Lee Young-ae is a Korean actress. As such, she has played a wide range of roles in a wide range of projects, which in turn, have enabled her to find international success thanks to the reach of the Korean entertainment industries. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Lee Young-ae:
1. Born in Seoul
Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea. This is perhaps unsurprising, seeing as how Seoul is home to more than 48 percent of the South Korean population. Something that cements its status as one of the cultural, economic, and tourism capitals of the entire world.
2. Studied At Hanyang University
Education-wise, Lee studied at Hanyang University. In short, said school is one of the top private research universities in South Korea, which consists of a main campus in Seoul as well as a branch campus in Ansan. Primarily, Hanyang University is famous for its engineering. Something that makes perfect sense when one learns that it was founded as the Dong-A Engineering Institute. Over the course of its existence, the school has encountered a number of serious challenges, but it has more than managed to overcome them.
3. Studied German and German Literature
Speaking of which, when Lee was in school, she studied German as well as German literature. Nowadays, much of the English-speaking world associates Germany with more material matters. However, it should be mentioned that the Germans have been known to call Germany the Land of Poets and Thinkers, which is based on the high number of artists and philosophers to have come from the Germanies over the course of centuries. Even now, the influence of figures such as Johann Sebastian Bach and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe can still be felt throughout their respective fields.
4. Fluent in Both German and English
Given that she studied German and German literature, it makes sense that Lee would be fluent in the German language. However, it is interesting to note that she is fluent in the English language as well, thus making her trilingual at the very least. It isn’t uncommon for South Koreans to have some understanding of English thanks to the South Korean government’s efforts to teach it through the South Korean education system, but true fluency is still very much something that stands out.
5. Started Out As a Model
It is interesting to note that Lee started out as a model in the early 1990s. Soon enough, she started showing up in commercials, which in turn, were followed by her first appearances in TV shows. As Lee showed up in more and more roles, her profile became higher and higher, thus putting her on the path to becoming the star that she is in the present time.
6. Was in Joint Security Area
By the late 1990s, Lee was appearing in movies. For instance, there was Joint Security Area in 2000, which was a mystery thriller about the seeming murder of two North Korean soldiers by a South Korean soldier in the DMZ. In it, Lee played the role of a Swiss major named Sophie E. Jean who is responsible for investigating what happened, which could have enormous consequences for the relationship between the two Koreas. Numbers-wise, Joint Security Area is notable because it became the highest-grossing South Korean movie ever made when it came out, though it has been surpassed in that regard by other South Korean movies.
7. Was in Dae Jang Geum
With that said, there are a lot of South Koreans who are more familiar with Lee because of her starring role in the historical drama Dae Jang Geum. For those who are curious, Dae Jang Geum was centered on Lee’s character Jang-geum, who was said to have been the first woman to serve as a royal physician in Korea. There are sources that support her being a real person, but there is still an ongoing debate about her existence nonetheless. As for the Dae in Dae Jang Geum, that refers to Jang-geum’s right to use “Dae” meaning “Great.”
8. International Star
Lee’s fame isn’t limited to South Korea, seeing as how she has made huge contributions to the Korean Wave. As such, she is a famous figure in China, Japan, and other Asian countries. On top of that, it should be mentioned that Lee was the first South Korean actress to serve on the jury panel for the International Berlin Film Festival, which is no mean honor.
9. Very Active in Philanthropy
Speaking of which, Lee seems to be very active when it comes to philanthropy. For example, she has been known to support schools, which is why there is an elementary school in China called Lee Young-Ae Elementary School. Likewise, there is a well-known incident in which Lee covered the medical bills of a pregnant Taiwanese woman who was vacationing in South Korea when she gave premature birth to a baby girl, who needed two surgeries as well as constant care to survive. On top of this, she has contributed to a Sri Lankan scholarship fund that specializes in helping out female students from low income families, thus making new opportunities available to said individuals. These are but some examples of Lee’s philanthropy, which don’t cover her work with various nonprofit organizations.
10. Has Returned to the Movie Screen
In recent times, interested individuals might have seen Lee’s name pop up in the entertainment news once more. This is because she has made a return to acting after a long time away. First, she was in a TV show called Saimdang, Memoir of Colors in which she played not one but two major characters. Second, she was in a movie called Bring Me Home that sees her in the role of a mother who has been contacted by someone saying that they have seen a child who looks just like her son who has been missing for six years. Suffice to say that said role involves a complicated mix of emotions, thus making Lee an excellent choice thanks to her considerable expertise and experience.
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