Lee Young-ae's unrivaled charm: modern luxury meets classical hanbok

While actress Lee Young-ae reveals her modern charisma through a luxury brand photoshoot, fans are noting that her appearance in *hanbok* evokes the image of Seo Jang-geum from the MBC drama 'Dae Jang Geum' from 23 years ago. Although her style has changed significantly over the years, her signature elegant and classical aura remains as vivid as ever.

On the 25th, Lee released a photoshoot conducted with a luxury brand on her SNS. In the photos, she pairs a black turtleneck with voluminous fur, long leather gloves, and jeans. By adding a thick belt and a black bag, she completed an intense, modern style that departs from her traditionally elegant and static image.

Born in 1971 and aged 55 this year, Lee has long been established as a symbol of restrained beauty, often described with the moniker "a woman like oxygen." However, in this photoshoot, she puts profound sophistication and charisma at the forefront, using fashion as a language to showcase the depth of her career. International fans also noted this new atmosphere, offering high praise.

What is interesting is the contrast when Lee's past *hanbok* attire is placed side-by-side with this latest photoshoot. Her appearance in a black *jeogori* and a deep blue-green skirt with her hair neatly swept back stands in stark contrast to her current image in glamorous fur and leather gloves. Yet, the moment she puts on the traditional *hanbok*, the familiar figure from long ago is revived in her face.

That figure is none other than Seo Jang-geum from 'Dae Jang Geum,' which aired in 2003.

'Dae Jang Geum' was an MBC historical drama broadcast in 54 episodes from September 2003 to March 2004, enjoying explosive popularity and recording a peak viewership rating of 57.8% in its final episode. By playing Seo Jang-geum, who masters royal cuisine and medicine to grow from a court lady to a physician, Lee established herself as an actress who symbolizes the international expansion of K-dramas.

In particular, the acting Lee displayed in 'Dae Jang Geum' was closer to an aesthetic of restraint and silence rather than flamboyant rhetoric. The process of Jang-geum carving out her life through her own abilities and convictions within the closed power space of the royal court differentiated her from the typical female archetypes in historical dramas of that time. Lee's signature clear and neat face was a crucial element in visually embodying the character's inner strength.

Although 23 years have passed since the first broadcast, the fact that people recall Jang-geum when seeing Lee in *hanbok* is a testament to how deeply 'Dae Jang Geum' and the actress's image are imprinted in popular culture. While she clearly represents the actress of 2026 when pulling off luxury and modern styling, the Seo Jang-geum of memory is naturally summoned the moment she wears *hanbok*.

Lee has not remained stuck in her past successes and continues to expand her reach. Last year, she returned to the theater stage for the first time in 32 years through the play 'Hedda Gabler,' and she also appeared on television through the KBS 2TV drama 'A Good Day for Eun-su.'

A long period of time lies between the Jang-geum of 23 years ago and the Lee Young-ae of 2026. However, for an actress, the passage of time is not merely about erasing the face of the past, but a process of adding new layers. Lee's face, which shows the time of Jang-geum in *hanbok* and the time of the present in luxury photoshoots, compresses the long history of a veteran actress into a single frame.