From Bestselling Author to the 'Lee Heejae Diet' Phenomenon
Debuted as a Painter... Also Held an Exhibition in Beijing, China
Lee Heejae, a popular fashion model active in the 1970s to 1990s, has passed away after a battle with illness. She was 73 years old.
Her family stated on June 10, "She passed away at around 8:06 p.m. on the 9th after battling bile duct cancer," adding, "She was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in January 2022 and underwent surgery, but the cancer recurred in 2023."
The late Lee was born in Seoul and graduated from Seoul Jungang Girls' High School and the Department of Clothing and Textiles at Konkuk University. While still in college in 1971, she won first place at the 'Cotton Queen' contest hosted by the Korea Spinners Association, making her debut as a fashion model.
In 1979, she won third place at the International Model Contest in Los Angeles (LA), United States. Along with Rubina and Kim Dongsoo, she was one of the 'first-generation fashion models' who introduced the profession of fashion modeling to the public.
In 1983, she founded the Model Line Academy. From 1990 to 2002, she worked as the director of the charming school 'Why Not' (WHY NOT). In 1993, she hosted several radio programs on Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), including 'Now is Family Time', 'Live Morning', and 'Beautiful Woman'. In 1995, she hosted 'Lee Heejae's Charming School' on Q Channel. Her 1993 book, 'Beautiful Woman: Lee Heejae Charming School', became a bestseller and sparked the 'Lee Heejae Diet' phenomenon.
In 1996, she became the head professor of the Makeup Design course at the Dongduk Women's University Women's Social Education Institute, and in 1998, she also served as a professor in the Department of Modeling at Pyeongtaek Polytechnic College. Starting in 2002, she began painting, held her first solo exhibition 'Louis and Ray' in 2010, and debuted as a painter. In 2015, she held an exhibition in Beijing, China.
Her brother-in-law, Lim San, said, "She always said, 'If I were born again, I would still choose to be a model.'" Lee Heejae never married.
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