Biography of Lee Young-ae

Lee Young-ae, a South Korean actress, was born on 31 January 1971. She earned recognition for her acting performances in the 2005 film ‘Sympathy for Lady Vengeance‘ and the 2003 Korean historical drama ‘Dae Jang Geum’. For her exceptional acting, she won Best Actress awards at the 38th ‘Sitges Film Festival’, the 26th ‘Blue Dragon Film Awards’, and the 42nd ‘Baeksang Arts Awards’.

Early Life and Education

Lee Chung-seok and Yoon-taehwi welcomed Lee Young-ae into the world on 31 January 1971 in Seoul, South Korea. She has two older brothers. Lee Young-ae enrolled at Hanyang University for her Bachelor of Arts degree in German Language and Literature after completing her high school education. She enrolled at Chung Ang University for a Master of Arts in Theater and Film after receiving her Bachelor’s degree. In 1991, Lee Young-ae began her modelling career. She appeared in a number of television commercials before getting the chance to act in the TV series ‘How’s Your Husband’ in 1993.

Career and Achievements  

In 1991, she started her career as a model and made numerous television commercial appearances. ‘How’s Your Husband?’, a 1993 drama, where she made her acting debut, earned her the Best New Actress Award at the ‘SBS Drama Awards’.
She appeared in the 2000 mystery-thriller ‘Joint Security Area’, which went on to become the highest-grossing Korean movie of that year. She then performed the melodrama ‘Last Present’.

In Hur Jin- ho’s film ‘One Fine Spring Day’, which was released in 2001, Lee collaborated once more with the director, earning her Best Actress award from the ‘Busan Film Critics’. Additionally, Lee was introduced to a Taiwanese audience through her role in the TV show ‘Fireworks’.

In ‘Dae Jang Geum’, Lee’s role in the historical drama helped her become well-known in South Korea for her acting. From 15 September 2003 to 23 March 2004, MBC aired it for the first time. It received the 10th-highest rating of any Korean drama. Along with the Top Excellence Award, Lee also won the Daesang Award at the MBC Drama Awards.

The drama was well-liked not only in 91 other countries but also in Asia. Lee became one of the biggest Hallyu stars and a pan-Asian celebrity because of the fame of the drama series ‘Dae Jang Geum’. In addition to mainland China, she has been invited to travel to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Japan.
For the first time in 12 years, NHK had to host the NHK show in the NHK Hall in 2006 due to Lee’s popularity. The 2007 Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in China also extended an invitation to her.

In the 2005 film ‘Sympathy For Lady Vengeance’, part of Park Chan-wook’s Vengeance Trilogy, Lee played the lead role. Both the 2005 Blue Dragon Film Awards and the 2006 Baeksang Art Awards recognised her for her work as the best actress. Lee was chosen and invited to represent on the 56th Berlin International Film Festival jury panel.
Consequently, she became the first Korean actress to be chosen for the International Film Festival jury. She was awarded the Medal of Cultural Merit by the South Korean government in 2007 for her contribution to the Korean Wave.

Personal Life and Net Worth

The Korean American businessman Jeong Ho-young and Lee Young-ae got married in July 2009. Jeong Ho-young and Lee has nearly 20 years of age difference between them. She gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl on February 20, 2011, at Jeil Hospital in Jung-gu, Seoul, who were named Jeong Seung-kwon and Jeong Seung-bin. Lee Young-ae is one of the wealthiest Korean actresses in the world. Lee’s net worth is estimated to be 40 million US dollars as of 2023.

Philanthropy

In addition to her acting career, Lee has been active with several charities. In 1997, she visited Ethiopia as a goodwill ambassador. She travelled to the Thar Desert in 1999 to film a TV programme about India’s lowest social caste. She details her various experiences in her autobiography, “A Most Special Love”. Lee the book’s net income to a charity cause.

In 2004, UNICEF named Lee as its goodwill ambassador. Since then, she has made several donations to various charities. Numerous contributions were made to various organisations, including hospitals and schools like Chosun First Middle School in Harbin, China. She acted as the “Love Donation” project’s celebrity spokesperson in 2012, which was organised by the magazine Woman Chosun. She donated money to help construct a school in Myanmar.

In Seoul, Lee opened a business of eco-friendly and organic children’s products in 2012. Taiwanese media revealed in July 2014 that Lee had helped a pregnant Taiwanese woman privately while she and her husband were on vacation in Seoul. The infant needed two surgeries and ongoing medical care after she was born, so Lee learned about the couple through her friend and made the decision to cover their medical expenses.

Following that, the Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation of Taiwan presented Lee with a prize. She provided a donation of 37 million won in 2016 to pay for the procedure and other medical costs for a Vietnamese girl who travelled to Korea to receive treatment for a brain tumour.

Due to Lee Young-ae’s popularity, she was given the title “Changumi” in Sri Lanka, and in 2014, she donated 100,000 USD to start the Sujatha Diyani Scholarship Fund. The donation was made with the intention of aiding female students from low-income families. In order to “raise funds and awareness for projects promoting education, health, and justice for girls and women” all over the world, Lee also took part in Gucci’s “Chime for Change” campaign.

Lee was appointed a special envoy by the UNESCO Korean Commission in 2015. She promotes the commission’s initiatives, including fundraising efforts and a drive to help developing nations with their educational needs. For the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Lee donated 100 million won.

On 1 May 2022, Lee made a donation of 100 million won to the Sowon Foundation Office in Yangpyeong City, Gyeonggi Province, in order to aid patients with paediatric cancer or other rare diseases. On 19 August 2022, Lee gave 100 million won to the Korean Foundation for the Disabled in support of the 2022 South Korean Flood.

On 3 November 2022, Lee made donations through the Korea Welfare Foundation for the Disabled in order to aid the victims of the Seoul Halloween Crowd Crush. In addition, on January 22, 2023, Lee gave 50 million won to Guryong Village, Gangnam District, Seoul residents who had been affected by the fire.

Interesting Facts about Lee Young-ae

1. Swimming is one of Lee’s favourite activities.
2. Pink and brown are Lee’s two preferred colour choices.
3. Lee Young-ae follows Buddhism.
4. Lee Young-ae’s favourite cuisine is Chinese.
5. Lee has a contract with Good People Entertainment.
6. Lee was a judge for Miss Korea 2015.
7. Lee Young is a huge fan of BTS.
8. Lee has her own beauty brand called Lyanature.

FAQ’s

1. How old is Lee Young-ae at present?
   Lee Young-ae, as of 2023, is 52 years old.
2. Who is Lee Young-ae married to?
   Lee Young is married to Jeong Ho-young.
3. What is Lee Young-ae’s favourite hobby?
   Swimming is her favourite hobby.
4. What other languages can Lee Young speak?
   Other than Korean, Lee can also speak English and German.
5. When is Lee Young’s Birthday?
   Lee celebrates her birthday on January 31.
6. What is Lee Young’s Instagram ID?
   leeyoungae0824 is her Instagram ID.