Lee Young-ah

Lee Young-ah (; born October 23, 1984) is a South Korean actress and model. She is best known for playing the role of Nguyen Jin Joo in Golden Bride, a 2008 drama that was extended by 14 episodes due to its popularity. It was in the Top 3 Korean Dramas of the South Korean Nielson Ratings during January–February 2008 and the Top 7 for TNmS Ratings.

She is also known for her role in the drama Bread, Love and Dreams as Yang Mi-sun, the love interest of main character, Kim Tak-goo. She won the 2010 KBS Drama Awards "Best Couple Award" for this role together with Yoon Shi-yoon.

Career Lee Young Ah began acting when she was 19 years old. She first appeared in the SBS TV Drama I Love You, My Enemy as well as The Youth in Bare Foot, Golden Apple and Wedding. In the 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards, she won the Best New Actress Award for her role as the young Kyung Sook in Golden Apple.

She also put in cameo appearances in movies such as Ghost Story, Caramel, Two Faces of My Girlfriend and lent her voice in Dachimawa Lee.

In 2006, she got her first lead in a TV series, Love Can't Wait, where she plays a 19-year-old senior in a girls' school who falls in love with a poor college law student played by Hong Kyung-min. In the same year, she appeared in a music video by Eru, titled Black Glasses along with Kim Hyun-joong.

Her next lead role in a drama was Golden Bride in 2007, where Lee plays a young bride from Vietnam. In order to appease her blind mother, she marries a Korean man to search for her father in Korea. The drama acquired high TV Ratings which led to the addition of 14 more episodes.

In 2009, she was in the drama Empress Chun Chu where she played Empress Dae Mok.

In 2010, she was again one of the main leads in Bread, Love and Dreams as Yang Mi-sun. She sang a song in the series titled Love Is. The series earned high ratings and was also shown in the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries.

After her success in Bread, Love and Dreams, she joined the main cast in Vampire Prosecutor and again in Vampire Prosecutor 2 as prosecutor, Yoo Jung-In.

In 2013, she starred in the short 10 episode drama Unemployed Romance along with Namkoong Min. The drama follows the love story of an unemployed drama screenwriter who ends up meeting and then falling in love with, the worker at the unemployment benefits center responsible for distributing her unemployment checks.

Personal life In November 2018, it was confirmed by their respective agencies that Lee and her Love to the End co-star Kang Eun-tak have been dating since October 2018. In April 2019, it was confirmed by their respective agencies that Lee and Kang Eun-tak had ended their relationship earlier that year.

Lee Young-ah was due to be marry her non-celebrity boyfriend in March 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, the wedding was postponed to the end of the year. On August 23, 2020, Lee's agency announced that she had given birth to her first child, a son.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2006 A Ghost's Story Caramel 2007 Two Faces of My Girlfriend Glamor girl 2008 Dachimawa Lee Navigation voice Cameo 2011 Julie's Land Adventures Julie Animated; Korean dubbing 2012 Natural Burials Chung-ah 2015 Snow in Sea Breeze Sun-mi 2018 Notebook from My Mother Daughter

Television series Year Title Role Notes 2005 I Love You, My Enemy Kim Mi-hyang The Barefooted Youth Wedding Golden Apple young Kyung-sook 2006 Love Can't Wait Seo Eun-min 2007 Golden Bride Nguyen Jin-joo 2008 Iljimae Bong-soon 2009 Empress Cheonchu Empress Daemok 2010 Bread, Love and Dreams Yang Mi-sun 2011 Vampire Prosecutor Yoo Jung-in 2012 Natural Burials Chung-ah Dream of the Emperor Queen Seungman Vampire Prosecutor 2 Yoo Jung-in 2013 Unemployed Romance Im Seung-hee 2014 KBS Drama Special:"Bomi's Room" Gong Eon-joo Run, Jang-mi Baek Jang-mi 2015 Cheo Yong Kim Yoo-ri Season 2; Cameo (Episode 1) 2018 Love to the End Han Ka-young

Variety shows Year Title Role Notes 2003 Kang Ho-dong's Soulmates 2011 Home Sweet Home (Dalgona) Host 2011–2012 Comedy Big League Season 1–2 2012 Love Cook 2014 Law of the Jungle in Borneo Cast member

Music videos appearances Year Song title Artist 2006 "Black Glasses" Eru 2009 "Why Did You Call..."

Discography Soundtrack appearances Year Track Album 2010 "Love Is" Bread, Love and Dreams OST

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 Baeksang Arts Awards 2006 Best New Actress (TV) Golden Apple 2009 Most Popular Actress (TV) Iljimae KBS Drama Awards 2010 Best Couple Award Lee Young-ah Bread, Love and Dreams 2018 Excellence Award, Actor in a Daily Drama Love to the End Korean Broadcasting Awards 2008 Best New Actress Iljimae SBS Drama Awards 2008 Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama Special 2015 Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama Run, Jang-mi