In the following years, her work was limited to minor roles in several film and television series.

[2] In 2021, Lee rose to prominence outside South Korea for her role as Ji-yeong (Number 240) in the Netflix series Squid Game.

Her performance as the villainous, selfish, arrogant, and rich student (which contrasted with the understandable and selfless Ji-yeong in Squid Game) further elevated her profile.

[5][6] In 2023, Lee starred in the South Korean TV series, Strong Girl Nam-soon, as the titular character, Gang Nam-soon, a young woman with superhuman strength passed down to her through her maternal line.

[7][8] On July 20, 2022, Lee donated cosmetic products worth ₩3 million to a public foundation for burn patients.