festival, 26th Blue Dragon Film Awards and
42nd Baeksang Arts Awards The 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards ceremony took place on April 14, 2006 in Seoul. It was presented by IS Plus Corp. and broadcast on SBS. Nominations and winners Complete list of nominees and winners: (Winners denoted in bold) Film Television ...
.


Career

Lee made her debut as a model in 1991. After appearing in television commercials, she debuted as an actress in the 1993 drama ''How's Your Husband?'', which won her Best New Actress at the
SBS Drama Awards The SBS Drama Awards (), also known as SBS Awards Festival, is an awards ceremony presented annually by Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) for outstanding achievements in Korean dramas aired on its network. It is held annually on December 31. The hi ...
. In 2000, she starred in the mystery thriller film ''
Joint Security Area The Joint Security Area (JSA, often referred to as the Truce Village or Panmunjom) is the only portion of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where North Korea, North and South Korean forces stand face-to-face. The JSA is used by the two Ko ...
'', which became the highest-grossing Korean film at that time. She followed this with melodrama ''
Last Present ''Last Present'' (; lit. "Present" or "Gift") is a List of South Korean films of 2001, 2001 South Korean film. Directed by Oh Ki-hwan, it tells the tale of Yong-ki (Lee Jung-jae), a struggling comedian who continues to see parallels between his d ...
'', where she received acclaim for her performance as a young woman facing the realities of an early death. Lee reunited with director
Hur Jin-ho Heo Jin-ho (; born August 8, 1963) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Career Heo Jin-ho graduated from Yonsei University with a degree in philosophy and went on to study filmmaking at the Korean Academy of Film Arts. His first st ...
to star in his next film ''
One Fine Spring Day ''One Fine Spring Day'' is a South Korean feature film released by Sidus and Applause Films in 2001. Directed by Hur Jin-ho (of ''Christmas in August''), the film is a portrait of a love affair - from its blossoming in spring, to its decline as ...
'', which won her Best Actress at the Busan Film Critics Awards. She also starred in the TV series ''
Fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...
'', which introduced Lee to Taiwan audiences. Lee came to prominence in South Korea after starring in the historical drama ''
Dae Jang Geum ''Dae Jang Geum'' (; literally "The Great Jang-geum"), also known as ''Jewel in the Palace'', is a 2003 South Korean historical drama television series directed by Lee Byung-hoon. It first aired on MBC from September 15, 2003 to March 23, 20 ...
''. It first aired from September 15, 2003 to March 23, 2004 on MBC, where it was the top program with an average viewership rating of 46.3% and a peak of 57.8%, making it the 10th highest rated Korean drama of all time. Lee won the Daesang (Grand Prize) award at the
MBC Drama Awards The MBC Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony presented by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) for outstanding achievements in Korean dramas aired on its network. It is held annually in December. Unlike its counterparts in KBS and SBS, MB ...
, as well as the Top Excellence award. The show was then aired overseas in 91 countries and became exceptionally popular in Asia. The fame of ''Dae Jang Geum'' launched Lee into pan-Asia stardom as one of the biggest Hallyu stars. She has been invited to visit mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Japan. In 2006, for the first time in 12 years,
NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestr ...
had to use the NHK Hall to host the NHK show due to her popularity; stamps featuring Lee were released in Japan. She was also invited to the 2007 Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in China. Lee then starred in the third installment in
Park Chan-wook Park Chan-wook ( ; born 23 August 1963) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. He is considered as one of the most prominent filmmakers of South Korean cinema as well as world cinema in 21st century. ...
's ''
The Vengeance Trilogy ''The Vengeance Trilogy'' ( ko, italic=yes, 복수 삼부작) is a South Korean thematically-linked film trilogy directed by Park Chan-wook, comprising '' Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance'' (2002), '' Oldboy'' (2003) and ''Lady Vengeance'' (2005). Ea ...
'', titled ''
Sympathy For Lady Vengeance ''Lady Vengeance'' (; ; titled ''Sympathy for Lady Vengeance'' in Australia and Russia) is a 2005 South Korean psychological thriller film directed by Park Chan-wook. The film is the third and final installment in Park's '' Vengeance Trilogy'', ...
''. She was awarded Best Actress at the 2005
Blue Dragon Film Awards The Blue Dragon Film Awards () is an annual awards ceremony that is presented by ''Sports Chosun'' (a sister brand of the ''Chosun Ilbo'') for excellence in film in South Korea. The Blue Dragon Film Awards considers only blockbusters and popula ...
and 2006
Baeksang Art 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 ...
for her performance in the film. In 2006, Lee was invited sit on the jury bench of the 56th Berlin International Film Festival, becoming the first Korean actress to be selected as a jury member of the international film festival. In 2007, she received the Medal of Culture Merit for her contribution to the Korean Wave from the South Korean government. In 2015, it was announced that Lee would be making her comeback to television in SBS historical series ''
Saimdang, Memoir of Colors ''Saimdang, Memoir of Colors'' () is a South Korean drama starring Lee Young-ae in the title role as Shin Saimdang, a famous Joseon-era artist and calligrapher who lived in the early 16th century. It aired on SBS every Wednesday and Thursday at ...
''. She would be playing dual roles as
Shin Saimdang Shin Saimdang (Hangul: 신사임당, Hanja: 申師任堂; 29 October 1504 – 17 May 1551) was a Korean artist, writer, calligraphist, and poet, who lived during the Joseon period. She was born in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. Her birth home, ...
, a famed Joseon-era artist and calligrapher as well as a modern-day Korean history lecturer. The drama premiered in January 2017. In 2018, Lee was cast in the film '' Bring Me Home'', returning to the big screen after 13 years. In 2022, Lee was invited to be the jury member of the 27th Busan International Film Festival's "Actor of the Year Award".


Philanthropy

Besides her acting career, Lee has been involved with several charities. In 1997, she went to Ethiopia as a
NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
Goodwill Ambassador. She went to Thar Desert in 1999 to do
TV show
about people in India's lowest social caste. Later in 2001, she described these experiences in her autobiography “A Most Special Love” with partial English and donated the income from the sale of the book to charity. She was appointed a goodwill ambassador in 2004 by
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
and has since held several charity posts. She has made many donations to schools and hospitals, including Chosun First Middle School in Harbin and an elementary school in China that was later renamed Lee Young-Ae Elementary School. In 2012, she served as the celebrity spokesperson for the "Love Donation" project, hosted by the magazine Woman Chosun. She made a donation to build a school in Myanmar. In 2012, Lee launched a business for organic and eco-friendly products for children in Seoul. In July 2014, Taiwanese media reported that Lee had privately assisted a pregnant Taiwanese woman vacationing with her husband in Seoul. The woman gave birth to a girl prematurely and the infant had several complications. Lee found out about the couple through her friend and decided to pay their medical bills of NT$4 million (US$134,000) because the infant required two surgeries and constant medical care after she was born. Lee was subsequently given an award by Taiwan's Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation. In 2016, she helped a Vietnamese girl who went to Korea to treat her brain tumor by donating 37 million won for the operation and other medical bills. In
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, she is known as "Changumi" ( si, චංගුමී), and her popularity there led to the creation of the Sujatha Diyani Scholarship Fund in 2014, when she donated US$100,000. The fund aims at providing financial assistance to female students from low-income families. Lee also became the first actress to join the "Chime for Change" campaign of
Gucci Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragrance ...
to "raise funds and awareness for projects promoting education, health, and justice for girls and women" around the world. In 2015, Lee was appointed special envoy by the UNESCO Korean Commission. She promotes the commission's activities such as fundraising and a campaign to render educational support to underdeveloped countries. In March 2022, Lee donated 100 million won to Ukraine, which was damaged by the Russian invasion, along with a letter of consolation to the people of Ukraine. On May 1, 2022, Lee donated 100 million won to the Sowon Foundation Office in Yangpyeong City Gyeonggi-do Province to assist patients who have difficulty getting out of the house due to childhood cancer or rare diseases. On August 19, 2022, Lee donated to help those affected by the 2022 South Korean floods through the Korea Foundation for the Disabled. On November 3, 2022, Lee made a donation to help the victims of the
Seoul Halloween crowd crush On the night of 29 October 2022, a crowd crush occurred during Halloween festivities in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul, South Korea. At least 158 people were killed and 196 others were injured. The victims were mostly young adults. The crow ...
through donations to Korea Welfare Foundation for the Disabled.


Endorsements

In 1991, Lee made her debut as a rookie model, became known through a TV commercial for Pacific Chemical's (now
Amore Pacific Amorepacific Corporation is a South Korean beauty and cosmetics chaebol, operating more than 30 beauty, personal care, and health brands including Sulwhasoo, Laneige, Mamonde, Etude House, AMOREPACIFIC and Innisfree. The firm was founded in 19 ...
) cosmetics brand '' Mamonde''. Her urban image with her raised hair and trench coat collar left a strong impression on viewers, and Lee Young-ae, who was studying "German Language and Literature" at
Hanyang University Hanyang University (Korean: 한양대학교) is a private research university in South Korea. The main campus is located in Seoul and its satellite campus, the Education Research Industry Cluster (ERICA campus), is in Ansan. ''Hanyang'' (한양, ...
at that moment, rose to stardom with the modifier ''Oxygen Lady''. At that time, ''Mamonde'' became the most successful brand in the history of Pacific Chemical. The product ''Tropic Orange Makeup'', which was released in March 1994, achieved a record of selling 1.5 million units in two months. Due to the popularity of Mamonde and Lee Young-ae, competitors also poured out advertisements with a similar concept in 1997. She had been the face of ''Mamonde'' for 10 years. Since 2007, Lee became the global ambassador of LG Household & Health Care’s super-premium beauty brand ''The History of Whoo'' until now. In 2020, Lee had been selected as Korean ambassador for Ferragamo Eyewear. In July 2022, she was selected as the model for the new product "Lifening Beauty Collagen Ampoule" of the inner beauty brand ''Lifening''.


Personal life

In 2009, Lee married Jeong Ho-young, a Korean-American businessman who was twenty years older than her. On February 20, 2011, she gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl.


Filmography


Film


Television series


Television show


Awards and nominations


References and notes


External links


Lee Young-ae
at Good People Entertainment * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Young-ae Blue Dragon Film Award winners South Korean film actresses South Korean television actresses South Korean television personalities South Korean female models Chung-Ang University alumni Actresses from Seoul 1971 births Living people 20th-century South Korean actresses 21st-century South Korean actresses Hanyang University alumni Best Actress Paeksang Arts Award (film) winners