Lee Yo-won Jokes About Financial Struggles Due to Daughter’s Tuition But Lives in 145-Pyeong Luxury Villa
Appearing recently on SBS’s “Dolsing Fourmen,” Lee Yo-won candidly spoke about her daughter, who is currently attending the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in the U.S.
She revealed, “My daughter even comes to me for dating advice. These days, kids don’t date because they think it’s annoying, a waste of time, and expensive. When she said she was dreaming about perfect love based on what she sees online, I told her, ‘If someone catches your eye, go out with them. Go out and meet people.’”
Lee Yo-won also opened up about her daughter considering taking a break from school. “She suddenly said she wanted to take time off to find herself. I told her, ‘If you take a break, you won’t go back. Do you know how lucky you are to have this opportunity? I couldn’t even afford to study abroad.’”
She then jokingly vented her frustrations over the financial burden, bonding with co-host Tak Jae-hoon, who also sent his son to study in the U.S. “The dollar’s gone up and it’s tough. When my daughter asked for more allowance, I told her I didn’t have any. Her dad is living like a beggar just to pay her tuition. It’s pitiful,” she said with a laugh. She also surprised Tak Jae-hoon by revealing that her daughter once attended the same art academy as his son.
When speaking about her husband, a professional golfer-turned-businessman who is six years her senior, Lee Yo-won added, “We only talk about the kids. I gave up trying to change his habits. He doesn’t even like playing golf with me. He once told me, ‘Why are you even here if you’re going to play like that? You should’ve just stayed home.’ So he doesn’t take me golfing anymore.”
Despite her comments about financial strain, Lee Yo-won’s luxurious lifestyle recently resurfaced online. In 2019, MBC’s “Section TV” reported that Lee Yo-won lives in a 145-pyeong (approx. 5,100 square feet) high-end villa in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam. The property was said to be worth nearly 4 billion KRW (approximately USD 3 million at the time), making headlines for its opulence.
Lee Yo-won debuted as a model in 1997 and went on to build a solid acting career through works such as “Scent of a Man,” “Blue Mist,” “Fashion 70s,” “Surgeon Bong Dal-hee,” and “49 Days.” Her breakout came with the titular role in “Queen Seondeok,” which catapulted her to mainstream fame. She married her businessman husband at the young age of 23 and is now a mother of three—two daughters and one son.
