Miss Korea 2006
Lee Honey has been making efforts to expand her career beyond the role of beauty queen since last July.
Lee was hosting an entertainment program on TV and now she hopes to make her name known as an actress.
The Seoul National University graduate has begun testing her potential as an actress with her first musical appearance. Trained as a Korean classical musician, Lee is not completely new to stage settings and "used to be a relaxed and easy-going person". But since starting to prepare for the musical, "Polaroid", she isn't sure anymore.
"Since the pageants, I was looking for something that I really wanted to do - something not so big but that I can learn something from. I picked a musical because I wanted to interact with the audience", Lee said at a press conference June 30.
"Although I'm a musician, I think I always had a hunger for acting and wanted to do something that involves both music and dance", she said.
Lee said however that preparing for the musical - singing and dancing - was pretty painstaking. "I felt like I was starting this career from nothing".
In the homemade musical, Lee plays the role of Lee Se-yeon, a college student who falls in love with a man who took her picture. The show has caught a buzz because of Lee, as well as the casting of
Andy from boy band Shinhwa in a supporting role.
Also boosting expectations of a large turnout is the reputation of director Sung Jae-un, while its music will be overseen by Won Mi-sol.
The Sung-Won duo has worked together in two musicals, including "Music in My Heart", which was a major hit.
According to Lee, Se-yeong is a confident, bold girl but knows how to love and is loveable at the same time.
"A lot of people say Se-yeon's image is very similar to that of mine but I'm actually quite shy and conservative in some ways - for instance, unlike Se-yeon, I could never tell a guy that I like him before he tells me", the actress said.
The former Miss Korea said she trained with YG Entertainment, one of the country's largest entertainment, production and management agencies, to improve her singing abilities. Lee has also been taking acting lessons for a year and a half as well.
As excited as she is about being in a musical, Lee left open possibilities for trying other things.
"I'm still young, so I want to try a lot of different things within the boundary of art".
"Polaroid" runs through Aug 24 at PMC Daehangno Jayu Theater in Hyehwa-dong. Tickets are priced at 40,000 won. For details, call (02) 738-8289 or visit
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By Koh Young-aah
