She made her entertainment debut by appearing in an LG Telecom CF with actor Bae Yong Joon during a brief visit to Korea in 2004.
She returned to Korea in early 2005 and legally changed her name to Kim Ji-ah and adopted the official celebrity name Lee Ji-ah. Then she was contacted by an actress she had once seen starring on a CF with Bae Yong-joon. Because of that, she was convinced by Bae Yoong-joon’s management to audition for a role in a drama he would be starring in. She auditioned for The Legend big-budget drama’s role 32 times. After a competitive auditioning process, she was officially cast as the lead character of Suzini, beating out many successful actress such as Ha Ji-won and Kim Tae-hee. She instantly became the heroine in an epic drama series with a 60 billion won budget with no acting experience. With her bright image, she even was able to sign on to be the image models of various commercials. When she was interviewed for her MBC’s The Legend (2007) drama, she said, “I didn’t exactly dream of being an actress since I was young. Of course I thought it was a very fascinating occupation. Being able to move people through the eyes and actions of an actor seemed truly fascinating to me.” Lee Ji-ah is a granddaughter of late Kim Sun-heung who was a educator and donated his own land for the creation of Seoul Arts High School, and was a chairman of Kyunggi High School. According to Chung Dae-chul, a former lawmaker and close friend of late Kim Soo-heung, Lee Ji-ah comes from an affluent family background that was wealthy even during the Japanese colonial period. They owned one of two 6000 sq. ft. houses in the Sa Dae Moon area (the other house was owned by former Korean President Yoon Bo-sun). “Their wealth would be comparable to semi-conglomerate level,” Chung Dae Chul said. Kim Soon-heung first made his fortune off of his successful business dealing with silk. The business later grew huge, and after retirement, he spent the rest of his life on improving Korea’s educational system. It was later her late grandfather, Kim Sun-heung, identified in 2009 as a pro-Japanese or chinilpa (친일파). At the 2007 MBC Drama Awards, Lee Ji-ah got a lot of attention for a dress she designed for herself.
Lee Ji-ah’s Profile
Stage name : Lee Ji-ah (이지아) Birth name : Kim Sang Eun (김상은) Birthdate : August 6, 1978 Birthplace : Seoul, South Korea Age : 39 years old Height : 168 cm Weight : 48 kg Star Sign : Aquarius Blood Type : A Education : Joongdae Elementary School, Gawon Middle School, and Pasadena Art Center College of Design where she majored in Graphic Design Agency : BH Entertainment Relations : Grandfather, a South Korean capitalist Kim Sun Heung (born in 1910, died in 1981) Siblings : 1 brother 3 sisters Ex-Husband : Seo Tai-ji (married in 1997, divorced in 2006) Official Fancafe : Lee Ji-ah’s Daum Fancafe , Lee Ji-ah’s Naver Fancafe
Lee Ji-ah’s Movies
Lee Ji-ah’s Dramas
