Lee Min-jung

In this Korean name, the family name is Lee.
Lee Min-jung
Lee in January 2023
Born (1982-02-16) February 16, 1982 (age 42)
Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea
EducationSungkyunkwan University (Theater)
OccupationActress
Years active2004 – present
Agent(s)MS Team Entertainment
(2008 – present)
Spouse
​
(m. 2013)​
Children2
Korean name
Hangul
이민정
Hanja
Revised RomanizationI Min-jeong
McCune–ReischauerYi Minjŏng

Lee Min-jung (Korean: 이민정; born February 16, 1982) is a South Korean actress. She began her career in Jang Jin's stage plays, and for a few years appeared in supporting roles on film and television. She became known after her appearance in Boys Over Flowers (2009), and landed her first lead role in family drama Smile, You (2009). She achieved widespread recognition for her leading role in the romantic comedy Cyrano Agency (2010). She also starred in Wonderful Radio (2012), Big (2012), Cunning Single Lady (2014), and Come Back Mister (2016). In 2020, she starred and gained recognition in the KBS weekend drama, Once Again.

Career

Lee at the Smile, You press conference in 2009

Lee began her career in playwright/filmmaker Jang Jin's stage plays, then appeared in the Christian-themed indie Pruning the Grapevine,[1] while doing minor roles on film and television. She became a household name in 2009 through her supporting role in the popular high school series Boys Over Flowers, which then landed her first leading role in the weekend drama Smile, You.[2][3] The same year, she won the Best New Actress award at the Korean Association of Film Critics Awards for her performance in the mystery thriller White Night.[4]

Lee's breakout role was in romantic comedy Cyrano Agency in 2010, where she swept Best New Actress awards at various local award-giving bodies.[5][6][7][8][9]

Lee at the LG Tromm Love Hands Talk Concert in 2012

Commercials and endorsements flooded in, and Lee gained a "goddess" label in the press.[10] One of the challenges of her next film Wonderful Radio, was to strip her of that image.[11] She successfully carried the film, with one review praising her as "expertly swinging from girly ditz, through self-centered pop diva (with memorable temper tantrums), to serious singer-songwriter."[12][13] Co-star Lee Jung-jin said her actual personality is similar to the character's - "really upbeat and outgoing."[11]

After playing a disillusioned fiancée to an ambitious fund manager in Midas,[14] Lee returned to the romantic comedy genre in the body-swapping TV series Big written by the Hong sisters.[15] In 2013 she starred in another rom-com series All About My Romance, about a secret relationship between two politicians of rival parties.[16] This was followed by Cunning Single Lady in 2014, in which she played the titular character who schemes to win her ex-husband back now that he's rich and successful.[17]

Lee made her acting comeback after three years in the SBS drama Come Back Mister with Rain. The series began airing in February 2016, and Lee won positive reviews for her performance.[18][19]

In 2018, Lee returned with a SBS weekend drama Fates & Furies. She re-united with her former co-star Joo Sang-wook from Cunning Single Lady as main leads.[20][21] In 2020, Lee gained widespread recognition portraying the role of Song Na-hee alongside actor Lee Sang-yeob in the weekend drama, Once Again.

Personal life

Her maternal grandfather was renowned painter Park No-soo, who led the first generation of modern traditional Korean ink painters which emerged after the country's liberation from Japanese rule. Park died on February 25, 2013, at the age of 86.[22]

Lee married actor Lee Byung-hun on August 10, 2013, at the Grand Hyatt Seoul.[23][24] The couple had briefly dated in 2006, then resumed their relationship in 2012.[25][26][27] She gave birth to their first child, Lee Joon-hoo, a boy, on March 31, 2015.[28][29][30] On August 4, 2023, it was confirmed that she was expecting her second child.[31][32] She gave birth to her second child, a daughter, on December 21, 2023.[33]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role
1999 The Gate of Destiny Icarus member
2003 Wishing Stairs Jin-sung's ballet dance double
2004 Someone Special Yi-yeon's friend
2005 Wet Dreams 2 Second year student #3
2006 Moodori Yoon-hee
2007 Pruning the Grapevine Yoon Soo-ah / Helena
2009 Searching for the Elephant Soo-yeon
White Night Lee Si-yeong
2010 Cyrano Agency Kim Hee-joong
2012 Wonderful Radio Shin Jin-ah
2023 Switch Soo Hyun[34][35]

Television series

Year Title Role
2005 Love and Sympathy Kim Young-joo
2006 Love Me When You Can Ha Jung-hwa
2007 Kimcheed Radish Cubes Lee Min-do
2008 Who Are You? Yang Ji-sook
2009 Boys Over Flowers Ha Jae-kyung
Smile, You Seo Jung-in
2010 Sunday Drama Theater:
"Lunch Box" 		Hee-young
2011 Midas Lee Jung-yeon
2012 Big Gil Da-ran
2013 All About My Romance Noh Min-young
2014 Cunning Single Lady Na Ae-ra
2016 Come Back Mister Shin Da-hye / Han Hong-nan
2018–2019 Fates & Furies Goo Hae-ra
2020 Once Again Song Na-hee
2025 Okay, Let's Get a Divorce[36] Baek Mi-young

Web series

Year Title Role Ref.
2023 Villains Han Soo-hyun [37]

Television shows

Year Title Role Ref.
2019 The Barber of Seville Cast member [38]
2021 Up Grademyself MC [39]
2021 Peace Concert - Heart, Connect Host [40]
2023 Oh Eun-young Game [41]

Music video appearances

Year Song title Artist
2005 "널 지켜줄게" Player
2006 "Like a Man" Fly to the Sky
2008 "Violin + Miss You" Zia
"Doll + A Man's Love"
2009 "Girls Like Bad Boys" December
"I Don't Care" 2NE1

Theater

Year Title Role
2004 Taxi Driver Hwa-yi
Clumsy People Yoo Hwa-yi
2007 The Game of Love and Chance Silvia

Discography

Title Year Album
"It Was You"
(with Park Shin-hye) 		2010 Cyrano Agency OST
"Again" 2012 Wonderful Radio OST
"Write the Truth"
"You're My Angel"
(with Seo Young and Ahn Mi-na)

Awards and nominations

Lee Min-jung at the 2010 Director's Cut Awards
Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
APAN Star Awards 2021 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama Once Again Won [42]
Popular Star Award, Actress Nominated [43]
Baeksang Arts Awards 2010 Best New Actress – Television Smile, You Nominated
2011 Best New Actress – Film Cyrano Agency Nominated
InStyle Fashionista Award Lee Min-jung Won [44]
Blue Dragon Film Awards 2010 Best New Actress Cyrano Agency Won [45]
Cine21 Awards 2010 Best New Actress Won
Director's Cut Awards Won [46]
Grand Bell Awards 2010 Won [47]
Popularity Award, Actress Won
Herald Donga TV Lifestyle Awards 2012 Style Icon Award Lee Min-jung Won [48]
KBS Drama Awards 2012 Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Big Nominated
2020 Top Excellence Award, Actress Once Again Won
Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama Nominated
Netizen Award, Actress Nominated
Best Couple Award (with Lee Sang-yeob) Won [49]
Korean Association of Film Critics Awards 2010 Best New Actress White Night Won [4]
Korea Jewelry Awards Ruby Award Lee Min-jung Won
MBC Drama Awards 2014 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Cunning Single Lady Nominated
SBS Drama Awards 2009 New Star Award Smile, You Won [50]
2011 Excellence Award, Actress in a Special Planning Drama Midas Nominated
2019 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama Fates & Furies Nominated
Style Icon Awards 2010 Style Icon - Movie Actress Cyrano Agency Won
University Film Festival of Korea Best New Actress Won

State honors

Name of country, year given, and name of honor
Country Or Organization Year Honor Or Award Ref.
Sungkyunkwan University 2021 Sungkyun Artist Award [51]

Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement
Publisher Year Listicle Placement Ref.
Forbes 2011 Korea Power Celebrity 29th [52]
2012 29th [53]
2013 37th [54]

References

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