Lee Hye-young (born December 22, 1971) is a South Korean actress, singer and businesswoman. As a singer in the 1990s, Lee released two dance music albums each with 1730 and Coco, and one album as a solo artist. When she switched to acting, Lee starred in television series such as Premonition (1997), Dal-ja's Spring (2007) and Queen of Housewives (2009), and also founded the fashion brand Miss Dorothy.
Career
Lee Hye-young made her entertainment debut as a singer performing dance music.[1] In 1992, she became part of the three-member K-pop group 1730 alongside Kim Joo-hoon and Hwang Ho-young; 1730 released two albums then disbanded. Lee and Yoon Hyun-sook (from another defunct group ZAM) then formed the duo Coco in 1994, which also released two albums. Following two soundtrack contributions, she released her first album as a solo artist, Her First Sense in 2000, and a Christmas single in 2008.[2]
Lee soon built a reputation for being one of trendiest and most fashionable Korean celebrities (pre-stardom, she previously worked as a stylist for the band Chakra).[6] She parlayed this to another successful career when she launched the clothing and accessories brand Miss Dorothy in 2004.[1] Sold through the CJhome shoppingTV channel and online shoppingmall MD Story-net, Miss Dorothy recorded high sales of ₩15 billion in its first year and ₩40 billion by its third year in operation, making it the best-selling fashion brand owned by a Korean celebrity for eight consecutive years.[7][8][9][10] More than just a model and endorser for Miss Dorothy, as CEO Lee oversaw the brand's product design and development, marketing and promotion; she also became a director for lingerie company M Corset when it merged with Miss Dorothy in 2007.[11] Once she entered her forties, Lee felt that her age would be incompatible with Miss Dorothy's target demographic of women in their twenties and thirties, so she left the company and sold her shares in 2012, then donated all the proceeds to charity.[10][12]
Lee also wrote the books The Beauty Bible and The Fashion Bible in 2009, and hosted fashion-focused talk shows on cable, such as Style Magazine (2008-2009) and Women& (2012).[13][14][15]
In 2017, Lee announced the official opening of her art gallery in New York with a total of 21 paintings on display.[16]
Personal life
Lee dated Roo'ra singer and music producer Lee Sang-min for eight years before the couple married in 2004.[17] They divorced in 2005, after one year and two months.[14][18] She remarried on July 19, 2011 in Hawaii to a banker/mergers and acquisitions expert.[19]
Philanthropy
On March 6, 2022, Lee donated 10 million won to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the massive wildfire that started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk and has spread to Samcheok, Gangwon.[20]
On February 9, 2023, Lee donated 10 million won to help 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake through Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association.[21]
On May 16, Lee was named a member of the Hope Bridge Honors Club, a club of high-dollar donors.[22]
^Cheon Yun-hye (March 6, 2022). "이혜영-유병재, 산불 피해 이웃 돕기에 각각 천만 원 기부..따뜻한 선행[공식]" [Lee Hye-young and Yoo Byung-jae donate 10 million won each to help neighbors affected by forest fires.. Warm good deeds [Official]] (in Korean). Herald POP. Retrieved March 6, 2022 – via Naver.
^Yoo Jun-ha (February 9, 2023). "튀르키예·시리아 지진 피해에… 한지민·혜리·이용진 등 기부 물결" [Earthquake damage in Turkey and Syria... A wave of donations such as Han Ji-min, Lee Hye-ri, and Lee Yong-jin] (in Korean). E-Daily. Retrieved February 9, 2023 – via Naver.
^Jeong, Jin-ah (May 16, 2023). "이혜영, 희망브리지 아너스클럽 회원 위촉" [Lee Hye-young, inducted into the Hope Bridge Honours Club] (in Korean). Newsis. Retrieved June 12, 2023 – via Naver.
^Jeong Hye-yeon (June 28, 2021). "돌싱글즈' 이혜영→이지혜, 파격적인 리얼 연애 관찰물 탄생..7월 방송" [‘Doll Singles’ Lee Hye-young → Lee Ji-hye, the birth of an unconventional real love observation.. Broadcast in July]. Herald POP (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
^Son Jin-ah (October 6, 2021). "돌싱글즈2', 17일 첫방…이혜영·유세윤·이지혜·정겨운 4MC 호흡(공식)" [‘Dol Singles 2’ premieres on the 17th… Lee Hye-young, Yoo Se-yoon, Lee Ji-hye, Jung Gyu-woon 4MC Breath (official)]. MK Sports (in Korean). Retrieved October 5, 2021 – via Naver.
^Cha Hye-young (June 21, 2022). "이혜영→정겨운, 윤남기·이다은 2호 나올까…첫 촬영부터 과몰입 ('돌싱글즈3')" [Lee Hye-young → Jung Gyu-woon, Yoon Nam-gi, Lee Da-eun Issue 2? Over-immersed from the first filming ('Dol Singles 3')] (in Korean). Ten Asia. Retrieved June 21, 2022 – via Naver.
