Get to Know Miss Universe 2007’s Third Runner Up From South Korea, Honey Lee!
Lee Ha-nee (born on March 2nd, 1983), also known as Honey Lee, is an actress, model, classical singer, gayageum player and beauty pageant titleholder from South Korea. At the Miss Universe 2007 contest in Mexico City, she represented her nation and placed 3rd runner-up behind Japan’s grand winner Riyo Mori.
For those who don’t know, Miss Universe is an annual global beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization based in the United States. It airs globally in over 190 nations and is seen annually by over half a billion people. Now you already know that the event is a big deal, and Honey Lee being the runner-up is also something to be proud of for Korean citizens.
In this article, Channel-Korea will be providing you with the information you need to know about Honey Lee. From her full profile to her most recent news, we’ve got it for you! So, stay tuned!
Full Profile of Honey lee
Name: Lee Ha-nee (이하늬)
Date and Place of Birth: March 2nd, 1983Seoul, South Korea
Other names: Honey Lee
Alma mater: Seoul National University
Occupation: Actress, model
Agency:
- Saram Entertainment
- William Morris Endeavor
Height: 173 cm (5 feet 8 in)
Weight: 56 kg (123 lbs)
Title:
- Miss Korea 2006 (Winner)
- Miss Universe 2007 (3rd runner up)
Fun Facts About Honey Lee
- Honey Lee is a middle child of three, she has an older sister and a younger brother
- She came from an educated and well-established family. Her father, Lee Sang-eob, was a National Intelligence Service high-ranking official. Her mother Moon Jae-suk holds a Ph.D. in Korean music history and is a professor at Ewha Woman’s University as well as Gimhae City Gayageum Orchestra’s music director
- Her sister is Lee Seul-gi, a member of the KBS Korean Music Orchestra
- Her maternal uncle is Moon Hee-sang, a politician (presently National Assembly Speaker)
- As a former Miss Korea, she does not just have a beautiful face, she’s also very smart and educated. She graduated with high honors in traditional Korean music from Seoul National University (SNU). She graduated from the same university with her master’s degree. For your information, SNU is one of the top universities in the country. What a smart woman!
- She won the pageant for Miss Korea in 2006 at the age of 23, and in 2007 was the third runner-up on the Miss Universe pageant. She was named Grand Slam Miss in 2007
- Honey Lee’s husband is a non-celebrity, they got married in December 2021.
Honey Lee’s Filmography
Did you know that at the age of 12, Honey Lee co-hosted Real-Time TV Entertainment, a TV show concentrating on show business? She started her career at such a young age. But only three years after being crowned Miss Korea she made her acting debut. In 2008, she played in the musical Polaroid that opened at the PMC Daehangno Jayu Theater in Hyehwa-dong, Jongno-gu. Since then, she has starred in the musicals Legally Blonde, playing Elle Woods and Chicago, playing Roxie Hart.
In 2009, Honey Lee acted as a femme fatale attorney in her first television series The Partner. She next starred in the romantic comedy series Pasta (2010) as a celebrity chef. Honey Lee earned her first acting accolade for her performance in the family drama Iron Daughters-in-law at the MBC Drama Awards, the Best Newcomer Award (2011). Since then, her acting career has been a crescendo of successes.
In 2019, Honey Lee starred as a narcotics detective in the comedy film Extreme Job. With 16 million tickets sold, the film became the second-most successful Korean film ever. She starred as a prosector in a comedy crime drama The Fiery Priest the same year. The drama was a commercial success with ratings of more than 20 percent. Both projects demonstrated the versatility of Lee and contributed to her popularity growth.
Let’s check out her complete filmography if you’re interested in watching her dramas and movies.
Television Dramas
| Year | Title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | The Partner | Kim Jung-won | KBS2 |
| 2010 | Pasta | Oh Se-young | MBC |
| 2011 | Indomitable Daughters-in-Law | Kim Yeon-jung | |
| 2012 | Immortal Classic | Seo Young-joo | Channel A |
| 2013 | Shark | Jang Young-hee | KBS2 |
| 2014 | Modern Farmer | Kang Yoon-hee | SBS |
| 2015 | Shine or Go Crazy | Hwang Bo Yeo-won | MBC |
| 2016 | Come Back Mister | Song Yi-yeon | SBS |
| 2017 | The Rebel | Jang Nok-su | MBC |
| 2019 | The Fiery Priest | Park Gyung-sun | SBS |
| Be Melodramatic | an actress (cameo, ep. 1) | JTBC |
Movies
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Hit | Seon-nyeo |
| 2012 | Deranged | Yeon-joo |
| I Am the King | Soo-yeon | |
| 2013 | Behind the Camera | |
| 2014 | Tazza: The Hidden Card | President Woo |
| 2015 | Sori: Voice From The Heart | Ji-yeon |
| 2016 | Robot Sound | |
| 2017 | Fabricated City | Min Cheon-sang’s secretary |
| Heart Blackened | Yoo-na | |
| The Bros | Aurora | |
| 2019 | Extreme Job | Detective Jang |
Variety Shows
| Year | Title | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–2008 | TV Entertainment Tonight | SBS | Host |
| 2010 | Honey Lee’s My Sweet Canada | O’live TV | |
| 2011 | Opera Star 2011 | tvN | Host |
| 2014 | Four Sons and One Daughter – Season 1 | MBC | Cast member |
| 2015–2017 | Get it Beauty | OnStyle | Host |
| 2016 | Saturday Night Live Korea | tvN | |
| 2018 | The Secret and Great Private Lives of Animals | KBS2 | Cast member |
Musical Theatre
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Polaroid | Lee Se-yeon |
| 2009-2010 | Legally Blonde | Elle Woods |
| 2013 | Chicago | Roxie Hart |
| 2013-2014 | Guys and Dolls | Sarah Brown |
Awards and Nominations of Honey Lee
We already know Honey Lee is a smart woman who graduated from SNU; a beauty pageant winner who competed in Miss Universe and came as the third runner-up, also a talented actress who has already won several awards. Are you curious about her other achievements? Let’s check them out!
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Miss Korea Pageant | Miss Korea – Jin | N/A | Won | |
| 2007 | Miss Universe Pageant | Third runner-up | N/A | Won | |
| 2010 | 2nd Korea Jewelry Awards | Sapphire Award | N/A | Won | |
| 2011 | 5th Mnet 20’s Choice Awards | Hot Body Female | N/A | Won | |
| MBC Drama Awards | Best New Actress | Indomitable Daughters-in-Law | Won | ||
| 2013 | 7th Daegu Musical Festival | Best Newcomer | Chicago | Won | |
| 2014 | 51st Grand Bell Awards | Best New Actress | Tazza: The Hidden Card | Nominated | |
| Hana Financial Group Star Award (Popularity Award) |
Won | ||||
| 35th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |||
| SBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama Special | Modern Farmer | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | 51st Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actress | Tazza: The Hidden Card | Nominated | |
| 4th APAN Star Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Shine or Go Crazy | Nominated | ||
| 2016 | 8th Style Icon Asia | Top 10 Style Icons | N/A | Won | |
| SBS Drama Awards | Special Acting Award, Actress in a Fantasy Drama | Please Come Back, Mister | Nominated | ||
| 2017 | 10th Korea Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress | The Rebel | Won | |
| 1st The Seoul Awards | Best Supporting Actress (Drama) | Won | |||
| MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Monday-Tuesday Drama | Won | |||
| 6th Korea Film Actors Association Awards | Supporting Actor Award | The Bros Heart Blackened | Won | ||
| 2018 | 54th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Supporting Actress (Film) | Heart Blackened | Nominated | |
| KBS Entertainment Awards | Rookie Award, Variety | The Secret and Great Private Lives of Animals | Won | ||
| 2019 | 55th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Extreme Job | Nominated |
No wonder many little girls in Korea want to be Honey Lee when they grow up, she really is inspirational!
Honey Lee’s Plastic Surgery Rumors
Being an actress in South Korea is always associated with plastic surgery, Honey Lee is also not free from the rumors.
In 2015, Honey Lee disclosed an amusing story about her dimples and plastic surgeons in an episode of MBC’s Section TV. The Miss Korea disclosed that she had been approached in the past by plastic surgeons who offered to “smooth her dimples.”
She said: “People used to call me names because of my uneven dimples and because of this plastic surgery clinics called me. They told me they could smooth out my dimples for me. But I kept telling people that it was my attractive point and in the end, they ended up agreeing with me.”
Netizens praised her for choosing to maintain her distinctive charms, stating on Twitter:
"Honey Lee reveals she was once offered to remove her dimples"
ASKING HER TO DO SUCH A THING IS A SIN HOW DARE YOU
— Hikikomori (@___nowyouseeme) May 31, 2015
honey lee's dimples are deeper than every inspirational quote out there
— jac (@aoabIack) May 17, 2015
She’s perfect just the way she is, and surely her dimples are her most attractive point, no need to remove them. But what do you guys think?
