Lee Young Ae, the actress best known for her role in "Jewel in the Palace," will receive an award for saving the life of a Taiwanese baby.
According to her agency, Storm S. Entertainment, the 43-year-old actress will receive the Global Fervent Love of Lives medal from the Taiwanese non-profit organization Chou Ta Guan Cultural and Educational Foundation. The award will be presented in May 2015.
In February of 2014, the actress donated more than $100,000 to cover the cost of the surgery needed by a premature Taiwanese baby.
The baby's mother fell during a trip to Seoul and went into premature labor. Born two months early, the baby weighed less than three pounds. The premature infant required two surgeries in four months, as the result of an obstruction between the liver and the small intestines.
The parents did not have the money to pay for the surgeries. When Lee heard about their plight from a Taiwanese friend, she donated to a private fundraising event set up by Korea's Taiwanese community. She tried to keep her donation secret but when she visited the parents in the hospital, the hospital staff spread the news.
"At first, Lee wanted to help them secretly but she disclosed her identity when the baby's mother repeatedly asked for a chance to thank the person who helped her," said a Storm S representative. "The mother cried when she met Lee."
According to Yonhap News, the baby's mother praised the actress for her kindness and friendliness. She said Lee Young Ae invited the family to visit her home.
The news of Lee Yung Ae's donation went public in July and the Taiwanese press reported her good deeds. Lee Young Ae is one of the most popular Hallyu stars in Taiwan, as "Jewel in The Palace" has been on Taiwanese television 14 times in the past 11 years.
The Taiwanese government sent her an appreciation plaque. Now she will also receive an award from the Chou Ta-guan foundation, which was established in 1997 in memory of a Taiwanese boy who died of cancer.
Lee Young Ae was recently in the news because she considered playing a part in a proposed sequel to her 2003 drama. "Jewel in the Palace," also known as "Dae Jang Geum." The drama about a kitchen cook, who became a Joseon-era king's first female physician, earned ratings of 57.8 percent with an average viewership rating of 46.3 percent. That made it the 10th highest rated k-drama of all time and one of the most successful Hallyu exports worldwide. The proposed sequel did not happen
Lee Young Ae married a Korean-American businessman in 2009 and had twins in 2011. Since her marriage she has not appeared in a drama and only appeared in one film, "Made in California."
