Lee Young-ae (Korean: 이영애) is a South Korean actress. She is known for her appearances in a Korean historical drama in 2003, and as a revenge-seeking single mother in Park Chan-wook's crime thriller film Lady Vengeance (2005). For her performance in the film, she received Best Actress awards at the 38th Sitges Film Festival, 26th Blue Dragon Film Awards and 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards.
Lee made her debut as a model in 1991. After appearing in television commercials, she debuted as an actress in the 1993, which won her Best New Actress at the SBS Drama Awards. In 2000, she starred in the mystery thriller film Joint Security Area, which became the highest-grossing Korean film at that time. She followed this with melodrama Last Present, where she received acclaim for her performance as a young woman facing the realities of an early death. Lee reunited with director Hur Jin-ho to star in his next film One Fine Spring Day, which won her Best Actress at the Busan Film Critics Awards. She also starred in the TV series Fireworks, which introduced Lee to Taiwan audiences.
Lee came to prominence in South Korea after starring in the historical drama. It first aired from September 15, 2003, to March 23, 2004, on MBC, where it was the top program with an average viewership rating of 46.3% and a peak of 57.8%, making it the 10th highest rated Korean drama of all time. Lee won the Daesang (Grand Prize) award at the MBC Drama Awards, as well as the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Actress in Television nomination. The show was then aired overseas in 91 countries and became exceptionally popular in Asia.
