Actress
Lee Jeong Eun

Above all else, Lee says she has spent her entire career trying to remember the reason she was acting in the first place. Lee’s desire to build a legacy as an actor willing to engage the public on a variety of subjects and issues is what drives her to take on virtually any role that might have a positive influence on people. Even when she’s asked to perform the same role as a mother, Lee changes her performance in dramatic or subtle ways, which is perhaps why people always look forward to seeing her on the screen. “We can’t combine every mother into one big group. Every mother has different story, and different personality. I see each mother I play as a real person that people might expect to see in their everyday lives. That’s my approach. No one lives a same life as other person.” Beauty, as a concept, works same for her. Everyone possesses different types of beauty. “I love the work of the late Kirin Kiki, a Japanese actor who passed away couple of years ago. When you watch her acting, you can really feel the love she has for people. It’s a unique ambiance and performance only a person who has lived a full life can deliver. It’s not just Kirin Kiki. When I see the work of some of the middle-aged or older actors, I think they’re so beautiful. I love the type of beauty a person starts to emanate as time goes by. Wrinkles that start to appear one after another are a good example. To me, that’s what real beauty looks like.”

Being true to Lee Jeong-eun

Lee’s star shines brighter because she refuses to tether herself to the conventions that others expect her to follow. That made her the perfect model for Sulwhasoo’s “Beauty Grows” campaign. Lee herself accepted the offer with open arms as it was a great opportunity to tell people about her story through a campaign that cherish values that very much resembled her personal values. “The reaction I got from people was great. Plenty of people shared their words of encouragement. In a way, I helped set a new standard for beauty. Some people told me that I scratched the itch no one had been able to get to throughout their entire lives. Others thanked me for opening their eyes to something they hadn’t realized before. A few of my friends got really emotional about this campaign. I think it gave a lot of people, who had already given up, thinking that their youth and beauty would simply disappear with age, a chance to realize that they are always in their most beautiful self today.” This campaign was a great experience for Lee, as it closely accords with her personal mission of having a positive impact on other people. Recently, Lee spends all day filming a TV series. “Right now, my priority is to do my best and make sure every shoot goes well. If I get some spare time, I really want to study another language.” When Lee has time, she goes for a walk with her colleagues and her dog. It is her way of freeing herself from the scrutinizing eyes of the public as well as from the pressure of her own desires. She paces herself and focuses on the surrounding landscape to make sure she grows her own form and style of beauty. Every day, beauty grows for Lee Jeong-eun.