Born in South Korea, Lee attended Sogang University, majoring in French Language and Literature.
She subsequently entered The Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA) in 1988 and was a part of its fourth graduating class.
[1][2] It was during this time in 1995, when the government censorship was at its peak, that Lee began working on the script of what became her writer-directorial feature film debut, Art Museum by the Zoo (1998).
[2] It went on to win Best Film and Best Original Screenplay for Lee at the Grand Bell Awards, which is South Korea's equivalent of the Oscars.
Having originally written the synopsis years ago, prior to her debut, many changes had to be made to adjust to her different outlooks and opinion on life.