Newlywed actress Lee Young-ae shocked the industry by getting secretly married in Hawaii last month. She made the initial announcement through her management, but had not spoken to the press after returning to Korea to resume her studies (she is currently working toward a doctorate degree at Hanyang University in its theater and film department).

Not one to let an opportunity slip them by, reporters found Lee Young-ae on the Hanyang campus as she began her new term, and ambushed her with questions. I find it remarkable that Lee kept her poise and answered questions that were obviously unwanted, and did so without whacking a reporter in the process. But then again, she’s an old pro who’s been on the A-list ranks for years, so perhaps she’s had a lot of practice.

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Wow, this is a surprise. One of Korea’s premier actresses, Dae Jang Geum and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance’s Lee Young-ae, got married in a quiet ceremony in the States on August 24, attended only by a small group of family and very close friends. The announcement was made on the 25th through Lee’s legal rep.

The lucky man is a Korean-American businessman working in the IT industry identified only as Mr. Jung, who attended university in Illinois. The reason given for holding the ceremony in the U.S. is because the groom’s family and friends live there. Lee Young-ae did not divulge further details, concerned for the private life of him and his family.

The bride intends to live her married life in the U.S., although she stated the intention to continue acting and return to Korea for filming if a good project were to come her way.

Lee Young-ae said, “I truly thank all the fans who have supported me and given me love through the years, as well as those in the entertainment industry. In a short while, I will pay you my formal respects.”

Via Yonhap News

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I’d heard some rumblings for a while about a sequel to uber-Hallyu smash hit Dae Jang Geum being in the works, but I kind of figured it was one of those constant rumors. However, the production announced on June 3 that the drama project is not canceled, and despite initial plans to produce a Dae Jang Geum 2 this year, they have merely pushed it back to sometime next year instead.

On the other hand, it was also recently announced that Lee Young-ae will NOT be reprising her lead role, so I’m not sure how much of a sequel it’ll be when its title character is absent.

Attached to the project is the original series’ director, PD Lee Byung-hoon, while the scripts will be written by Yi San writer Kim Yi-young.

Via Asia Economy

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Lee Young-ae is one of those A-list stars whose next project is highly anticipated, but fans will have to wait a bit longer for her comeback, because she has announced that she is going back to school for her doctorate.

Lee Young-ae graduated from Hanyang University with a degree in German, then attended graduate school at Joongang University and earned her master’s in theater and film. She will be starting her program at Hanyang’s graduate school of theater in film for the latter semester this year.

Lee’s management explained that she isn’t going for her doctorate with the specific goal of becoming a professor: “She merely has a strong interest in studying, and after she earned her master’s degree she wanted to keep going with school. She won’t stop working because of her doctorate course.” She plans to begin her studies in early June.

The 38-year-old actress has been selective with her projects and hasn’t acted much in recent years after her hugely successful drama series Dae Jang Geum in 2004 and the film Sympathy for Lady Vengeance in 2005. No doubt her return project, whatever it ends up being, will be met with a great amount of interest.

Via Break News

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For being one of Hallyu’s top actresses, Lee Young-ae, also known as CF queen (others have laid claim to that title, but Lee Young-ae has approximately 240 CFs to her credit in 17 years), has remained out of the spotlight for the past three years. Her last film was 2005’s Sympathy for Lady Vengeance and her last drama the Hallyu hit Dae Jang Geum (Jewel in the Palace), which ended in the spring of 2004.

(For a while, her name was bandied about as the female president role in the high-profile drama Daemul, but that role went instead to Go Hyun-jung before the project ultimately fizzled.)

Lee Young-ae did make a surprise appearance last May on the variety program Infinity Challenge, but otherwise has remained out of sight. Apparently she’s also turning down any personal interviews, only choosing to discuss her work. So it’s a bit of a change hearing that she’s making a “comeback” not through her acting but via an MBC special documentary program called “I Am Lee Young-Ae.” The special takes a look at Lee’s long career, offering viewers a “frank look” into the actress’ life.

I Am Lee Young-ae airs on September 26.

Via Newsen

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