However, she faced difficulties at home—her parents were very strict and provided her with little pocket money, making it hard for her to socialize with friends.

[9] Her portrayal as strong women dealing with trauma, earned her Best Actress at the 14th Milan Film Festival, making her the first Korean to receive the honor.

[3][10] Lee continued to portray strong women dealing with trauma in films such as The Treacherous and The Accidental Detective.

[15] Lee can't help but feel nervous because Director Hong Sang-soo's film have a lot of particularly long lines.

[17] In Tunnel (2017), her first drama, she portrayed Shin Jae-yi, a character who becomes emotionally distant and cold after losing her parents and experiencing a traumatic event.

Despite being in her 30s, an age typically associated with bright and cheerful roles, Lee has chosen to take on more complex and challenging characters.

One day, after becoming a high school teacher and about to marry her fiancé, a text message from an unidentified being called 'Master' creates a crack in her new life.

[18] Lee portrayed Han Eun-sung, a French interpreter in the drama special You Drive Me Crazy, opposite Kim Seon-ho.

Lee's character, Song So-eun, is a student at the Judicial Research and Training Institute with aspirations of becoming a prosecutor.

The film explores Lee Young's psychological journey as she struggles with the loss of her friend and her own fears and desires.

As the drama series debut of renowned filmmaker Kim Jee-woon, the science-fiction thriller is based on the Korean webtoon of the same name.

][31] In 2024, Lee starred in KBS2's romance drama Dare to Love Me, based on the Naver Webtoon by Sun Woo.

[33][34][35][36] After winning Best Actress at the 14th Milan Film Festival, Lee was chosen as model for the matchmaking agency Duo with Yoon Tae-woong.

[A][43] In December 2016, Lee was confirmed to be in a relationship with her co-star Kim Joo-hyuk from the movie Yourself and Yours (2016)[44] until his death on October 30, 2017, in a traffic collision.