Lee Yoo-young

2012–2014: Early works and critical breakthrough

Lee began her professional career in 2012 with the short film Flowers Do Not Wither..., followed by several additional short film appearances.^[6] In 2014, She made her feature film debut in Cho Geun-hyun's film Late Spring. Her portrayal of Min-kyung, a widow working as a nude model to support her two children,^[9] earned her the Best Actress award at the 14th Milan Film Festival, making her the first Korean actor to receive the honor.^[3][10]

Between 2014 and 2015, Lee appeared in various films, often portraying characters navigating traumatic circumstances, including roles in The Treacherous and The Accidental Detective.^[5] In the period thriller film The Treacherous, directed by Min Kyu-dong, Lee portrayed Seol Jung-mae, a character who competes with Dan-hee (played by Lim Ji-yeon) to win the affections of King Yeonsan.^{[5][11][12][13]} For her performance as Seol Jung-mae, she received the Rookie Actress Award at the 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards.^[14] In August 2015, Lee started filming Hong Sang-soo's film Yourself and Yours.^[15] She noted the difficulty of the role, citing the director's characteristic use of extensive dialogue.^[16] The film subsequently premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.^[17]

2015–2018: Expansion into television

Lee transitioned to television in 2017 with the OCN series Tunnel (2017), playing Shin Jae-yi, a criminal psychologist characterized by emotional detachment resulting from past trauma. Despite being in her 30s, an age typically associated with bright and cheerful roles, Lee has chosen to take on more complex and challenging characters.^[5]

In 2018, she starred in the film Marionette as Seorin, a victim of a sexual crime whose past resurfaces after she becomes a high school teacher. A text message from an unidentified being called 'Master' creates a crack in her new life.^[18] That same year, she portrayed Han Eun-sung, a French interpreter in the drama special You Drive Me Crazy, opposite Kim Seon-ho. The four-episode drama was aired on MBC from May 7–8, 2018.^[19] Also in 2018, Lee portrayed Song So-eun in the SBS drama Your Honor. The series follows Han Kang-ho (Yoon Si-yoon), a former criminal who becomes a judge in his brother's absence. Lee's character, Song So-eun, is a student at the Judicial Research and Training Institute with aspirations of becoming a prosecutor. Her performance earned her the Best New Actress Award at the 2018 SBS Drama Awards.^[9]

In 2020, Lee participated in SF8, a science-fiction anthology project produced by MBC in collaboration with the Directors Guild of Korea and Wavve. It consisted of 8 short films with eight directors. She acted opposite Ye Soo-jung in the segment "Nursing," directed by Min Gyu-dong.^[20] Subsequently, she appeared in the romantic comedy Traces of Love as Joo-young, a character navigating a professional and personal reunion with a former boyfriend (played by Lee Sang-yeob). Directed Yoo Young-eun, the project received critical notice for its gender-sensitive approach to its narrative.^[21]

In September 2020, Lee appeared in Jo Seul-ye's directorial debut Diva, starring alongside Shin Min-a and Lee Kyu-hyung. The film focuses on the relationship between two competitive divers and friends, Lee Young (Shin) and Soo-jin (Lee). Following a vehicular accident that results in Soo-jin's disappearance, the narrative follows Lee Young's psychological struggle and her confrontation with personal fears and ambitions.^[22][23]

2020–present: Streaming project and recent roles

In 2021, Lee appeared in the Apple TV+ original series Dr. Brain, marking the platform's first Korean-language production. Directed by Kim Jee-woon and based on a webtoon of the same name, the science-fiction thriller featured Lee as the wife of a neuroscientist.^[24][25][26]

Lee subsequently starred as Young-mi in Im Sun-ae's 2023 feature film Ms. Apocalypse. Set in 1999, the narrative depicts a woman who serves a prison sentence after taking the blame for an embezzlement committed by her romantic interest.^[27][28] The film received positive reviews at prestigious film festivals, including the 27th Fantasia Film Festival Schwarzenegger Competition, the 28th Busan International Film Festival Korea's Today-Panorama, and the 49th Seoul Independent Film Festival Festival Choice.^[29]

In 2024, Lee starred in KBS2's romance drama Dare to Love Me, based on the Naver Webtoon by Sun Woo.^[30] The series follows the story of a scholar Shin Yun-bok (played by Kim Myung-soo) and Kim Hong-do (lee) a woman tired of mistreatment. It aired from May 13 to July 2, 2024, and is available for streaming on Netflix and Viki in certain regions.^{[31][32][33][34]}

Endorsements

After winning Best Actress at the 14th Milan Film Festival, Lee was chosen as model for the matchmaking agency Duo with Yoon Tae-woong.^[35] She also chosen as the model for Bacchus, a fatigue recovery supplement advertisement.^[36] In 2018, Lee was chosen as muse for fashion brand Deco & I.^[37] In 2019, Lee has been selected as the advertising model for beauty care medical device Newa.^[38] Lee also served as model for INKO, a premium heated brand of Jibon Cosmetics.^[39]

Philanthropy

In July 2024, it was reported that Lee donated ₩65 million to the Gwangju Community Chest of Korea on July 28 to support aging out youth.^[A][41]

Relationships

In December 2016, Lee was confirmed to be dating her Yourself and Yours co-star, Kim Joo-hyuk.^[42] Their relationship continued until Kim's death on October 30, 2017, in a traffic collision.^[43][44]

On February 6, 2023, it was confirmed that Lee was dating a non-celebrity boyfriend.^[45] In July 2024, reports said Lee had privately registered her marriage in May and was expecting a child.^[46] She subsequently gave birth to a daughter in August, with the news announced on September 4.^[47] She and her husband held their official wedding reception on September 21, 2025 in Seoul.^[48] On April 6, 2026, Lee’s agency, Ace Factory, revealed that she was pregnant with her second child, stating that she was expected to deliver in September.^[49]

Film

Television series

Web series

Television show