Lee Woo-jung (; born 1976) is a South Korean television screenwriter. She is best known for writing the tvN television dramas Reply series: Reply 1997 (2012), Reply 1994 (2013) and Reply 1988 (2015–2016). She also wrote the popular variety-reality shows 2 Days & 1 Night, Qualifications of Men, Grandpas Over Flowers, Sisters Over Flowers, Youth Over Flowers, and Three Meals a Day.
She was given a presidential commendation for her work on Grandpas Over Flowers at the 2013 Korea Content Awards, which praised her for its depiction of "four elderly backpackers with humor and warmth."
Education Lee Woo-jung was born on 1976, in Jinju, South Gyeongsang, South Korea. After graduating from the Department of Trade at Sookmyung Women's University, Lee began her career as an advertising copywriter. During her writer training at the MBC Academy, she made the transition to the broadcasting industry. At that time, becoming a broadcast writer required education from institutions affiliated with broadcasting companies, such as the MBC Academy or broadcasting writers' training institutes. Prospective writers would submit their resumes and portfolios with script composition plans, and broadcasting companies would request manpower from these institutions when they needed new writers.
In 2000, writer Lee participated in MBC's pilot program called An Outing with a Girlfriend! which was an entertainment survival program following the global trend of the time. Through this program, she gained experience and entered the broadcasting industry with 21st Century Committee.
Career Career as an unscripted show writer After being scouted by KBS, Lee worked as assistant writer on music show Music Bank. In 2002, she became the main writer for the show "Declaration of Freedom Today is Saturday – The War Of Roses." This program was held at a mountain lodge and involved male entertainers and female college students meeting to find a mate. It was during this program that Lee met Lee Myung-han, the main director, along with two assistant directors, Na Yeong-seok and Shin Won-ho. Sharing similar creative tendencies, They quickly hit it off.
They eventually formed a group known as the Yeouido Research Institute, which later became Lee Myung-han's division. They collaborated again on Super TV Sunday is Fun, with Lee Myung-han as the main director and his juniors in charge of directing each segment of the show. Na Yeong-seok directed "Let's Go! Dream Team – Season 1," and Shin Won-ho directed "Kung Kung Ta".
Lee returned as the main writer for Heroine 5, and collaborated with directors Lee Myung-han and Na Yeong-seok. Heroine 5 was one of the segments of Sunday 101%, which was renamed Happy Sunday since November 2004. It was broadcast from April 4, 2004, to May 1, 2005, on KBS 2. It was followed by the sequel, Heroine 6, which aired from May 8, 2005, to April 29, 2007, on KBS2. When Lee Myung-han and Na Yeong-seok developed other segments, Shin Won-hoo took over as the director of the show.
Lee, Lee Myung-han and Na Yeong-seok collaborated to create two new segments for Happy Sunday: High Five and Are You Ready? High Five aired on KBS 2TV from May 6, 2007, to May 18, 2008. Hosted by Jee Seok-jin, the show focused on five female stars as they embarked on different job experiences. From flight attendants to farmers, stuntwomen to police officers, the stars took on various roles. Given their diverse backgrounds, comedic twists and events were often incorporated into their training. The initial lineup of High Five included comedian Jo Hye-ryun, entertainer Hyun Young, singer Chae Yeon, MC Park Kyung-lim, and actress Kim Min-sun.
Happy Sunday: Are You Ready? aired from May 6, 2007, to July 29, 2007. Hosted by Kang Ho-dong, the cast included Lee Soo-geun, Eun Ji-won, Kim Jong-min, Noh Hong-chul, and Ji Sang-ryeol. The show revolved around the cast and special guests engaging in a variety of games. The initial episodes focused on games related to the Chinese language, while subsequent episodes featured physical and logic-based games. Unfortunately, due to poor ratings, Are You Ready? was discontinued after airing 12 episodes. 이지훈, "내가 거절한 '1박 2일' 대박 배아파" | Lee Ji-hoon "Jealous of '1 night & 2 days's success which I refused My Daily. May 28, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2009.
Following the discontinuation of Are You Ready? Lee, Lee Myung-han, and Na Yeong-seok, created a replacement segment titled 2 Days & 1 Night. The initial cast included most of the members from Are You Ready?, such as Kang Ho-dong, Lee Soo-geun, Eun Ji-won, Kim Jong-min, Noh Hong-chul, and Ji Sang-ryeol. Later, Kim C, Lee Seung-gi, MC Mong, and Uhm Tae-woong joined the cast. 2 Days & 1 Night revolutionized Korean reality programming by introducing the road trip format. The show featured a regular cast who embarked on trips to different towns across South Korea, spending one night and two days there. During these trips, they engaged in various activities such as games, camping, and sightseeing.
They achieved a breakthrough with 1 Night 2 Days. The show gained immense popularity and became the highest-rated variety program on KBS, captivating audiences nationwide. It achieved a peak viewership rating of 40%. The show not only had a positive impact on the featured locations by boosting tourism, but it also garnered a massive fan base for its cast members and even the production crew. Na Young-seok, in particular, gained significant recognition as he frequently appeared onscreen during interactions with the cast. As a result, he became a well-known figure among Korean audiences, affectionately referred to as "Na PD". Lee received the Writer Award at the 2008 KBS Entertainment Awards for her work on the show.
In December 2008, Lee stepped down from her role in the production of 2 Days & 1 Night. She then assumed the position of Happy Sunday's Team Leader (Producer). In 2009, Lee and creative producer Lee Myung-han collaborated on a new segment for Happy Sunday titled Qualifications of Men, with Shin Won-ho served as the director. This variety show aired on KBS2 from March 29, 2009, to April 7, 2013. Subtitled as "101 Things a Man Must Do Before He Dies", the show featured a group of male celebrities with diverse ages and personalities. They undertook missions aimed at helping them become "real men". These missions encompassed a wide range of challenges, both physical and emotional. Throughout the show, the participants met various mentors from different fields, learning valuable skills along the way.
On August 19, 2011, KBS officially announced that Happy Sunday – 1 Night 2 Days Season 1 will be ended after 6 months. It was announced 10 days since MC Kang Ho-dong's intention to get off from the show was announced. After the end of Season 1 of 2 Days & 1 Night, which broadcast its final episode on February 26, 2012. Writer Lee, left KBS to follow Lee Myung-han and Shin Won-ho, who left KBS to transfer to CJ E&M in July. Prior to that, during the 'tvN Foundation 5th Anniversary Conference' in October 2011, Director Song Chang-eui of tvN and Broadcasting Planning Director of CJ E&M Lee Deok-jae announced their 2012 program lineup and content production investment plan. One of the highlights of the lineup was a new concept reality program created by Lee Myung-han and writer Lee Woo-jung. The program was scheduled to air in the first half of the following year on tvN.
In early 2012, Lee made her debut on the cable channel tvN with the reality program called The Romantic. To create the show, Lee sought the assistance of director Yoo Hak-chan, and junior writer Kim Dae-joo, who were former crew members from 2 Days & 1 Night. The 12-episode show introduced a unique concept of a dating game show. Ten ordinary young men and women embarked on a journey to unfamiliar locations, gradually getting to know each other and seeking true love. The filming took place in Dubrovnik, Croatia, spanning over a period of 9 nights and 10 days from late December to early January. Dubrovnik, renowned as the pearl of the Adriatic Sea for its breathtaking location in the Balkans, is a popular honeymoon destination for Europeans. It has also gained recognition as a filming location for a coffee commercial featuring actress Go Hyun-jung. The Romantic premiered on tvN at 11:00 pm on a Saturday in February 2012.
In the same year, Lee once again collaborated with Lee Myung-han, director Yoo Hak-chan, and junior writer Kim Dae-joo for her second reality programming pilot . Jun Hyun-moo took on the role of the host, and the cast included Lee Soo-geun, Kim Jong-min, and Eun Ji-won. All cast members, except Jun Hyun-moo, were original members of Season 1 of 2 Days & 1 Night. The show premiered on tvN on October 7, 2012, marking the first time a weekend entertainment program in Korea was broadcast live. Starting from November 11, 2012, Three Idiots became a segment of 'Sunday N tvN,' a 135-minute program that featured two segments within a framed composition. During the live broadcasts of Three Idiots, a pre-recorded program titled The Romantic and Idol was also aired.
The Yeouido Research Institute was in full force after Na Yeong-seok moved to CJ ENM in early 2013. Together with Na Yeong-seok, Lee made Grandpas Over Flowers, a travel-reality show that featured four veteran actors in their seventies: Lee Soon-jae, Shin Goo, Park Geun-hyung and Baek Il-seob. Alongside them, actor Lee Seo-jin in his forties joined as their porter for their backpacking tours to various international destination. The show's title is a word play/parody of the popular Japanese manga of , and also references the 2009 South Korea drama adaptation of the manga. The first season of Grandpas Over Flowers aired from July 5 to August 16, 2013, on tvN, consisting of seven episodes. It was filmed in Paris, Strasbourg, Bern, and Lucerne. The success of the first season led to the immediate airing of the second season from August 23 to September 20, 2013, comprising five episodes that were filmed in Taiwan. Lee as writer received Presidential Commendation for this work."Lee Woo-jung has a keen eye for observing people. She quickly figures out someone's personality and what they like. Nowadays, storytelling is crucial in variety shows. Instead of having a script, they create an improvisational storytelling platform on-site and later structure the story. She is capable of understanding the hidden psychology behind events and has excellent talent in capturing context and flow." - Jeong Deok-hyeon, a popular culture critic.Na Yeong-seok has often praised writer Lee for her ability to create engaging content that speaks to the heart of people's lives. "When you talk about people's lives with writer Lee, junior writers, and junior PDs, it naturally develops into a broadcasting item," he said at production presentations and lectures. "This writer is the creator who has the greatest influence and stimulation on me." Na Yeong-seok also praised Lee Woo-jung's personality, saying, "Usually, when writers become well-known, they tend to become arrogant. However, Lee Woo-jung still listens to people's stories, asks questions, and strives to broaden her horizons."
Following that, Lee collaborated with Yoo Hak-chan on Ha Jung-woo Brothers, a reality road talk show that followed actor Ha Jung-woo and his close friends, including actors Jung Kyung-ho, Kang Shin-cheol, and Ko Sung-hee, on a two-day impromptu trip. The show's premise involved escaping the city and traveling with a limited budget of 200,000 won. The production team used candid cameras and minimal intervention, allowing the natural interactions and experiences of the cast to unfold. It was broadcast on tvN on October 11, 2013.