Heartbreaking news has come into the Korean media industry once again. News outlet Maeil Broadcasting Network (MBN) confirmed the death of news reporter and former Miss Korea contestant Lee Yeon Je, who passed away on June 23 following a battle with a chronic disease.
Messages of condolences and heartfelt tributes soon poured in for the late broadcaster, as Korean netizens celebrated a life that was gone too soon. To honor her, here are five things to know about Lee Yeon Je.
1. Lee Yeon Je was only 26 years old.
Born in 1996, Yeon Je passed away at the young age of 26 after undergoing surgery for her chronic illness.
2. Lee Yeon Je was an economic reporter.
Yeon Je was a news broadcaster for the South Korea-based MBN, with a focus on economics in the social affairs unit. She was the host of the MBN main news, News 7, and Economic Reporter M. Prior to that, Yeon Je held a broadcasting position at Yonhap News TV. Before she passed away, the reporter took a leave from her position due to her health condition.
3. Lee Yeon Je graduated from a prestigious university.
The reporter is among the many distinguished alumni from Korea University, one of the country’s most prestigious universities, which educated presidents, other political dignitaries, engineers, researchers, and the like. Before starting her journalistic career and other endeavors, Yeon Je graduated from the Department of French Language and Literature.
4. Lee Yeon Je was a beauty queen.
Yeon Je was beauty and brains personified, as the MBN reporter also had her time in the limelight as a winning beauty pageant candidate. In 2020, she was crowned Miss Korea Daegu and represented her home city in the national pageant.
5. Lee Yeon Je’s last Instagram post was dedicated to her supporters.
Her last Instagram post was uploaded on June 17, with Yeon Je offering her thanks to her supporters in an earnest message.
“The past two months were full of repeated crying, laughing, being in pain, and getting better, but thanks to amazing people, yesterday, I safely (?) finished my last day of work before sick leave,” she wrote in the caption, as translated by Koreaboo. “There were times when things were overwhelming, but thank you to the people around me who always gave me strength, and I.. I love you [emoji]”
Rest in peace, Yeon Je!
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