Lee Yoo-young

Lee Yoo-young (; born December 8, 1989) is a South Korean actress. She made her debut in the film Late Spring which earned her a Best Actress award at the 14th Milan Film Festival. She subsequently starred in the television series The Lies Within (2018), Insider (2022) and Dare to Love Me (2024).

Early life and education Lee was born in Nowon District, Seoul, South Korea During her childhood, she reportedly experienced significant social anxiety and interpersonal difficulties, including ostracism by peers. She underwent a personality shift during her high school years as a result of deliberate efforts to improve her social interactions. Due to strict parental supervision and limited financial support, Lee began working various part-time positions upon reaching the age of 20 to achieve financial independence, including a role as a hairdresser's assistant.

Following multiple scouting offers from casting agents, Lee began pursuing an acting career in 2010. She enrolled in the Department of Acting at the Korea National University of Arts.

Career

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. earned her the Best Actress award at the 14th Milan Film Festival, making her the first Korean actor to receive the honor.

Between 2014 and 2015, Lee appeared in various films, often portraying characters navigating traumatic circumstances, including roles in The Treacherous and The Accidental Detective. For her performance as Seol Jung-mae, she received the Rookie Actress Award at the 36th Blue Dragon Film Awards. She noted the difficulty of the role, citing the director's characteristic use of extensive dialogue. The film subsequently premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.

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. 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. 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. 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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

In 2024, Lee starred in KBS2's romance drama Dare to Love Me, based on the Naver Webtoon by Sun Woo. 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.

Other activities 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. She also chosen as the model for Bacchus, a fatigue recovery supplement advertisement. In 2018, Lee was chosen as muse for fashion brand Deco & I. In 2019, Lee has been selected as the advertising model for beauty care medical device Newa. Lee also served as model for INKO, a premium heated brand of Jibon Cosmetics.

Philanthropy In July 2024, it was reported that Lee donated to the Gwangju Community Chest of Korea on July 28 to support aging out youth.

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

On February 6, 2023, it was confirmed that Lee was dating a non-celebrity boyfriend. In July 2024, reports said Lee had privately registered her marriage in May and was expecting a child. She subsequently gave birth to a daughter in August, with the news announced on September 4. She and her husband held their official wedding reception on September 21, 2025 in Seoul. 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.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2012 A Flowers Does Not Wilt, But... Soo-young Short film 2013 Men Late Spring Lee Min-kyung Fatal Intuition Si-eun A Lonely Bird Short film 2016 Mr. Cowper In-ae Yourself and Yours Min-jeong 2018 Marionette Han Seo-rin Grass Special appearance Herstory Ryu Seon-yeong The Soul-Mate Hyeon-ji 2019 I Am Home Eun-seo 2020 Diva Soo-jin 2021 Perhaps Love Jeong-won (Hyun's neighbor) 2024 Ms. Apocalypse Kim Young-mi The Firefighters Seo-hee

Television series Year Title Role Notes 2016 Clocking Out Mae-goo Special appearance 2017 Tunnel Shin Jae-yi / Park Yeon-ho 2018 You Drive Me Crazy Han Eun-sung Your Honor Song So-eun 2019 My Fellow Citizens! Kim Mi-young The Lies Within Kim Seo-hee 2020 SF8 Gan Ho-jung / Yeon Jung-in Episode: "The Prayer" 2022 Insider Oh Soo-yeon 2024 Dare to Love Me Kim Hong-do 2025 Pro Bono Oh Jung-in

Web series Year Title Role Notes 2021 Dr. Brain Jung Jae-yi Season 1

Television show Year Title Role 2022 Besties in Wonderland Cast Member

Awards and nominations + 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 APAN Star Awards 2018 Best New Actress Your Honor Blue Dragon Film Awards 2015 Best New Actress The Treacherous Buil Film Awards 2015 Best New Actress Late Spring Chunsa Film Art Awards 2015 The Treacherous Grand Bell Awards 2015 Late Spring KBS Drama Awards 2019 My Fellow Citizens! Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama 2020 Best Actress in a One-Act/Special/Short Drama Traces of Love KOFRA Film Awards 2015 Best New Actress Late Spring Korea Drama Awards 2019 Excellence Award, Actress My Fellow Citizens! Korea Film Actors Association Awards 2015 Popular Movie Star The Treacherous Korean Association of Film Critics Awards 2015 Best New Actress Late Spring Max Movie Awards 2016 The Treacherous Milano Film Festival 2014 Best Actress Late Spring SBS Drama Awards 2018 Best New Actress Your Honor Excellence Award, Actress in a Wednesday-Thursday Drama The Seoul Awards 2018 Best New Actress Wildflower Film Awards 2015 Late Spring 2017 Best Actress Yourself and Yours 2020 I Am Home