Lee Bo-young

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Lee Bo-young

Role / Field:

Acclaimed South Korean actress known for dramatic roles in hit K-dramas.

Born:

1979-01-12

Century / Era:

1979s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Lee Bo-young (Korean: 이보영; born January 12, 1979) is a South Korean actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder. She is best known for starring in the television dramas Seoyoung, My Daughter (2012–2013), I Can Hear Your Voice (2013), Whisper (2017), Mother (2018), Mine (2021), and Agency (2023). Lee was Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year in 2013. She began her career in the industry with winning the Daejeon entry for the Miss Korea 2000. Having majored in Korean literature at Seoul Women's University, she originally dreamed of becoming a news presenter.

Career & Major Achievements

She was one of 15 finalists in MBC's annual recruitment drive in 2002, but ended up not getting the job. 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, and as the antagonist in Save the Last Dance for Me (2004). In 2005, Lee played her first leading role in the daily drama My Sweetheart, My Darling, followed by the Silla-set historical epic Ballad of Seodong with Jo Hyun-jae. She spent the next several years in television dramas — Mr. Goodbye with Ahn Jae-wook, Queen of the Game with Joo Jin-mo, and Becoming a Billionaire with Ji Hyun-woo — but none struck a chord with audiences or critics.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After playing the love interest in My Brother (2004) and A Dirty Carnival (2006), Lee was cast in her first major big screen role in Once Upon a Time (2008). The heist comedy is set during colonial rule in the 1940s, and she and Park Yong-woo played notorious swindlers out to steal a diamond from the Japanese army. 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. 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.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1979 (1979-01-12): Birth of Lee Bo-young — Acclaimed South Korean actress known for dramatic roles in hit K-dramas.
2. 2000: 2000 Milestone — She began her career in the industry with winning the Daejeon entry for the Miss Korea 2000.
3. 2002: 2002 Milestone — She was one of 15 finalists in MBC's annual recruitment drive in 2002, but ended up not getting the job.
4. 2003: 2003 Milestone — 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, and as the antagonist in Save the Last Dance for Me (2004).
5. 2004: 2004 Milestone — After playing the love interest in My Brother (2004) and A Dirty Carnival (2006), Lee was cast in her first major big screen role in Once Upon a Time (2008).
6. 2005: 2005 Milestone — In 2005, Lee played her first leading role in the daily drama My Sweetheart, My Darling, followed by the Silla-set historical epic Ballad of Seodong with Jo Hyun-jae.
7. 2009: 2009 Milestone — Her two films released in 2009 were both melodramas.
8. 2012: 2012 Milestone — She is best known for starring in the television dramas Seoyoung, My Daughter (2012–2013), I Can Hear Your Voice (2013), Whisper (2017), Mother (2018), Mine (2021), and Agency (2023).
9. 2013: 2013 Milestone — Lee was Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year in 2013.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Lee Bo-young

True or False: “Lee Bo-young's initial career goal after studying literature was to become a successful model for Asiana Airlines.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While she did work as an advertising model for Asiana Airlines, her original dream upon graduating from Seoul Women's University was to become a news presenter.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. P. Elkin — Contemporary (Died in 1979) (1979): Influential Australian anthropologist and Anglican clergyman (1891–1979)
• A. Philip Randolph — Contemporary (Died in 1979) (1979): Pioneer labor unionist and civil rights activist who fought for racial equality.
• Aaliyah — Contemporary (Born in 1979) (1979): Pioneering R&B artist known for redefining urban pop and hip hop sounds.
• Abd el-Krim — Shared historical date (01-12 · Born) (1882): Moroccan revolutionary leader who spearheaded the revolt against French and Spanish Protectorates.
• Agatha Christie — Shared historical date (01-12 · Died) (1976): The 'Queen of Crime,' a master of the mystery genre, best-selling author of all time.
• Aaron Paul — Historical peer (Born in 1979) (1979): American actor, renowned for portraying Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad.
• Abdul-Malik al-Houthi — Historical peer (Born in 1979) (1979): Yemeni religious leader and second principal figure of the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah).
• Adam Yauch — Historical peer (Died in 2012) (2012): Founding member of Beastie Boys; influential rapper, filmmaker, and Tibetan activist.
• Adrienne Rich — Historical peer (Died in 2012) (2012): Influential American poet, essayist, and leading voice in feminist literary discourse.
• Aaron Swartz — Historical peer (Died in 2013) (2013): Pioneering programmer, activist, and hacktivist known for RSS, Markdown, and progressive organizing.
• 1979 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1979
• January 12 (01-12) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on January 12

Frequently Asked Questions about Lee Bo-young