There has always been great interest in Lee Bo-young, whether for its impact on society, its relevance in history or its influence on culture. Lee Bo-young has been the subject of studies, debates and analyzes in various disciplines, which demonstrates its importance in the current context. In this article, we will explore different aspects related to Lee Bo-young, from its origin to its evolution today. We will analyze its impact in different areas and its relevance in everyday life, with the aim of better understanding its meaning and role in society.
She began her career in the industry with winning the Daejeon entry for the Miss Korea 2000.[5] Having majored in Korean literature at Seoul Women's University, she originally dreamed of becoming a news presenter. She was one of 15 finalists in MBC's annual recruitment drive in 2002, but ended up not getting the job.[6] Instead, she turned to modeling, and was chosen as the exclusive advertising model for Asiana Airlines, considered a gateway to stardom.
Lee made her acting debut in 2003, and among her early roles were in People of the Water Flower Village (2004) opposite Song Il-gook,[7] and as the antagonist in Save the Last Dance for Me (2004).[8]
Her two films released in 2009 were both melodramas. In More than Blue, Lee plays the soulmate of a terminally ill man (Kwon Sang-woo), but their love ends in a tragedy undercut with a poetic sparseness.[17][18] While in I Am Happy, Lee played a nurse who falls for a patient in the psychiatric ward (Hyun Bin), and in each other they find consolation to see them through their harsh and miserable reality.[19]
She then played the titular character in Seoyoung, My Daughter (2012–2013), a career woman who is angry at her father (Chun Ho-jin), whose gambling addiction led to her mother's death, yet she struggles to keep the family together and make ends meet.[24] Lee said playing Seo-young required a greater depth of emotion than any of her previous roles, which left her drained but also feeling a greater sense of achievement.[6] The family drama was the biggest hit yet of Lee's career; it dominated the weekly ratings chart for 22 straight weeks, and recorded a series high of 47.6% on its last episode, the highest Korean drama rating in 2013.[25]
Her follow-up series I Can Hear Your Voice (2013) was also popular during its run.[26] In it, Lee played a materialistic public defender who testified on behalf of a boy with supernatural abilities (Lee Jong-suk) a decade ago after she witnessed the boy's father being murdered.[27] Critics said with her stubborn and argumentative character, Lee was able to break free of her previous calm and elegant image.[28] She won several awards for her performance, including the Daesang ("Grand Prize"), the highest honor at the SBS Drama Awards.[29][30] Lee was selected as Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year in 2013.[4]
In 2014, Lee played a mother who travels back in time two weeks before her daughter's kidnapping and murder in God's Gift: 14 Days.[31][32] In 2017, Lee starred in SBS legal thriller Whisper,[33] playing the role of a section chief of criminal division who gets dismissed from the police and later on disguise herself and work as an undercover at a law firm.[34]
While on acting hiatus in 2015 during her pregnancy, she published the book Time of Love, a collection of essays on 23 books with themes of love, consolation and growth that have impacted Lee throughout her childhood and adulthood; they include The Little Prince, José Mauro de Vasconcelos's My Sweet Orange Tree, and Alain de Botton's Essays in Love.[44]
In February 2023, Lee hosted the Accompanying charity concert to support children Ukrainians oppressed by the ongoing war.[47]
Personal life
Marriage and family
Lee met actor Ji Sung on the set of 2004 TV series Save Last Dance for Me, and they confirmed their relationship in 2007.[48][49][50][51] On August 2, 2013, they announced their engagement by uploading handwritten letters on their respective official fan sites.[52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59] They married at Aston House, W Seoul Walkerhill Hotel on September 27, 2013.[60][61][62] Their first child, daughter Kwak Ji-yoo was born on June 13, 2015.[63][64] Their second child, a son named Kwak Woo-sung, was born on February 5, 2019.[65]
Philanthropy
In 2015, Lee donated 100 million won to the Children's Cancer Center at Seoul National University Hospital.[66]
^ abPark Yoon-jin (December 29, 2020). "tvN 측 "이보영·김서형·옥자연, '마인' 긍정 검토 중...고소영은 출연 NO" [공식]" [tvN side "Lee Bo-young, Kim Seo-hyung, Okja-yeon,'Mine' affirmative review... Go So-young appears NO" ]. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
^"이보영, 2013 SBS 연기대상 MC '확정'". Star News (in Korean). December 11, 2003. Archived from the original on August 13, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
^Lee, Jung-beum (February 27, 2023). "이보영-장사익, 우크라이나 어린이돕기 자선 콘서트 성료" [Lee Bo-young and Jang Sa-ik successfully completed a charity concert to help children in Ukraine] (in Korean). X-ports News. Archived from the original on August 13, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023 – via Naver.
^OSEN (January 8, 2015). "[단독] 이보영, 서울대 소아암센터에 1억원 기부". mosen.mt.co.kr (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 9, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
^Kim Myung-mi (June 10, 2022). "이보영-조성하-손나은-한준우-전혜진, JTBC '대행사' 캐스팅[공식]" [Bo-young Lee - Seong-ha Jo - Na-eun Son - Jun-woo Han - Hye-jin Jeon, JTBC 'Agency' Casting ] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2022 – via Naver.
^Ha Ji-won (October 19, 2023). "이보영 이무생 부부된다, 쿠팡플레이 '하이드' 제작 확정→캐스팅 공개 [공식]" [Lee Bo-young and Lee Moo-saeng become married, Coupang Play's 'Hyde' production confirmed → Casting revealed ] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved October 19, 2023 – via Naver.
^Park So-young (May 2, 2023). "송혜교x유재석→아이브, 브랜드 대상..코쿤x고윤정도 '쾌거' [브랜드 대상]" [Song Hye-kyo x Yoo Jae-seok → Ive, Brand Grand Prize.. Cocoon x Go Yoon-jeong 'Splendid Achievement' ] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Naver.
^엄태웅-이보영, 춘사영화제 남녀 신인상!. inews24 (in Korean). October 27, 2006. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2018.