Lee Seung-yeon

Last updated
Lee Seung-yeon
181227 iseungyeon.jpg
Lee Seung-yeon in December 2018
Born (1968-08-18) August 18, 1968 (age 56)
NationalitySouth Korean
EducationInha Technical College - Airline Navigation
Hanyang Cyber University - psychology [1]
Occupation(s)Actress,
Talk show host
Years active1992-present
SpouseKim Moon-chul (m. 2007)
Children1
Korean name
Hangul
이승연
Hanja
Revised Romanization I Seung-yeon
McCune–Reischauer I Sŭng-yŏn

Lee Seung-yeon (born August 18, 1968) is a South Korean actress, television host and beauty pageant titleholder.

Contents

Career

Lee Seung-yeon graduated from Inha Technical College in Incheon with a degree in Airline Navigation, and became a flight attendant for Korean Air. In 1992, she joined and won third place in the Miss Korea beauty pageant. [2] She was South Korea's representative to the 1993 Miss World pageant, where she became one of the top ten finalists.

Shortly after the pageant, Lee became a reporter for entertainment news program Scoop TV Entertainment, then launched her acting career in 1993 with the campus drama Our Paradise. She appeared in 1990s television dramas such as Love Is in Your Embrace, Hotel, Icing, Wedding Dress, and First Love , the last of which became the most highly rated Korean drama of all time with a peak viewership rating of 65.8%. She also made her big screen debut in 1996's Piano Man, followed by the films Change and Saturday, 2:00 p.m.. Lee's popularity was at its peak during these years, and in 1998 she hosted her own talk show Lee Seung-yeon's Say Say Say. With her sophisticated and cosmopolitan image, the clothes and accessories she wore became fashion trends, such as her blue-colored contact lenses in Spider, her head kerchief in Cinderella, and her black suit in Man of Autumn. [3]

Capitalizing on her image as a trendsetter, she launched her own clothing line About el in 2007, which became a hit among consumers. [4] This paved the way for Lee's first talk show in eight years, Style Magazine on cable channel OnStyle. Though she continues to act, Lee has become more known in recent years for hosting various style-related talk shows on cable.

Controversy

Illegal driver's license

In May 1998, Lee was found to have illegally obtained a driver's license without going through the requisite tests and seminars. She was sentenced to one year's probation and 80 hours of community service. [5] [6] Because of public disapproval regarding the incident, her drama Heart of Lies was cut short, [7] and she lost roles she had been previously cast in to Yoo Ho-jeong (Trap of Youth) and Lee Young-ae (Invitation). [8] [9]

Hit and run

In April 2002, Lee was implicated in a hit and run because she owned the vehicle driven by Kim Mo-sshi, son of celebrity Jang Young-ja. [10] [11] Since her costar Lee Geung-young was also being investigated at the time for having sex with a minor, both scandals caused their film Forgive Me Once Again Despite Hatred (also known as Love Me Once Again 2002 or Again) to flop at the box office. [12]

Comfort women photographs

On February 12, 2004 Lee, and companies Lototo Inc. and Netian Entertainment held a press conference to announce their plan to sell erotic photographs and videos of Lee posing as a comfort woman over the Internet, starting in March. "Comfort women" is the Japanese term for women who were forced to serve as their armies' sex slaves during World War II. The first part of the project was shot on Palau Island in the Pacific, where real comfort women were taken, with the next phases planned in Nepal and Japan. They declared they did this to return the issue to the spotlight and that part of the profits would go to surviving comfort women. A few photographs were released, showing a semi-nude Lee bathing in the sea, sleeping on the floor, and wearing somewhat revealing white clothes, with dirt on her face. [13] [14]

This caused a great outcry from the surviving comfort women and the Korean Council for Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan. A press conference to announce the project's cancellation was held on February 16. [15] Following the cancellation, Lee tearfully made a personal apology on her knees at the House of Sharing, a residence for some of the survivors. [16] The women rejected her apology until the materials were destroyed, something the producer was hesitant to do. The producer further proposed a preview screening to obtain public approval for the project—they had 1 hour and a half of video and about 1,500-2,000 photos. [17] Finally on February 19, he shaved his head (in a traditional gesture of apology) and publicly burned the materials in front of some of the surviving comfort women. [18]

Disregarding feminist criticisms of her casting, Kim Ki-duk directed Lee in the 2004 film 3-Iron . A love story between a battered woman and a younger man who lives in empty houses, Lee and costar Jae Hee's acting were praised, and Kim won Best Director at the 61st Venice International Film Festival. [19] [20]

Despite the acclaim for 3-Iron, the comfort women controversy had a lasting negative effect on Lee's career, and it would take two more years before she made her acting comeback in Kim Soo-hyun's Love and Ambition in 2006.

Drug use

In 2013, she became involved in another controversy when she was indicted for illegal use of the drug propofol. Cable channel Story On cancelled her talk show Lee Seung-yeon and 100 Women as a result. [21] Lee admitted taking propofol, but said it was legally prescribed by her doctor to treat a spinal fracture diagnosed in 2003, and that it was also administered to her as an anesthetic at skin care clinics. [22] [23] [24] The Seoul Central District Court found Lee guilty of taking propofol at least 320 times over six years (or 4.5 times a month), and she was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. [25] [26] [27] Tongyang Group later sued Lee for breach of contract; she had signed a one-year ₩450 million advertising contract with the company's apparel division in 2012, which stipulated that she must not break the law or commit acts that harm the brand's image. The court ordered Lee to pay ₩100 million in 2015. [28]

Personal life

Lee married Kim Moon-chul, a Korean-American fashion entrepreneur, on December 28, 2007 at Sol Beach Resort in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province. [29] [30] She gave birth to a daughter in June 2009. [31]

Filmography

Television series

Film

Variety show

Animated series

Radio program

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim So-yeon</span> South Korean actress (born 1980)

Kim So-yeon is a South Korean actress. She is best known for starring in a number of well-known television dramas, notably All About Eve (2000), Iris (2009), Prosecutor Princess (2010), Happy Home (2016), and The Penthouse: War in Life (2020–2021).

Hyun Young is a South Korean entertainer. She has worked as a model, TV show host, actress, singer, instructor for Public relations and Personal Financial Planning at colleges, companies. Educated at Yong In University and Korea University, she is known for her unusual, almost cartoon-like voice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Yu-ri</span> South Korean actress

Lee Yu-ri is a South Korean actress. Lee first became known for her role in the teen drama series School 4, and subsequently gained popularity with her role in the family drama Precious Family (2005). In recent years, she became known for her role as the antagonist in television drama series Twinkle Twinkle (2011) and Jang Bo-ri Is Here! (2014). She most recently starred in Spring Turns to Spring (2019) and Lie After Lie (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryu Jin</span> South Korean actor (born 1972)

Ryu Jin is a South Korean actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park Si-yeon</span> South Korean actress

Park Si-yeon is a South Korean actress and beauty pageant titleholder. She joined the Miss Korea 2000 and used that as a springboard to an acting career, she made her acting debut in China in 2004 appeared in minor roles in several CCTV dramas. In 2005 Park was cast in her first starring role in the Korean drama My Girl, though at the time she was more known for dating actor-singer Eric Mun. As she built her filmography in the following years, Park overcame early criticism of her acting skills and eventually gained respect as an actress in TV series such as Bitter Sweet Life, Coffee House and The Innocent Man, as well as the films The Fox Family, A Love, and The Scent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gong Hyo-jin</span> South Korean actress (born 1980)

Gong Hyo-jin is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading role in the film Crush and Blush (2008), as well as for her popular television series Sang Doo! Let's Go to School (2003), Thank You (2007), Pasta (2010), The Greatest Love (2011), Master's Sun (2013), It's Okay, That's Love (2014), The Producers (2015), Don't Dare to Dream (2016), and When the Camellia Blooms (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Hee-ae</span> South Korean actress

Kim Hee-ae is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading roles in Korean dramas such as Sons and Daughters (1992), Perfect Love (2003), My Husband's Woman (2007), How Long I've Kissed (2012), Secret Affair (2014), and The World of the Married (2020). She has received multiple acting awards including two Daesang and four Best Actress Awards for Television at the Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2020, she was selected as Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Han Seung-yeon</span> South Korean singer and actress (born 1988)

Han Seung-yeon, known mononymously as Seungyeon, is a South Korean singer and actress. She is best known as the vocalist of the South Korean girl group Kara, and for her role in Hello, My Twenties!.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoo Dong-geun</span> South Korean actor (born 1956)

Yoo Dong-geun is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the historical television dramas Tears of the Dragon, Empress Myseongseong, and Yeon Gaesomun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shim Yi-young</span> South Korean actress

Shim Yi-young is a South Korean actress.

Kim Soo-hyun is a South Korean screenwriter and novelist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Han Go-eun</span> South Korean actress (born 1975)

Han Go-eun is a South Korean actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Go Doo-shim</span> South Korean actress (born 1951)

Go Doo-shim is a South Korean actress.

Kim Mi-sook is a South Korean actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park Sun-young (actress)</span> South Korean actress (born 1976)

Park Sun-young is a South Korean actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">So Yoo-jin</span> South Korean actress (born 1981)

So Yu-jin is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading roles in the television dramas Rookie (2000), Delicious Proposal (2001), Fox and Cotton Candy (2001), as well as in Rival (2002) and Mai Ratima (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Shin-young</span> South Korean comedian

Kim Shin-young is a South Korean comedian, MC and DJ. She debuted in 2004 on the SBS show People Looking For Laughter and won 'Best Variety Performer' at the 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards in 2006. She has hosted numerous variety shows and radio shows in South Korea and has won several awards for comedy and hosting in her career. In 2018, Kim became a member of Celeb Five (셀럽파이브), a dance group produced by CONTENTS LAB VIVO, a contents company owned by Song Eun-i.

Kang Sung-yeon is a South Korean actress. Kang made her acting debut in 1996 through MBC's Open Recruitment. Although her main profession was acting, she also contributed songs to several soundtracks and released two albums in 2001–2002 under the stage name Bobo. Then in 2005, Kang rose to fame when she played Prince Yeonsan's concubine Jang Nok-su in King and the Clown, a period film that drew 12.3 million admissions, making it the highest-grossing domestic film in Korean cinema history. Kang continued to star in television dramas such as Let's Get Married (2005), New Wise Mother, Good Wife (2007), Single Dad in Love (2008), Tazza (2008), and Wife Returns (2009). From 2012 to 2014, she hosted her own poetry reading program on EBS Radio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chae Soo-bin</span> South Korean actress (born 1994)

Bae Soo-bin, known professionally as Chae Soo-bin (Korean: 채수빈), is a South Korean actress. She gained recognition for her role in the television series Love in the Moonlight (2016), and transitioned into leading roles with The Rebel (2017), Strongest Deliveryman (2017), I'm Not a Robot (2017–2018), Where Stars Land (2018), A Piece of Your Mind (2020), Rookie Cops (2022), and The Fabulous (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park Ju-hyun</span> South Korean actress (born 1994)

Park Ju-hyun is a South Korean actress. She debuted in the film The Dude In Me (2019) followed by tvN 's television film Drama Stage Season 3: My Wife's Bed. She gained recognition with her appearance in the drama series A Piece of Your Mind (2020) and starred in her first lead role as Bae Gyu-ri in Netflix original series Extracurricular (2020).

References

  1. Lee, So-yeon (March 16, 2023). "이승연 56세에 상담심리학 전공 학위 취득 "주경야독.. 한고비 넘었다" [Lee Seung-yeon obtained a degree in counseling psychology at the age of 56] (in Korean). iMBC . Retrieved March 16, 2023 via Naver.
  2. 이승연 (1992 미스코리아 미). Miss Korea - Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2013-07-25.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. 스타탐구: 도시미인 '이승연'. Naver (in Korean). 19 June 2003. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  4. Han, Jane (30 July 2007). "Celeb Brands: Express Ticket to Home Shopping Success". The Korea Times . Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  5. 인기 탤런트 이승연 운전면허 부정 취득. Naver (in Korean). 30 July 1998. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  6. 알만한 사람은 다 아는 강호동-이승연 루머 "내 타입 아닌데‥". Naver (in Korean). 10 May 2007. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  7. "탤런트 이승연, SBS '이승연의...' 진행 중단". Naver (in Korean). 25 August 1998. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  8. 스타인터뷰: 이승연 '서른 넷, 새로운 도전'. Naver (in Korean). 5 February 2002. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  9. 탤런트 이승연 결국 드라마복귀 포기. Naver (in Korean). 23 August 1999. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  10. 이승연 방송에서 퇴출되나. Naver (in Korean). 14 February 2004. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  11. 여자에게: 다 이승연씨 덕분입니다. Naver (in Korean). 16 February 2006. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  12. 이경영 주연 '미워도...' 예정대로 개봉. Naver (in Korean). 15 May 2002. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  13. "Nudity, Profits Anger Surviving Comfort Women". The Chosun Ilbo . February 12, 2004. Archived from the original on 2013-07-21. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  14. Lee, Jin-yeong (13 February 2004). "Comfort Woman-Themed Nude Pictures of Actress Stirs Controversy". The Dong-a Ilbo . Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  15. "Comfort Women Nude Project Suspended". The Chosun Ilbo . February 16, 2004. Archived from the original on 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  16. '종군위안부 누드' 파문의 중심에 선 이승연. Woman DongA (in Korean). 4 March 2004. Retrieved 2013-07-26.[ permanent dead link ]
  17. "Netian Proposes Preview of Comfort Women Nude Video, Photos". The Chosun Ilbo . February 18, 2004. Archived from the original on 2013-07-21. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  18. "Incineration of Lee Seung-yeon's Nude Picture". The Dong-a Ilbo . 19 February 2004. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  19. "Criticized at Home, Kim Ki-duk Proves his Worth Internationally". The Chosun Ilbo . 12 September 2004. Archived from the original on 2012-11-13. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  20. Kim, Gab-sik; Kim, Jung-hun (12 September 2004). "Director Kim Ki-duk Wins Silver Lion For Empty House At Venice". The Dong-a Ilbo . Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  21. Sunwoo, Carla (26 January 2013). "TV show pulled after drug charge". Korea JoongAng Daily . Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  22. Lee, Jin-ho; Park, Hyun-min (24 January 2013). "Jang Mi In Ae and Lee Seung Yeon Officially Deny Propofol Suspicions". enewsWorld. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  23. Kang, Hyun-kyung (25 March 2013). "Actresses deny abuse of propofol". The Korea Times . Archived from the original on 2013-07-28. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  24. "Stars in Court Over Michael Jackson Killer Drug". The Chosun Ilbo . 26 March 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-09-22. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  25. Lee, Cory (29 October 2013). "Park Si-yeon, Lee Seung-yeon, Jang Mi In Ae Sentenced Imprisonment for Propofol Misuse". 10Asia. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  26. "Actresses Given Suspended Sentences in Propofol Scandal". The Chosun Ilbo . 26 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  27. "TV actresses get suspended jail terms for drug abuse". Yonhap . 25 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  28. "Actress Ordered to Compensate Advertiser". The Chosun Ilbo . 23 January 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
  29. Kwon, Mee-yoo (23 November 2007). "Actress Lee Seung-yeon to Wed". The Korea Times . Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  30. Chung, Ah-young (28 December 2007). "Actress Lee Seung-yeon Weds Businessman". The Korea Times . Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  31. "Lee Seung-yeon on TV after her first child". Hancinema . 17 October 2009. Archived from the original on 2020-02-01. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  32. Kim, Yoon-ji (January 23, 2018). "[단독]이승연, MBC '부잣집 아들'로 6년만에 지상파 복귀". Edaily (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  33. Jeong, Han-byul (December 30, 2022). "이종석, 'MBC 연기대상' 6년 만 대상 "20대 때와 다른 느낌" [종합]" [Lee Jong-suk, 'MBC Drama Awards' grand prize in 6 years "Feels different from when I was in my 20s" [Comprehensive]] (in Korean). Hankook Ilbo. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022 via Naver.