Lee Ji-ah Biography: Spouse, Net Worth, Parents, Height, Siblings, Movies, Age
Lee Ji-ah, born Kim Sang-eun and also known by her legal name, Kim Ji-ah, is a South Korean actress who gained widespread recognition for her breakthrough performance as Sujini in the historical fantasy television series The Legend.
Her debut in the 2007 MBC drama immediately made her one of South Korea’s most promising new television performers, earning her multiple rookie honours.
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She later expanded her reputation through dramas including Beethoven Virus, Athena: Goddess of War, My Mister and The Penthouse: War in Life, where her performances in psychologically demanding roles established her as one of the country’s prominent television actresses.
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Real Name: | Kim Sang-eun |
| Stage Name: | Lee Ji-ah |
| Born: | February 2, 1978 (age 48 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Seoul, South Korea |
| Nationality: | South Korean |
| Ethnicity: | Korean |
| Height: | 5 feet 6 inches |
| Religion: | Buddhism |
| Parents: | Mr. and Mrs. Kim |
| Siblings: | One younger brother |
| Spouse: | Seo Taiji (1997–2006) |
| Relationship: | Divorced |
| Occupation: | Actress, writer |
| Net Worth: | $6 million |
Early Life and Education
Lee Ji-ah was born Kim Sang-eun on February 2, 1978, in Seoul, South Korea, and is 48 years old.
She spent her early childhood in Korea before moving with her family to the United States during elementary school.
She grew up in California and completed her secondary education there, later attending the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, where she studied graphic design.
Her background in visual design would eventually complement her artistic career, particularly in the early stages when she remained interested in creative work outside acting.
Her family background has also drawn public attention because her grandfather, Kim Soon-heung, was an educator and one of the figures associated with establishing Seoul Arts High School. Lee was already studying design in California when a temporary return to South Korea changed her career direction.
She auditioned for the major historical fantasy drama The Legend and was selected after a competitive casting process, despite having no previous professional acting credits.
Personal Life
Lee Ji-ah was secretly married to South Korean singer and musician Seo Taiji. The couple met in Los Angeles in 1993, began dating while living in the United States, and married there on October 12, 1997.
They lived together in Atlanta and Arizona before separating after Seo Taiji returned to South Korea for his musical comeback in 2000.
Lee filed for divorce in 2006, and the marriage was ultimately dissolved that year according to the settlement reached between the two sides. However, conflicting accounts about the precise legal date were reported at the time.
Their marriage remained unknown to the public for years. The relationship became widely known in 2011 after Lee filed a lawsuit over alimony and the division of matrimonial assets, shortly after her relationship with actor Jung Woo-sung became public.
Lee subsequently withdrew the lawsuit, citing the severe personal and psychological pressure caused by the exposure of her private history. She and Seo Taiji had no children.
Career
Lee Ji-ah entered the entertainment industry through advertising work before securing the role that launched her acting career.
In 2007, she made her television debut as Sujini and Saeoh in The Legend, a large-scale historical fantasy drama starring Bae Yong-joon.
Her performance attracted immediate attention, and she won the MBC Drama Award for Best New Actress as well as the Popularity Award and Best Couple Award with Bae Yong-joon. The following year, she appeared in Beethoven Virus as Du Ru-mi, showing her success wasn’t limited to historical dramas.
She continued with leading roles in Style in 2009 and Athena: Goddess of War in 2010, the latter allowing her to take on a more action-oriented character as intelligence agent Han Jae-hee. She followed this with Me Too, Flower! (2011) and Thrice Married Woman (2013). During this period, her film work included The Relation of Face, Mind and Love, Athena: The Movie, and Musudan, in which she played Shin Yoo-hwa.
After appearing in the television film Snow Lotus Flower in 2015, Lee returned to major television productions with My Mister and The Ghost Detective in 2018.
Her performance as Kang Yoon-hee in My Mister gave her another chance to portray a complex adult character in a critically respected ensemble drama.
She subsequently landed one of the most prominent roles of her career in The Penthouse: War in Life, playing Shim Su-ryeon and later Na Ae-kyo across the drama’s three seasons from 2020 to 2021.
The success of The Penthouse significantly strengthened Lee’s position as a leading actress. She later returned to television as Hong Tae-ra in Pandora: Beneath the Paradise in 2023 and played divorce strategist Kim Sa-ra in the 2024 legal drama Queen of Divorce.
The latter marked another leading role in a mainstream JTBC production and remains her most recent completed television drama as of 2026.
In addition to acting, Lee has explored behind-the-scenes work. She has received screenwriting credits and was reported to have been developing Hollywood screenplay projects, reflecting an interest in expanding her creative activities beyond performance.
She has also appeared on entertainment programs including Sea of Hope and We Don’t Bite: Villains in the Countryside.
Awards
- MBC Drama Award for Best New Actress for The Legend (2007)
- MBC Drama Award for Popularity Award for The Legend (2007)
- MBC Drama Award for Best Couple with Bae Yong-joon for The Legend (2007)
- Baeksang Arts Award for Best New Actress in Television for The Legend (2008)
- Korea Culture and Entertainment Awards Grand Prize in the Drama category for The Penthouse: War in Life (2021)
Net worth
Lee Ji-ah has an estimated net worth of $6 million.
Her principal source of income has been her long-running acting career, particularly her leading roles in major South Korean television productions.
She has also earned commercially through entertainment appearances, advertising, and other creative work.
Controversy
Lee Ji-ah became the focus of enormous media attention in 2011 when her previously undisclosed marriage to Seo Taiji was revealed.
The revelation came while she was involved in a legal dispute over alimony and the division of marital assets, shortly after her relationship with actor Jung Woo-sung became public.
The disclosure generated intense coverage because Lee had successfully kept the marriage private for many years. She withdrew the lawsuit later that year, with her representatives citing the psychological distress caused by the public exposure.
Social Media
- Instagram: @e.jiah
Filmography
- The Relation of Face, Mind and Love (2009)
- Athena: The Movie (2011)
- Musudan (2016)
- Swimming Bird (2020)
- It’s Alright (2022)
- The Legend (2007)
- Beethoven Virus (2008)
- Style (2009)
- Athena: Goddess of War (2010–2011)
- Me Too, Flower! (2011)
- Thrice Married Woman (2013–2014)
- Snow Lotus Flower (2015)
- My Mister (2018)
- The Ghost Detective (2018)
- The Penthouse: War in Life (2020–2021)
- Pandora: Beneath the Paradise (2023)
- Queen of Divorce (2024)
