# Lee Hye-young (actress, born 1971)

Lee Hye-young (born December 22, 1971) is a South Korean actress, singer and businesswoman. As a singer in the 1990s, Lee released two dance music albums each with 1730 and Coco, and one album as a solo artist. When she switched to acting, Lee starred in television series such as Premonition (1997), Dal-ja's Spring (2007) and Queen of Housewives (2009), and also founded the fashion brand Miss Dorothy.

## Career

Lee Hye-young made her entertainment debut as a singer performing dance music. In 1992, she became part of the three-member K-pop group 1730 alongside Kim Joo-hoon and Hwang Ho-young; 1730 released two albums then disbanded. Lee and Yoon Hyun-sook (from another defunct group ZAM) then formed the duo Coco in 1994, which also released two albums. Following two soundtrack contributions, she released her first album as a solo artist, Her First Sense in 2000, and a Christmas single in 2008.
Lee began acting in 1995, and went on to star in television dramas such as First Love (1996), Premonition (1997), Can't Help Being Born Well (2001), Dal-ja's Spring (2007) and Kimchi Cheese Smile (2008), as well as the films If (2000) and How the Lack of Love Affects Two Men (2006). Lee notably drew praise in the role of a high school geek-turned-glamorous leader of an elite clique of corporate spouses in ratings hit Queen of Housewives, for which she won an Excellence Award at the 2009 MBC Drama Awards.
Lee soon built a reputation for being one of trendiest and most fashionable Korean celebrities (pre-stardom, she previously worked as a stylist for the band Chakra). She parlayed this to another successful career when she launched the clothing and accessories brand Miss Dorothy in 2004. Sold through the CJ home shopping TV channel and online shopping mall MD Story-net, Miss Dorothy recorded high sales of ₩15 billion in its first year and ₩40 billion by its third year in operation, making it the best-selling fashion brand owned by a Korean celebrity for eight consecutive years. More than just a model and endorser for Miss Dorothy, as CEO Lee oversaw the brand's product design and development, marketing and promotion; she also became a director for lingerie company M Corset when it merged with Miss Dorothy in 2007. Once she entered her forties, Lee felt that her age would be incompatible with Miss Dorothy's target demographic of women in their twenties and thirties, so she left the company and sold her shares in 2012, then donated all the proceeds to charity.
Lee also wrote the books The Beauty Bible and The Fashion Bible in 2009, and hosted fashion-focused talk shows on cable, such as Style Magazine (2008-2009) and Women& (2012).
In 2017, Lee announced the official opening of her art gallery in New York with a total of 21 paintings on display.

## Personal life

Lee dated Roo'ra singer and music producer Lee Sang-min for eight years before the couple married in 2004. They divorced in 2005, after one year and two months. She remarried on July 19, 2011 in Hawaii to a banker/mergers and acquisitions expert.

## Philanthropy

On March 6, 2022, Lee donated 10 million won to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the massive wildfire that started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk and has spread to Samcheok, Gangwon.
On February 9, 2023, Lee donated 10 million won to help 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake through Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association.
On May 16, Lee was named a member of the Hope Bridge Honors Club, a club of high-dollar donors.

## Filmography
### Television series

| Year | Title | Role | Network |
| 1995 | Sons of the Wind | | KBS2 |
| 1996 | Papa | Yoon Hye-won | KBS2 |
| 1996 | Drama Game: "Sunglasses 1004" | | KBS2 |
| 1996 | Reporting for Duty | Go Eun-shil | KBS2 |
| 1996 | First Love | Park Shin-ja | KBS2 |
| 1997 | Today Somehow | | KBS2 |
| 1997 | Premonition | Yoo-rim | MBC |
| 1998 | Heart of Lies | Lee Soo-ji | MBC |
| 1999 | Sunday Best: "Do You Know You're a Parent" | | KBS2 |
| 1999 | The Boss | "Crow" | MBC |
| 1999 | Goodbye My Love | Im Jung-ae | MBC |
| 1999 | Woman on Top | Lee Hye-nam | SBS |
| 2001 | Can't Help Being Born Well | | KBS2 |
| 2003 | Detective | Lee Hye-young | SBS |
| 2004 | Save the Last Dance for Me | Kang Hyun-jung | SBS |
| 2007 | Dal-ja's Spring | Wee Seon-joo | KBS2 |
| 2007 | Kimchi Cheese Smile | Shin Hye-young | MBC |
| 2009 | Queen of Housewives | Yang Bong-soon | MBC |
| 2012 | My Husband Got a Family | Top drama actress (cameo, episode 40) | KBS2 |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1995 | The Man Wagging Tail | Kyung-ah |
| 1997 | Father vs. Son | Kim Mi-jung |
| 2000 | If | Park Ha-young |
| 2002 | Bet on My Disco | Ae-ran |
| 2006 | How the Lack of Love Affects Two Men | Oh Mi-mi |

### Television show

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1994 | TV Music 20 | Host |
| 2004-2005 | Changing U | Host |
| 2005-2006 | Heroine 6 | Cast member |
| 2008-2009 | Style Magazine | Host |
| | Talk & City | |
| 2012 | Women& with Lee Hye-young | Host |
| 2012 | Reckless Family | Cast member |
| 2018 | Let's Eat Dinner Together | Cast member |
| 2021 | Divorced Singles | Host |
| 2021 | Divorced Singles 2 | Host |
| 2022 | Doll Singles 3 | Host |

## Discography

| Album information | Track listing |
| Oh I Love You Album Artist: Lee Hye-young Released: May 29, 1986 Label: DAS | Track listing 오 사랑합니다 그늘에 핀 동백꽃 두견새야 오신다더니 삼다도소식 내곁에 있어주 애향 헤어지지 말아요 사랑의 길 그대 변치 않는다면 개나리처녀 한국의 호랑이 (건전가요) |
| 1730 Album Artist: 1730 Released: 1992 Label: Samsung Music | Track listing Signal 1730 1730년 서곡 (Instrumental) 나의 마음 (Edited Remix) 친구였지만 (Funny Mix) Can't Find It (English Version pf 찾을수 없어) 잊을 수 없는 이유 한남동 길가에서 (Instrumental) 그저 널 바라 본 것 뿐 친구였지만 (Piano Version) 찾을 수 없어 나의 마음 아름다운 이별 Inventionen 1730 (Instrumental) |
| Co Co Album Artist: Coco Released: 1993 Label: Samsung Music | Track listing 그리움으로 지는 너 영원히 널 어긋난 선택 슬픈 추억으로 너와 닮은 나 그저 친구일뿐 너 그대로의 모습으로 아침없는 하루 |
| Souls From Cosmo Album Artist: 1730 Released: 1994 Label: Orange | Track listing 새로움 그렇게 될까? 서로 다른 곳에서 착각하지마 고난주간 아무도 날 도와주지 않아 너보다 더한 아픔으로 널 만나는 날 그저 널 바라본것 뿐...그 1년후 Who's Who? (Come To The Party) |
| Co Co Vol. 2 Album Artist: Coco Released: 1994 Label: Daeyoung AV | Track listing 그 느낌속의 너 요즘 우리는 너와 닮은 나 사랑했던 널 남은 시간들 표현 너와 닮은 나 (MR) 사랑했던 널 (MR) |
| Not Alone in Love 1 track from The Man Wagging Tail OST Artist: Lee Hye-young Released: September 1, 1995 Label: SKC | Track listing 4. 사랑은 혼자가 아닐때 (Not Alone in Love) |
| Dreaming of a Happier Time 1 track from Reporting for Duty OST Artist: Lee Hye-young Released: July 1996 Label: KBS Cultural Corps, LGM | Track listing 2. 행복했던 시간을 꿈꾸며 (Dreaming of a Happier Time) |
| Her First Sense Album Artist: Lee Hye-young Released: August 28, 2000 Label: CREAM | Track listing Intro (First Sense) La Dolce Vita Beginning Variety 첫사랑 다가와 (Come To Me) 미워 미워 행복해 Sahara Refresh La Dolce Vita (Club Mix) |
| Sweet Christmas Single Artist: Lee Hye-young Released: December 9, 2008 Label: Mega Entertainment, Show Record | Track listing 실버벨 (Silver Bells) Silver Bells (Carol Ver.) |

## Book

| Year | Title | Publisher | ISBN |
| 2009 | The Beauty Bible | Sallim Life | ISBN 9788952210951 |
| 2009 | The Fashion Bible | Sallim Life | ISBN 9788952212665 |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 1997 | 33rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actress (TV) | First Love | Won |
| 1997 | MBC Drama Awards | Popularity Award | Premonition | Won |
| 2007 | KBS Drama Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Dal-ja's Spring | Nominated |
| 2009 | MBC Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress | Queen of Housewives | Won |