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 in its first year and 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 KBS21996 Papa Yoon Hye-won Drama Game:"Sunglasses 1004" Reporting for Duty Go Eun-shil First Love Park Shin-ja 1997 Today Somehow Premonition Yoo-rim MBC 1998 Heart of Lies Lee Soo-ji 1999 Sunday Best:"Do You Know You're a Parent" KBS2 The Boss "Crow" MBC Goodbye My Love Im Jung-ae 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 2007 Dal-ja's Spring Wee Seon-joo KBS2 Kimchi Cheese Smile Shin Hye-young MBC 2009 Queen of Housewives Yang Bong-soon 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 Host 2004–2005 Changing U 2005–2006 Heroine 6 Cast member 2008–2009 Style Magazine Host Talk & City 2012 Women& with Lee Hye-young Host Reckless Family Cast member2018Let's Eat Dinner TogetherCast member2021 Divorced Singles Host Divorced Singles 2 Host 2022 Doll Singles 3 Host
Discography Album informationTrack listingOh I Love You Album Artist: Lee Hye-young Released: May 29, 1986 Label: DAS1730 Album Artist: 1730 Released: 1992 Label: Samsung MusicCo Co Album Artist: Coco Released: 1993 Label: Samsung MusicSouls From Cosmo Album Artist: 1730 Released: 1994 Label: OrangeCo Co Vol. 2 Album Artist: Coco Released: 1994 Label: Daeyoung AVNot Alone in Love 1 track from The Man Wagging Tail OST Artist: Lee Hye-young Released: September 1, 1995 Label: SKCDreaming of a Happier Time 1 track from Reporting for Duty OST Artist: Lee Hye-young Released: July 1996 Label: KBS Cultural Corps, LGMHer First Sense Album Artist: Lee Hye-young Released: August 28, 2000 Label: CREAMSweet Christmas Single Artist: Lee Hye-young Released: December 9, 2008 Label: Mega Entertainment, Show Record
Book Year Title Publisher ISBN2009 The Beauty Bible Sallim Life The Fashion Bible
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result1997 33rd Baeksang Arts Awards Best New Actress (TV) First Love MBC Drama Awards Popularity Award Premonition 2007 KBS Drama Awards Best Supporting Actress Dal-ja's Spring 2009 MBC Drama Awards Excellence Award, Actress Queen of Housewives
References
External links
(A few of her movie credits (Ggorichineun namja, If, Bet on My Disco) have been wrongly attributed to a different Lee Hye-young)