Lee Ho-jung (model)
Lee Ho-jung is a South Korean model and actress. She is best known for her roles in the television series Song of the Bandits and Good Boy, as well as the films Midnight Runners and The Battle of Jangsari.
Early life and education
Lee Ho-jung was born on January 20, 1997, in South Korea. As a child she dreamt of pursuing a career as a flight attendant. Growing up, Lee had an interest for sports which included swimming and was often known for her athletic abilities in school. In middle school, Lee was considered short with a height of 153 cm. Despite this, in eighth grade while watching Korea's Next Top Model, Lee believed she could someday become a fashion model, citing she could pose and express the designs of the products well despite her height not fitting the requirements of a runway model who averaged at 176 cm. In ninth grade she faced a sudden growth spurt and grew 15 cm and ultimately reached 170 cm during high school. The recent turn of events prompted her friends to suggest a career in modeling, which Lee considered. Lee's resolve further strengthened upon seeing veteran model Jang Yoon-ju appear on Infinite Challenge and Jin Jung-sun on the second installment of Korea's Next Top Model who won the series as a teenager. Lee subsequently began to collect information on the career through a variety of magazines.Lee completed her secondary studies at Hanlim Multi Art School majoring in the Fashion Model department in 2013.
Career
2011–2015: Beginnings in modeling
In the summer of 2011, she enrolled into a modeling academy affiliated with ESteem Models during the summer of 2011 and began her training. 15-year-old Lee debuted in the modeling industry under ESteem Models through a magazine pictorial for Ceci. The opportunity arose when a fashion magazine editor recommended her to a veteran female model for its pictorial. Hong Jang-hyun, a well established photographer was skeptical on casting a young anonymous model until she started shooting photos of her. Since then, she has walked on designers' catwalks including Ko Tae-yong's Beyond Closet and Hong Hye-jin's The Studio K at Seoul Fashion Week. In May 2015, Lee signed a contract with YG KPlus.2016–present: Venture into acting and rising popularity
Since her debut, Lee received many offers to appear as an actress. Loving her profession as a model, she denied to take acting lessons suggested by her company as she resented to rehearse and often skipped class. However, three to four years into her career, Lee began to slightly feel tired of the repetitive tasks that often came with the job. After watching the film Magic in the Moonlight by Woody Allen, Lee's mindset took a drastic turn and wanted to live as a character in the film. In result, she gained an interest in acting.In January 2025, Lee became a free agent after her then-agency YG Entertainment decided to end its actor management business. In May of the same year, she signed a new management contract with Management LEDO, the actor management label of modelling agency Gost Corporation.