Lee Young-ah (Korean이영아; born October 23, 1984) is a South Korean actress and model. She is best known for playing the role of Nguyen Jin Joo in Golden Bride,[1] a 2008 drama that was extended by 14 episodes due to its popularity.[2] It was in the Top 3 Korean Dramas of the South Korean Nielson Ratings during January–February 2008 and the Top 7 for TNmS Ratings.

Lee Young-ah
Lee Young-ah in 2013
Lee in 2013
Born (1984-10-23) October 23, 1984 (age 40)
Daegu Suseong District, South Korea
EducationHanyang University – Bachelor of Arts in Dance
OccupationActress
Years active2003–present
Spouse
Unknown
(m. 2021)
Children1
Korean name
Hangul
이영아
Hanja
Revised RomanizationI Yeong-a
McCune–ReischauerI Yŏnga

She is also known for her role in the drama King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo as Yang Mi-sun, the love interest of main character, Kim Tak-goo. She won the 2010 KBS Drama Awards "Best Couple Award" for this role together with Yoon Shi-yoon.[3][unreliable source?][4]

Career

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Lee Young Ah began acting when she was 19 years old. She first appeared in the SBS TV Drama I Love You, My Enemy as well as The Youth in Bare Foot, Golden Apple and Wedding. In the 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards, she won the Best New Actress Award for her role as the young Kyung Sook in Golden Apple.[5]

She also put in cameo appearances in movies such as Ghost Story, Caramel, Two Faces of My Girlfriend and lent her voice in Dachimawa Lee.[6][better source needed]

In 2006, she got her first lead in a TV series, Love Can't Wait, where she plays a 19-year-old senior in a girls' school who falls in love with a poor college law student played by Hong Kyung-min. In the same year, she appeared in a music video by Eru, titled Black Glasses along with Kim Hyun-joong.

Her next lead role in a drama was Golden Bride in 2007, where Lee plays a young bride from Vietnam. In order to appease her blind mother, she marries a Korean man to search for her father in Korea. The drama acquired high TV Ratings which led to the addition of 14 more episodes.[2]

In 2008, she was cast as the second female lead in the drama Iljimae where she played Bong Soon, a funny and silly swindler related to the past of the male lead. She co-stars with Han Hyo-joo, Lee Joon-gi and Park Si-hoo.[7]

In 2009, she was in the drama Empress Chun Chu where she played Empress Dae Mok.

In 2010, she was again one of the main leads in King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo as Yang Mi-sun.[8] She sang a song in the series titled Love Is. The series earned high ratings and was also shown in the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries.[9]

After her success in King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo, she joined the main cast in Vampire Prosecutor and again in Vampire Prosecutor 2 as prosecutor, Yoo Jung-In.[10][11][unreliable source?]

In 2013, she starred in the short 10 episode drama Unemployed Romance along with Namkoong Min. The drama follows the love story of an unemployed drama screenwriter who ends up meeting and then falling in love with, the worker at the unemployment benefits center responsible for distributing her unemployment checks.[12]

Personal life

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In November 2018, it was confirmed by their respective agencies that Lee and her Love to the End co-star Kang Eun-tak have been dating since October 2018.[13] In April 2019, it was confirmed by their respective agencies that Lee and Kang Eun-tak had ended their relationship earlier that year.[14][15]

Lee Young-ah is due to be married to her non-celebrity boyfriend in March 2020 originally, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, the wedding was postponed to the end of the year. On August 23, 2020, Lee's agency announced that Lee had given birth to her first child, a son.[16][17][unreliable source?]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2006 A Ghost's Story
Caramel
2007 Two Faces of My Girlfriend Glamor girl
2008 Dachimawa Lee Navigation voice Cameo
2011 Julie's Land Adventures Julie Aniomated; Korean dubbing
2012 Natural Burials Chung-ah
2015 Snow in Sea Breeze Sun-mi
2018 Notebook from My Mother Daughter

Television series

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2005 I Love You, My Enemy Kim Mi-hyang
The Barefooted Youth
Wedding
Golden Apple young Kyung-sook
2006 Love Can't Wait Seo Eun-min
2007 Golden Bride Nguyen Jin-joo
2008 Iljimae Bong-soon
2009 Empress Cheonchu Empress Daemok
2010 Bread, Love and Dreams Yang Mi-sun
2011 Vampire Prosecutor Yoo Jung-in
2012 Natural Burials Chung-ah
Dream of the Emperor Queen Seungman
Vampire Prosecutor 2 Yoo Jung-in
2013 Unemployed Romance Im Seung-hee
2014 KBS Drama Special:
"Bomi's Room"
Gong Eon-joo
Run, Jang-mi Baek Jang-mi
2015 Cheo Yong Kim Yoo-ri Season 2; Cameo (Episode 1)
2018 Love to the End Han Ka-young

Variety shows

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2003 Kang Ho-dong's Soulmates
2011 Home Sweet Home (Dalgona) (추석특집 달고나) Host [18][unreliable source?][19]
2011–2012 Comedy Big League Season 1–2
2012 Love Cook
2014 Law of the Jungle in Borneo Cast member [20]

Music videos appearances

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Year Song title Artist Ref.
2006 "Black Glasses" Eru
2009 "Why Did You Call..."

Discography

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Year Track Album
2010 Love Is Bread, Love and Dreams OST

Awards and nominations

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Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
Baeksang Arts Awards 2006 Best New Actress (TV) Golden Apple Won
2009 Most Popular Actress (TV) Iljimae Nominated
KBS Drama Awards 2010 Best Couple Award Lee Young-ah (with Yoon Shi-yoon)
Bread, Love and Dreams
Won
2018 Excellence Award, Actor in a Daily Drama Love to the End Nominated
Korean Broadcasting Awards 2008 Best New Actress Iljimae Won
SBS Drama Awards 2008 Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama Special Nominated
2015 Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama Run, Jang-mi Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Cinema Bridges Korea, Vietnam". May 19, 2008. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "인기행진 SBS '황금신부' 연장방송 결정". November 21, 2007. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  3. ^ 이영아 탤런트, 영화배우. Naver (in Korean). September 3, 2010. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  4. ^ "이영아 - Daum 영화" (in Korean). Daum. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  5. ^ "Official BaekSang Arts Awards Website". Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  6. ^ "Hancinema Entry for Dachimawa". Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  7. ^ "Drama 'Iljimae' has tough act to follow". May 20, 2008. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  8. ^ "Lee Yeong-ah comes back in a year with Yeon Jeong-hoon". Hancinema. p. http://news.nate.com/view/20110822n06464?mid=e0101. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  9. ^ ""Bread, Love and Dreams" set to rise in Asians' hearts". September 2, 2010. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  10. ^ "Lee Yeong-ah comes back in a year with Yeon Jeong-hoon". August 21, 2011. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  11. ^ "Vampire Prosecutor 2 begins filming". July 25, 2012. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  12. ^ "Lee Yeong-ah and Nam Goong-min in "Unemployed Romance"". August 7, 2013. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  13. ^ [공식입장] '끝까지 사랑' 이영아♥강은탁, 커플 탄생..."서로 알아가는 중". Xportsnews (in Korean). November 11, 2018. Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  14. ^ 강은탁 측 "이영아와 올해 초 결별, 각자의 길 걷기로" [공식입장]". Naver (in Korean). April 24, 2019. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  15. ^ 이영아 측 "강은탁과 결별했다" [공식입장]". Naver (in Korean). April 24, 2019. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  16. ^ "Actress Lee Young Ah Gives Birth To First Child". Soompi. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  17. ^ "Actress Lee Young Ah to marry non-celebrity office worker". Soompi. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  18. ^ "TVXQ's Yunho to introduce his ulzzang sister for the very first time". April 14, 2011. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  19. ^ "[Celebrity News Station] Lee Yeong-ah first MC for variety show "Dalgona"". March 29, 2011. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  20. ^ "'Law' draws celebs to 'Jungle'". January 20, 2014. Archived from the original on November 18, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
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