Lee Seung-yeon (; born August 18, 1968) is a South Korean actress, television host and beauty pageant titleholder.

Career

Lee Seung-yeon graduated from Inha Technical College in

Incheon Incheon is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. As of February 2020, ...

with a degree in Airline Navigation, and became a

flight attendant A flight attendant is a member of the aircrew whose primary responsibility is ensure the safety of passengers in the cabin of an aircraft across all stages of flight. Their secondary duty is to see to the comfort of passengers. Flight attenda ...

for

Korean Air Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. (KAL; ) is the flag carrier of South Korea and its largest airline based on fleet size, international destinations, and international flights. It is owned by the Hanjin, Hanjin Group. The present-day Korean Air tra ...

. In 1992, she joined and won third place in the

Miss Korea Miss Korea () is a national beauty pageant in South Korea. The reigning Miss Korea is Kim Chae-Won who was crowned on September 24, 2024. History The first Miss Korea competition took place in 1957 and was sponsored by the Korean newspaper Ha ...

beauty pageant. She was South Korea's representative to the 1993

Miss World Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Mi ...

pageant, where she became one of the top ten finalists. Shortly after the pageant, Lee became a reporter for entertainment news program ''Scoop TV Entertainment'', then launched her acting career in 1993 with the campus drama ''Our Paradise''. She appeared in 1990s television dramas such as ''Love Is in Your Embrace'', ''Hotel'', ''Icing'', ''Wedding Dress'', and '' First Love'', the last of which became the most highly rated Korean drama of all time with a peak viewership rating of 65.8%. She also made her big screen debut in 1996's ''Piano Man'', followed by the films ''Change'' and ''Saturday, 2:00 p.m.''. Lee's popularity was at its peak during these years, and in 1998 she hosted her own

talk show A talk show is a television programming, radio programming or podcast genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show', pp.3-4Erler, Robert (201 ...

''Lee Seung-yeon's Say Say Say''. With her sophisticated and cosmopolitan image, the clothes and accessories she wore became fashion trends, such as her blue-colored

contact lens Contact lenses, or simply contacts, are thin lenses placed directly on the surface of the eyes. Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices used by over 150 million people worldwide, and they can be worn to correct vision or for cosmetic ...

es in ''Spider'', her head

kerchief A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvre-chef'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana or bandanna, is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the Human head, head, face, or neck for protective or decorative purposes. The popularity of ...

in ''Cinderella'', and her black suit in ''Man of Autumn''. Capitalizing on her image as a trendsetter, she launched her own clothing line ''About el'' in 2007, which became a hit among consumers. This paved the way for Lee's first talk show in eight years, ''Style Magazine'' on cable channel OnStyle. Though she continues to act, Lee has become more known in recent years for hosting various style-related talk shows on cable.

Controversy

Illegal driver's license

In May 1998, Lee was found to have illegally obtained a

driver's license A driver's license, driving licence, or driving permit is a legal authorization, or the official document confirming such an authorization, for a specific individual to operate one or more types of motorized vehicles—such as motorcycles, ca ...

without going through the requisite tests and seminars. She was sentenced to one year's

probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offence (law), offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incar ...

and 80 hours of

community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community contributing to a noble cause. In many cases, people doing community service are compensated in other ways, such as gettin ...

. Because of public disapproval regarding the incident, her drama ''Heart of Lies'' was cut short, and she lost roles she had been previously cast in to

Yoo Ho-jeong You Ho-jeong (; born January 24, 1969) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in 1991 and has been starring in television and film since. Roles include a divorcee whose husband lives next door in daily drama '' Definitely Neighbors' ...

(''Trap of Youth'') and Lee Young-ae (''Invitation'').

Hit and run

In April 2002, Lee was implicated in a

hit and run In traffic laws, a hit and run or a hit-and-run is the criminal act of causing a traffic collision and not stopping afterwards. It is considered a supplemental crime in most jurisdictions. Additional obligation In many jurisdictions, there ma ...

because she owned the vehicle driven by Kim Mo-sshi, son of celebrity Jang Young-ja. Since her costar

Lee Geung-young Lee Geung-young (; born December 12, 1960) is a South Korean actor. Education and career Lee graduated from the Department of Drama in Seoul. He debuted in 1977 and after completing his mandatory military service, he debuted in 1982 as the 10th ...

was also being investigated at the time for having sex with a minor, both scandals caused their film ''Forgive Me Once Again Despite Hatred'' (also known as ''Love Me Once Again 2002'' or ''Again'') to flop at the box office.

Comfort women photographs

On February 12, 2004 Lee, and companies Lototo Inc. and Netian Entertainment held a press conference to announce their plan to sell erotic photographs and videos of Lee posing as a comfort woman over the Internet, starting in March. "

Comfort women Comfort women were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II. The term ''comfort women'' is a translation of the Japanese , a euphemism ...

" is the

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese term for women who were forced to serve as their armies'

sex slaves Sexual slavery and sexual exploitation is an attachment of any ownership right over one or more people with the intent of coercing or otherwise forcing them to engage in sexual activities. This includes forced labor that results in sexual ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The first part of the project was shot on

Palau Island Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. The Republic of Palau consists of approximately 340 islands and is the western part of the Caroline Islands, w ...

in the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

, where real comfort women were taken, with the next phases planned in

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

and Japan. They declared they did this to return the issue to the spotlight and that part of the profits would go to surviving comfort women. A few photographs were released, showing a semi-nude Lee bathing in the sea, sleeping on the floor, and wearing somewhat revealing white clothes, with dirt on her face. This caused a great outcry from the surviving comfort women and the Korean Council for Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan. A press conference to announce the project's cancellation was held on February 16. Following the cancellation, Lee tearfully made a personal apology on her knees at the House of Sharing, a residence for some of the survivors. The women rejected her apology until the materials were destroyed, something the producer was hesitant to do. The producer further proposed a preview screening to obtain public approval for the project—they had 1 hour and a half of video and about 1,500-2,000 photos. Finally on February 19, he shaved his head (in a traditional gesture of apology) and publicly burned the materials in front of some of the surviving comfort women. Disregarding feminist criticisms of her casting,

Kim Ki-duk Kim Ki-duk ( ; 20 December 196011 December 2020) was a South Korean film director and screenwriter, noted for his Idiosyncrasy, idiosyncratic Art film, art-house cinematic works. His films have received many distinctions in the festival circuit ...

directed Lee in the 2004 film ''

3-Iron ''3-Iron'' () is a 2004 romantic drama film written, produced and directed by Kim Ki-duk. An international co-production between South Korea and Japan, the film stars Jae Hee as a young drifter who develops a relationship with an abused house ...

''. A love story between a battered woman and a younger man who lives in empty houses, Lee and costar Jae Hee's acting were praised, and Kim won Best Director at the

61st Venice International Film Festival The 61st annual Venice International Film Festival, was held from 1 and 11 September 2004, at Venice Lido in Italy. British filmmaker John Boorman was the jury president for the main competition. The Golden Lion was awarded to ''Vera Drake'' ...

. Despite the acclaim for ''3-Iron'', the comfort women controversy had a lasting negative effect on Lee's career, and it would take two more years before she made her acting comeback in

Kim Soo-hyun Kim Soo-hyun (; born February 16, 1988) is a South Korean actor. He is the recipient of five Baeksang Arts Awards, two Grand Bell Awards and one Blue Dragon Film Award. Kim made his television debut in 2007 with the family sitcom ''Kimchi Che ...

's ''Love and Ambition'' in 2006.

Drug use

In 2013, she became involved in another controversy when she was indicted for illegal use of the drug

propofol Propofol is the active component of an intravenous anesthetic formulation used for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. It is chemically termed 2,6-diisopropylphenol. The formulation was approved under the brand name Diprivan. Nu ...

. Cable channel Story On cancelled her talk show ''Lee Seung-yeon and 100 Women'' as a result. Lee admitted taking propofol, but said it was legally prescribed by her doctor to treat a

spinal fracture A spinal fracture, also called a vertebral fracture or a broken back, is a bone fracture, fracture affecting the vertebrae of the spinal column. Most types of spinal fracture confer a significant risk of spinal cord injury. After the immediate tr ...

diagnosed in 2003, and that it was also administered to her as an

anesthetic An anesthetic (American English) or anaesthetic (British English; see spelling differences) is a drug used to induce anesthesia ⁠— ⁠in other words, to result in a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. They may be divided into t ...

at skin care clinics. The Seoul Central District Court found Lee guilty of taking propofol at least 320 times over six years (or 4.5 times a month), and she was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years.

Tongyang Group The Tongyang Group, also spelled Tong Yang Group, is a South Korean conglomerate founded in 1957 by Lee Yang-gu, a confectionery businessman who had decided to expand into the cement industry. Over the following decades it expanded to include hold ...

later sued Lee for

breach of contract Breach of contract is a legal cause of action and a type of civil wrong, in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other part ...

; she had signed a one-year advertising contract with the company's apparel division in 2012, which stipulated that she must not break the law or commit acts that harm the brand's image. The court ordered Lee to pay in 2015.

Personal life

Lee married Kim Moon-chul, a Korean-American fashion entrepreneur, on December 28, 2007 at Sol Beach Resort in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province. She gave birth to a daughter in June 2009.

Filmography

Television series

*'' The Secret House'' (MBC, 2022) *''

Left-Handed Wife ''Left-Handed Wife'' () is a 2019 Korean drama, South Korean television series starring Lee Soo-kyung (actress, born 1982), Lee Soo-kyung and Kim Jin-woo (actor), Kim Jin-woo. It aired from January 2 to May 31, 2019 on KBS2. It is also the first ...

'' (

KBS2 KBS 2TV is a South Korean free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen ...

, 2018) *''

The Rich Son ''The Rich Son'' () is a South Korean television series starring Kim Ji-hoon, Kim Ju-hyeon, Lee Kyu-han, and Hong Soo-hyun. The series aired 4 episodes every Sunday from March 25 to October 7, 2018 from 8:50 p.m. to 11:20 p.m. ( KST) ...

'' ( MBC, 2018) *''

Schoolgirl Detectives ''Schoolgirl Detectives'' () is a South Korean television series based on the novel of the same title by Park Ha-ik. Starring Jin Ji-hee, Kang Min-ah, Lee Hye-ri, Lee Min-ji, Stephanie Lee, and Kim Min-jun, it aired on jTBC from December 16, 2 ...

'' (

jTBC JTBC (shortened from Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company; ; stylized in all lowercase) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on December 1, ...

, 2014–2015) *''

The Great Seer ''The Great Seer'' (, also known as ''The Great Geomancer'') is a 2012 South Korean historical television series, starring Ji Sung, Ji Jin-hee, Song Chang-eui, Kim So-yeon and Lee Yoon-ji. Set during the turbulent decline of Goryeo, it is ...

'' ( SBS, 2012–2013) *''

Happy Ending A happy ending is an ending of the plot of a work of fiction in which there is a positive outcome for the protagonist or protagonists, and in which this is to be considered a favourable outcome. In storylines where the protagonists are in phy ...

'' (jTBC, 2012) *''The Scarlet Letter'' ( MBC, 2010–2011) *''Moon Hee'' (2007) *''Love and Ambition'' (2006) *''Perfect Love'' (SBS, 2003) *''Who's My Love'' (

, 2002) *''Man of Autumn'' (MBC, 2001) *''Oriental Theater'' (KBS2, 2001) *''Three Friends'' (MBC, 2000) (

guest appearance The term guest appearance generally denotes the appearance of a guest in an artistic or pop-culture setting. The guests themselves (referred to as guest artists, featured artists, guest stars, or guest fighters, depending on context), are disting ...

) *''Medical Center'' (MBC, 2000–2001) *''Legends of Love'' (SBS, 2000) *''Love Story'' (SBS, 1999, episode 1 "Sunflower") *''Did You Ever Love?'' (KBS2, 1999–2000) *''Heart of Lies'' (MBC, 1998) *''Wedding Dress'' (KBS2, 1997–1998) *''Ready Go!'' (MBC, 1997) (

) *''Cinderella'' (MBC, 1997) *'' First Love'' (KBS2, 1996–1997) *''Icing'' (MBC, 1996) *''Spider'' (MBC, 1995) *''Hotel'' (MBC, 1995) *'' Sandglass'' (SBS, 1995) *''Friday's Woman'' - ''Heaven Without Angels'' (KBS2, 1994) *''Last Lovers'' (MBC, 1994) *''Love is in Your Embrace'' (MBC, 1994) *''Police'' (KBS2, 1994) *''Morning Glory'' (MBC, 1993) *''Our Paradise'' (MBC, 1993)

Film

*''

'' (2004) *''Again'' (2002) *''Saturday, 2:00 p.m.'' (1998) *''Change'' (1997) *''Piano Man'' (1996)

Variety shows

*''Super Diva 2012'' ( tvN, 2012) *''Lee Seung-yeon and 100 Women'' (Story On, 2011–2013) *''MBC Prime'' - 한식의 세계화, 양념에 그 길을 묻다 (MBC, 2010) (narration) *''Lee Seung-yeon and

Lee Soo-geun Lee Soo-geun (; born February 10, 1975) is a South Korean comedian who has worked on a number of comedy shows on South Korean television. He began his career as a comedian on KBS '' Gag Concert''. Career Before entering the entertainment indu ...

's Kitchen Road'' (TrendE, 2010) *''Talk & City 4'' (Story On, 2010) *''Super Mom Diary'' (Story On, 2009) *''Design's Era of Success'' (SBS, 2008) *''Goddess of the Wind II Survival Report'' (tvN, 2008) *''Style Magazine'' ( OnStyle, 2006) *''TV Entertainment Tonight'' (SBS, 2000) *''Lee Seung-yeon's Say Say Say'' (SBS, 1998) *''Summer Go Go'' ( KBS, 1993) *밤으로 가는 ''Show'' (KBS, 1993) *''Youth Sketch'' (KBS, 1993) *''Saturday Saturday Is Fun'' (MBC, 1993–1995) *''Scoop TV Entertainment'' (MBC, 1992) *신 전국일주 (KBS, 1992)

Animated series

*''Hotel Africa'' (MBC)

Radio program

*''Lee Seung-yeon's Cine Town'' (

SBS Power FM HLSQ-FM, also known as ''SBS Power FM'' (), is a K-pop music radio station of the Seoul Broadcasting System. The station is heard nationwide via syndication with local FM stations in Korea via HLDG-FM in Busan, HLDE-FM in Daegu, HLDH-FM in G ...

, 2007–2009) *''FM Popular Song'' (KBS, 1994) *''FM Dating'' (MBC FM Radio, 1993)

Awards

*2022

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, MBC ...

: Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Daily/One Act Drama ('' The Secret House'') *2001

KBS Drama Awards The KBS Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony presented by the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) for outstanding achievements in Korean dramas aired on its network. It is held annually on 31 December. The highest honor of the ceremony is the "Gr ...

: Popularity Award (''Oriental Theater'') *2000

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 ...

: Big Star Award (''Legends of Love'', ''Medical Center'') *1996 32nd

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 introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the newspaper ''Hankook Ilbo'', ...

: Most Popular Actress (TV) *1995

: Excellence Award, Actress *1992

: Third Place *1990 Smile Queen Contest: Smile Queen

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Seung-yeon 1968 births Living people Miss World 1993 delegates Actresses from Seoul Miss Korea delegates People from Jung District, Seoul South Korean film actresses South Korean television actresses South Korean criminals 21st-century South Korean actresses South Korean people convicted of drug offenses