Beauty pageant Lee won the 2006
Miss Korea pageant and represented South Korea in the
Miss Universe 2007. She managed to break into the Top 5 and placed as 3rd runner-up;
Riyo Mori from Japan was crowned Miss Universe that year. Lee was also named Miss Grand Slam 2007.
Music Lee is a professional
gayageum player, a Korean music instrument. She was named a gayageum prodigy by the Kumho Art Center, the most prestigious musical foundation in Korea. She has released four CDs and played in more than 25 countries, including concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In 2017, she participated in the largest-ever mass performance of the gayageum as part of the two-day Uijeongbu International Gayageum Festival. Lee performed at the closing ceremony of the
2018 Winter Olympics, where she reinterpreted '춘앵무 (Chunaengmu)', one of the royal dances of the
Joseon period. Lee appeared in the music video For
Dynamic Duo (South Korean duo)'s song "Jam". Presumably Lee plays a Honeybee in the video which is a pun on the honeybee themed video.
Film and television Lee Hanee co-hosted Real Time TV Entertainment, on the national TV network
SBS, a 12-year-old show focusing on show business, beginning July 18. In 2008, she made her acting debut in the musical
Polaroid which opened at PMC Daehangno Jayu Theater in
Hyehwa-dong,
Jongno District. She has since starred in musicals
Legally Blonde, playing Elle Woods and
Chicago, playing Roxie Hart. In 2009, Lee starred in her first television series
The Partner, playing a femme fatale attorney. She next starred in the romantic comedy series
Pasta (2010), playing a celebrity chef. Lee won her first acting accolade at the
MBC Drama Awards, the Best Newcomer award for her performance in the family drama
Iron Daughters-in-law (2011). In 2011, Lee was cast in her first big screen role in action film,
Hit. She also featured in the disaster film
Deranged and period comedy
I Am a King (2012). After appearing in E J-yong's ensemble mockumentary
Behind the Camera (2013), Lee starred in the gambling film
Tazza: The Hidden Card (2014), playing a rich widow. She also appeared in a comedy drama in 2014 called
Modern Farmer which is about a rock band called "Excellent Souls." The band consists of Lee Min-Ki (Lee Hong-Ki), Kang Hyeok (Park Min-Woo), Yoo Han-Cheol (Lee Si-Un) and Han Ki-Joon (Kwak Dong-Yeon). The band decides to move to the countryside. The drama series follows their dreams, loves, and friendships. Lee then played Queen Daemok in the 2015 historical drama
Shine or Go Crazy, which depicts a fictional romance between a cursed
Goryeo prince and the last princess of
Balhae. The same year, she starred in the science fiction film
Sori: Voice From The Heart. In 2016, Lee starred in the comedy drama
Come Back Mister. Lee was praised for her chemistry with co-star
Oh Yeon-seo, whom she has acted with in her previous project
Shine or Go Crazy. In 2017, Lee played famous gisaeng
Jang Nok-su in the historical drama
The Rebel. She won critical praise for her portrayal, and won several acting awards. The same year, she featured in crime thriller
Heart Blackened and action comedy film
The Bros. In 2019, Lee starred in the comedy film
Extreme Job as a narcotics detective. The film became the second-most successful Korean film ever with 16 million tickets sold. The same year, she starred in comedy crime drama
The Fiery Priest as a prosecutor. The drama was a commercial success with over 20% in ratings. Both projects proved Lee's versatility and contributed to her rise in popularity. In 2021, Lee starred another SBS drama
One the Woman with
Lee Sang-yoon, Jin Seo-yeon and
Lee Won-keun, making a small screen comeback in two years. She played dual roles as Jo Yeon-joo, a smart but corrupted prosecutor (which is similar to her previous drama
The Fiery Priest) and Kang Mi-na, an illegitimate daughter of a chaebol who is abused by her family and her husband's family. The drama was a hit with the last episode achieving 3.2 million viewers and a rating of 17.8%. For her successful portrayal of dual character with polar opposite personality, she earned a top excellence award and daesang nomination at
2021 SBS Drama Awards. ==Personal life==