Born in Gunsan, North Jeolla, Lee made her debut in 1997. She was a popular actress, starring in the hit movie Taegukgi hwinalrimyeo in 2004.On the night of February 22, 2005, only a few days after her graduation from Dankook University, Lee suddenly committed suicide at her apartment room in Seongnam City, aged only twenty-five years old. According to experts, Lee had suffered severe depression and anger from her family after performing nude scenes for her role as a sultry jazz singer in the Korean crime movie The Scarlet Letter.