Honey Lee (Lee Ha-nee) (이하늬)

Some might assume that Lee Ha-nee (also known as Honey Lee) got to where she is because of her extraordinarily stunning looks: she is after all a former Miss Korea, and Miss Universe finalist. But it would be criminal to write her off as no more than a great beauty, and without knowing her fascinating personal story.

Photo from High Cut

Birthday: March 2, 1983

Instagram: honey_lee32

The daughter of a high-ranking National Intelligence Service (NIS) official and a Living National Treasure for traditional music, Honey Lee holds a post-graduate degree in Traditional Korean Music from Seoul National University, where she graduated with high honors. A musical prodigy, she is a professional gayageum player who has performed at Carnegie Hall and the 2018 Winter Olympics. (Watch her demonstrate her skill in the video below; her performance starts at the 1:08 mark)

Before making her television acting debut in 2009’s legal drama The Partner, she tried her hand at hosting and musical theater. She has since appeared in numerous dramas including the rom-com Pasta (2010), revenge drama Shark (2013), and Come Back Mister (2016).

She showed off her comedic chops in 2019’s hit series Fiery Priest and the cop comedy caper Extreme Job, the second-highest-grossing Korean movie of all time.

2021 was an extraordinary one for Lee, whose dual-role performance in the comedy One the Woman led it to become one of the highest rated television series of the year.

Shortly after winning the Top Excellence in Acting award at the SBS Drama Awards, Lee, who had tied the knot with her non-celebrity boyfriend in December, announced that she was expecting her first child.

Lee gave birth to her daughter on June 20, 2022, and a month after, her all-star sci-fi fantasy film Alienoid, with Kim Tae-ri, Ryu Jun-yeol, Kim Woo-bin, and So Ji-sub was released in theaters. The historical spy film Phantom, set during the Japanese occupation, came out on January 28, 2023, and as of this writing, is the second-highest-grossing Korean film of the year.

Having quickly settled into motherhood, this wonder woman has already announced her return to work. In the second half of 2023, she will be starring in the MBC historical comedy Flower that Blooms at Night.