She was known for playing Hwang Jun-ho's mother in the second season of the South Korean dystopian survival thriller action television series Squid Game.
[4] Lee began her acting career in live theater in 1965.
[7] She earned her doctorate degree in public health from Wonkwang University in 2010.
[8][9] In 1993, Lee was diagnosed with breast cancer but recovered ten years later.
[5] She died from stomach cancer at her family's home in Uijeongbu, on 2 February 2025, at the age of 80,[10][11] having been diagnosed with the disease three months prior.