# Lee Bong-ryun

Lee Bong-ryun (Korean: 이봉련; Hanja: 李鳳輦; born Lee Jeong-eun, February 7, 1981) is a South Korean actress. She has appeared in supporting roles in various films and television dramas, and worked as a stage and musical actress.

## Early life

Lee Bong-ryun was born as Lee Jeong-eun on February 7, 1981, in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, where her father's workplace Pohang Steelworks is located, and lived there until age sixteen. Lee dropped out of high school in Pohang after only a month due to feeling bored. She then moved to Daegu and attended an academy for eight months before deciding to take the GED. At the age of 17, she enrolled in Daegu Arts University, where she studied photography. Later, she pursued a Master's Degree in Photography at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, which she completed at the age of 24. Her stage name was originally Zhuge Bong-ryeon, which she used for her photography exhibitions.

## Career

Around 2003, Lee watched a musical called 'Sing in the Rain' and was impressed by Park Dong-ha's performance. As a result, she applied to the musical department in a social education center at a university near her home and attended night classes for about two years. During this time, her stage director and instructor, Kim Dong-yeon, asked her to assist him as a director for his play Fantasy Fairy Tale.
In 2005, Lee made her acting debut in the musical Five Drawings of Love. Initially, she was an understudy, but when an actor was absent for a month, she took the stage. Since then, she has performed in a variety of plays and musicals. Since then, she has appeared in various plays and musicals.
In 2008, Lee saw Lee Jung-eun's portrayal of a grandmother in the musical Laundry and was inspired to audition for the same role in the following season. She successfully won the role and went on to perform in the musical for three years.
In 2012, Lee starred in a youth drama called "Red Bus," which was written and directed by Park Geun-hyung. Following this, she joined the Alleyway theater company led by director Park and appeared in several productions, including "Ode to Youth," "Manchurian Front," and "Press Guide." In the play "Ode to Youth," Lee played the role of a waitress at a coffee shop who suffered from epilepsy.
In 2017, Lee joined musical "Heavy Metal Girls". Followed by appearance as Katya in Korean premiere of play "Valentine's Day", a representative work released in 2009 by the Golden Mask Award-winning artist Ivan Vymilfayev, at Jayu Small Theater until January 14, 2018.
In 2017 Lee signed exclusive contract with C-JeS Entertainment.
In December 2018, Creative Table Quartz confirmed the appearance of actors Kim Jin-soo and Lee Bong-ryun in the Korean premiere of one-man play Everything Shines on Me. The play is Duncan McMillan's original work, that was participating in various overseas festivals, including Edinburgh and Perth in Australia, starting with the 2013 Lurdle Fringe Festival. It has been evaluated by The Guardian as “no more praise to say.”

### Film career

Her cinematic debut was a minor role in film Late Blossom by Choo Chang-min in 2011. It was followed with another minor roles in Masquerade (2012), Confession of Murder (2012), A Matter of Interpretation (2015), Girl On the Edge (2015), Life is but an Empty (2015), Run Off (2016), and How to Break up with My Cat (2016).
In 2017, Lee played the role of a receptionist in the action-adventure film Okja, directed by Bong Joon-ho. Director Bong was a fan of the theater troupe 'Alleyway' and had seen Lee perform in the play Manchurian Front. The assistant director on Okja stated that Bong remembered Lee from the play and after multiple meetings and conversations, she was cast in the film.
In the movie A Taxi Driver (2017) directed by Jang Hoon, Lee played the role of a full-term pregnant woman who received a free ride from Kim Man-seop (played by Song Kang-ho), a grumpy taxi driver. She also appeared in "Burning" (2018) directed by Lee Chang-dong, where she played the older sister who informed Jong-su (played by Yoo Ah-in) that Haemi (played by Jeon Jong-seo) was a liar when he was searching for her.
In 2022, Lee starred opposite Lee Han-seo in director Jang Seon-hee’s independent film Two Woman. The film depicted a chance encounter between little girl who delivers newspapers and a woman who puts up flyers to find her lost child. It was premiered at the 48th Seoul Independent Film Festival (SIFF).
   There are stories that are difficult to share with close people. Isn't there a time when it seems that people who know me well don't know my heart anymore. This film depicts a magical moment in which you unknowingly tell a story to someone you met in an unexpected situation, so you can catch your breath for a while. When I first read the script, I felt fortunate. The conversation between the girl and the woman gave the two of them a chance to sit down and breathe for a while on their own arduous journey.

### Baeksang

Lee has been a frequent cast member in productions staged by the National Theater Company of Korea. In 2020, Lee was cast as Princess Hamlet in the gender-blind production of Shakespeare's Hamlet of the National Theater Company's 70th anniversary. For this role she won the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actress in a Play.

### Television

In 2013, Lee began her acting career in television with minor roles. Her first role was Na-jung's (acted by Go Ara) college friend in tvN drama Reply 1994. Despite having a brief appearance, she made a lasting impression as a college student from Yeosu who participated in a dispute over which hometown was better against Hae-tae (played by Son Ho-jun) from Suncheon.
Lee landed her first supporting role in 2015 as Mi-ran in the JTBC drama Songgot: The Piercer, which starred Ji Hyun-woo and Ahn Nae-sang. The drama was based on the webtoon Awl by Choi Kyu-seok, which in turn was inspired by a true story that occurred in 2007.
In 2017, Lee costarred in Yoo Je-won's Tomorrow, with You. She acted as Oh So-ri, Ma-rin's (played by Shin Min-a) best friend who runs piano academy. Then she costarred in drama While You Were Sleeping. On October 12, 2017, Lee signed an exclusive contract with C-JeS Entertainment.
In 2018, Lee played in drama Life on Mars. In 2019, Lee did two drama When the Devil Calls Your Name and Melting Me Softly. In 2020 Lee starred in When the Weather Is Fine. In the end of 2020 Lee acted as Park May in JTBC drama Run On.
In 2021, Lee collaborated once again with director Yoo Je-won and Shin Min-a in the romantic-comedy TV series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. She portrayed the character of Yeo Hwa-jung, a native of Gongjin who owned a seafood restaurant and also served as Tong-jang (village chief). She co-parented her son Yi-jun with her ex-husband Jang Young-guk (played by In Gyo-jin) and was also the owner of the building that housed Hye-jin's dental clinic and home.
Followed by role Hwang Ma-jin in JTBC drama Only One Person. In November 2021, after the expiration of her contract with her former agency, Lee joined Shin Min-a's agency AM Entertainment.
In 2022, She acted as Deaconess Jung, Yo-hwan's church figure (acted by Hwang Jung-min) in Netflix Original Series Narco-Saints.
In 2023 Lee joined cast of Crash Course in Romance as Kim Young-joo, best friend of Nam Haeng-seon (acted by Jeon Do-yeon). She was praised for her acting that match Jeon.

## Personal life

Lee Bong-ryun married actor Lee Gyu-hee on March 11, 2019. They met as junior and senior in Alleyway Theater Company.

## Filmography
### Film

Film performances :
| Year | Title | Title | Role | Note | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Role | Note | Ref. |
| 2011 | Late Blossom | 그대를 사랑합니다 | Dong Office employee | | |
| 2012 | Masquerade | 광해: 왕이 된 남자 | Royal Kitchen Court Lady | | |
| 2012 | Confession of Murder | 내가 살인범이다 | High School girl | | |
| 2015 | A Matter of Interpretation | 꿈보다 해몽 | Landlady | | |
| 2015 | Girl On the Edge | 여고생 | Nurse | Girl on the Edge (Yeo-go-saeng) | |
| 2015 | Life is but an Empty Dream | 꿈보다 해몽 | Eun-shil | | |
| 2016 | Run Off | 국가대표2 | Dae-woong's younger sister | | |
| 2016 | How to Break up with My Cat | 어떻게 헤어질까 | Sushi Chief's daughter | | |
| 2017 | Okja | 옥자 | Mirando Korea's receptionist | | |
| 2017 | A Taxi Driver | 택시운전사 | Pregnant woman | | |
| 2017 | The Bros | 부라더 | Cousin's wife | | |
| 2018 | Burning | 버닝 | Hae-mi's sister | | |
| 2018 | Dark Figure of Crime | 암수살인 | Kang Sook-ja | | |
| 2018 | Passing Summer | 늦여름 | Restaurant Owner | | |
| 2018 | The Drug King | 마약왕 | Lee Doo-sook | | |
| 2019 | A Haunting Hitchhike | 히치하이크 | Jecheon sanitarium nurse | | |
| 2019 | Birthday | 생일 | Jung-sook | | |
| 2019 | Exit | 엑시트 | Third Older sister | | |
| 2019 | Kim Ji-young: Born 1982 | 82년생 김지영 | Hye-soo | | |
| 2020 | The Golden Holiday | 국제수사 | Bank employee | | |
| 2020 | Samjin Company English Class | 삼진그룹 영어토익반 | General Affairs Department Miss Kim | | |
| 2021 | Three Sisters | 세자매 | Supermarket lady | | |
| 2022 | Two Woman | 두 여인 | lost woman | main lead | |
| 2024 | I, the Executioner | 베테랑2 | Announcer | |

### Television series

Television series appearances :
| Year | Title | Title | Role | Note | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Role | Note | Ref. |
| 2013 | Reply 1994 | 응답하라 1994 | Na-jung's classmate | | |
| 2015 | Songgot: The Piercer | 송곳 | Mi-ran | | |
| 2017 | Tomorrow, with You | 내일 그대와 | Oh So-ri | | |
| 2017 | My Father Is Strange | 아버지가 이상해 | Yoon-ryeon | | |
| 2017 | Drama Special: "Madame Jung's Last Week" | KBS 드라마스페셜 - 정마담의 마지막 일주일 | President Shin | one act-drama | |
| 2017 | While You Were Sleeping | 당신이 잠든 사이에 | Go Pil-sook | | |
| 2018 | Life on Mars | 라이프 온 마스 | Yoo Soon-hee | | |
| 2019 | When the Devil Calls Your Name | 악마가 너의 이름을 부를 때 | Nurse | | |
| 2019 | Melting Me Softly | 날 녹여주오 | Park Yoo-ja | | |
| 2020 | When the Weather Is Fine | 날씨가 좋으면 찾아가겠어요 | Jang Ha-nim | | |
| 2020–2021 | Run On | 런 온 | Park Mae-yi | | |
| 2021 | Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha | 갯마을 차차차 | Yeo Hwa-jung | | |
| 2021–2022 | The One and Only | 한 사람만 | Hwang Ma-Jin | | |
| 2022 | Extraordinary Attorney Woo | 이상한 변호사 우영우 | Ryu Jae-sook | Cameo (episode 12) | |
| 2023 | Crash Course in Romance | 일타 스캔들 | Kim Young-joo | | |
| 2023 | Destined With You | 연애는 불가항력 | Ma Eun-yeong | | |
| 2024 | Love Next Door | 엄마 친구 아들 | Im Kyung-ran | | |
| 2025 | Resident Playbook | 언젠가는 슬기로울 전공의생활 | Professor | | |

### Web series

Web series appearances :
| Year | Title | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| 2020 | Sweet Home | 스위트홈 | Im Myung-sook | Season 1 - 2 | |
| 2022 | Narco-Saints | 수리남 | Deaconess Jung | | |

## Stage
### Musical

Musical play performances :
| Year | Title | Title | Role | Theater | Date | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Role | Theater | Date | Ref. |
| 2005 | Five Sketches about Love | 사랑에 관한 다섯개의 소묘 | Virgin Lady | Small Theater Festival | April 7–May 22 | |
| 2005 | Nunsense | 넌센스Nunsense | Sister Robert Anne | Oriental Arts Theater 2 (Former Art Center K Semo Theater) | Nov 22–23 | |
| 2006–2007 | Five Sketches about Love | 사랑에 관한 다섯개의 소묘 | Virgin Lady | Hansung Art Hall 2 | Mar 13–Jun 15 | |
| 2008 | Laundry | 빨래 | Laundry Owner (grandma) | Egg and Nucleus Small Theater | Aug 29–Dec 31 | |
| 2008 | Romeo and Bernadette | 로미오 & 베르나뎃 | Viola Rose | Naru Art Center Grand Performance Hall | Jul 4–Aug 10 | |
| 2009 | Rock Sitter | 락시터 | multi-girl | Daehangno Small Theater Festival | Jun 19–Aug 16 | |
| 2009 | Rock Sitter | 락시터 | multi-girl | Busan | Aug 21–Sep 20 | |
| 2009–2010 | Laundry | 빨래 | Laundry Owner (grandma) | Hakjeon Green Small Theater | July 24–June 27 | |
| 2010 | Laundry | 빨래 | Laundry Owner (grandma) | Goyang Oulim Nuri Oulim Theater | Nov 18–21 | |
| 2010–2011 | Laundry | 빨래 | Laundry Owner (grandma) | Hakjeon Green Small Theater | July 7–Jan 9 | |
| 2011 | Rock Sitter | 락시터 | multi-girl | Daehakro Small Theater Festival | Mar 5–Jul 31 | |
| 2012 | Laundry | 빨래 | Laundry Owner (grandma) | Hakjeon Green Small Theater | April 4–Oct 7 | |
| 2012 | Find a Family Member | 식구를 찾아서 | Park Bok-nyeo | Chungmu Art Center Small Theater Blue | 04.21—06.24 | |
| 2014–2015 | Those Days | 그날들 | librarian | Daehangno Musical Center Grand Theater | Oct 21–Jan 18, 2015 | |
| 2015 | Misseri Cordia | 미제리꼬르디아 | | Doosan Art Center Space111 | Jan 29–31 | |
| 2015 | Heavy Metal Girls | 헤비메탈 걸스 | Eun-ju | Yegreen Theater | Feb 13–March 1 | |
| 2016 | Board | 판 | Chun-seom | CJ Hideout Daehakro (SM Art Hall) | June 13–14 | |
| 2016 | Secretly Greatly | 은밀하게 위대하게 | Ran/Jeong-seon | Uniplex 2 | Feb 13–Mar 20 | |
| 2016 | Those Days | 그날들 | librarian | Chungmu Art Center Grand Theater, Seoul | Aug 25–Nov 3 | |
| 2016 | Those Days | 그날들 | librarian | Centum City Sohyang Theater Shinhan Card Hall, Busan | Dec 2–4 | |
| 2016 | Those Days | 그날들 | librarian | Gyeonggi Arts Center Grand Theater, Suwon | Dec 10–11 | |
| 2016 | Those Days | 그날들 | librarian | Guri Art Hall Cosmos Grand Theater, Guri | Dec 16–17 | |
| 2016 | Those Days | 그날들 | librarian | GS Caltex Yeulmaru Grand Theater, Yeosu | Dec 23–25 | |
| 2017 | Those Days | 그날들 | librarian | Seongnam Art Center Opera House | Jan 21–22 | |
| 2017 | Those Days | 그날들 | librarian | Seoul Arts Center Opera Theater | Feb 7–Mar 5 | |
| 2022 | Four Minutes | 포미니츠 | Traude Krueger | National Jeongdeong Theater Seoul | Jun 21–Aug 14 | |

### Theater

Theater play performances :
| Year | Title | Title | Role | Theater | Date | Ref. |
| Year | English | Korean | Role | Theater | Date | Ref. |
| 2007 | Bar | 술집 | Multi-role (other than Elizabeth) | Hansung Art Hall 2 | Jul 19–Sep 30 | |
| 2008 | When I was The Pretties | 내가 가장 예뻤을 때 | Hee-yoon | Hansung Art Hall 2 | Mar 13–Jun 15 | |
| 2010–2011 | Almost Maine | 올모스트 메인 | Marvalyn, Gayle, Rhonda | Art One Chaimu Theater | Dec 22–Jan 30 | |
| 2011 | Colleagues of the Hundred Years of Wind Doosan Art Center Gyeon-in Series 2 | 백년 바람의 동료들두산아트센터 경계인시리즈2 | Kyung Hee | Doosan Art Center Space111 | Jun 07–Jul 02 | |
| 2011 | Beeul (Punishment) | 벌 | Seo Mi-young | Myeongdong Arts Theater | Oct 13–30 | |
| 2012 | Ode to Youth | 청춘예찬 | Female | old studio 76 | Jan 24–Feb 10 | |
| 2012 | Ode to Youth | 청춘예찬 | Female | Daehangno Seondol Theater | Mar 06–Apr 07 | |
| 2012 | Jeon Myeong-chul's Biography | 전명출 평전 | Jong-ran | Namsan Arts Center Drama Center | Jul 10–29 | |
| 2012 | Samguk Yusa Project— Dream | 삼국유사 프로젝트 - 꿈 | Anak , old woman , Seonmyo | National Theater Company Baek Baek Hee Jang Min Ho Theater | Sep 1–16 | |
| 2012 | Red Bus | 빨간버스 | Bong-ryeon | National Theater Company Small Theater | Nov 22–Dec 16 | |
| 2013 | Asian Onsen | 아시아 온천 | Lark | Seoul Arts Center CJ Towol Theater | Jun 11–16 | |
| 2013 | The Piped Man | 피리부는 사나이 | | Daehangno Seondol Theater | Jul 05–Aug 04 | |
| 2013 | Too Many Hearts Will Hurt You | 다정도 병인 양하여 | current PD | National Theater Company Small Theater | Dec 6–29 | |
| 2014 | Come See Me | 배우 날 보러와요 | Mrs. Nam | Oriental Arts Theater 2 (Former Art Center K Semo Theater) | Mar 27–Jun 01 | |
| 2014 | Manchurian Front | 만주전선 | Geiko | Aruto Small Theater (Sodam Small Theater) | Jun 13–29 | |
| 2014 | Romeo and Juliet | 로미오와 줄리엣 | nanny | Daehangno Guerrilla Theater | Jul 11–27 | |
| 2014 | Manchurian Front | 만주전선 | Geiko | Aruto Small Theater (Sodam Small Theater) | Aug 08–31 | |
| 2014 | Factory | 공장 | Jeong-mi | Lee Hae-Rang Arts Theater | Oct 02–11 | |
| 2014 | In That House Villa We | 그 집 빌라에서 우리는 | Mitsuo | Daehangno beautiful theater | Dec 04–31 | |
| 2015 | Manchurian Front | 만주전선 | Geiko | Daehakro Jayu Theater | April 4–15 | |
| 2015 | Red Bus | 빨간버스 | Bong-ryeon | Kyungsung University Yenoso Theater | May 12–16 | |
| 2015 | The House of Bernarda Alba | 베르나르다 알바의 집 | Angustias | Daehangno beautiful theater | June 18–28 | |
| 2015 | Manchurian Front - Ansan | 만주전선 | Geiko | Ansan Arts Center Byeolmuri Theater | Sep 10–12 | |
| 2015 | Manchurian Front - Ansan | 만주전선 | Geiko | Goyang Aram Nuri Sara Sae Theater | Oct 22–24 | |
| 2015 | Manchurian Front - Ansan | 만주전선 | Geiko | Incheon Culture and Arts Center Small Performance Hall | Nov 13–14 | |
| 2016 | Come See Me | 배우 날 보러와요 | Park Gi-ja | Myeongdong Arts Theater | Jan 22–Feb 21 | |
| 2016 | Press Guidelines | 보도지침 | female | Yes 24 Stage 3 | Mar 26–Jun 12 | |
| 2016 | Stealing Picasso | 피카소 훔치기 | Cassie Smith | Daehakro Arts Theater Small Theater | Nov 05–13 | |
| 2016–2017 | Ode to Youth | 청춘예찬 | female | Art Forest Art Hall 1 | Dec 08–Feb 12 | |
| 2017 | 1945 | 1945 | Song Kik-soon | Myeongdong Arts Theater | July 5–30 | |
| 2017 | I'm a Murderer | 나는 살인자입니다 | Youth, Neighbors, Star, Guest3, Supervisor, Government | National Theater Company Small Theater | Nov 10–27 | |
| 2017–2018 | Valentine's Day | 발렌타인 데이 | Qiam | Seoul Arts Center Jayu Small Theater | Dec 23–Jan 14 | |
| 2018 | Every Briliant Things | 내게 빛나는 모든 것 | | Doosan Art Center Space111 | Dec 1–25 | |
| 2019 | I'm a Murderer | 나는 살인자입니다 | Youth, Neighbors, Star, Guest3, Supervisor, Government | National Theater Company Baek Baek Hee Jang Minho Theater | April 24–May 19 | |
| 2019 | Botko Chan | 봇코짱 | Botko-chan | Tokyo Arts Theater East Theater | May 30–June 2 | |
| 2019 | Summer is hot and winter is long | 여름은 덥고 겨울은 길다 | | Theater Out | Jul 5–21 | |
| 2019–2020 | Mary Jane | 메리 제인 | Mary Jane | Hongik University Daehangno Art Center Small Theater | Dec 7–Jan 19 | |
| 2020 | Doosan Humanities Theater 2020 Food - Ultimate Taste | 두산인문극장 2020 푸드 - 궁극의 맛 | Prison inmate | Doosan Art Center Space111 | June 2–20 | |
| 2021 | Hamlet | 햄릿 | Hamlet | National Theater (online) | Feb 25–27 | |
| 2021 | Cosmos | 코스모스 | Mayumi | Daehakro Art Space Hyehwa | Mar 12–28 | |

## Awards

| Award | Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2021 | Best Actress – Theatre | Hamlet | Won | |