Lee Min-jung Directly Addresses 'Gold Spoon' Rumors: 'Rich Background True, But Not Financially Lavish'

Actress Lee Min-jung has personally addressed the persistent rumors surrounding her 'gold spoon' status.

In a YouTube video uploaded on the 'Lee Min-jung MJ' channel on March 9th, titled 'Lee Min-jung Life Explanation,' the actress sat down with her close friends Wang Bit-na and Lee So-yeon to frankly discuss the topic.

Lee Min-jung acknowledged that some aspects of the 'gold spoon' narrative are true, specifically mentioning family members who have achieved presidential awards in the arts and hold professorships at prestigious institutions like KAIST. However, she clarified that the term 'gold spoon,' when strictly defined by financial wealth, doesn't fully capture her family's situation.

"If you consider that my parents provided me with a good education and allowed me to pursue my interests without major deficiencies, then yes, I suppose you could call it being a 'gold spoon,'" she stated. "But in terms of constant, immense financial prosperity, that wasn't always the case. My father had difficult times, which made me realize in my 20s that I needed to earn my own money."

She further elaborated, "Life isn't always smooth sailing. Moments of minor lack or insufficiency, which I felt the need to fill, ultimately turned into good things for me later on, but they were challenging at the time. You can't always have a perfectly smooth life."

When asked about her definition, Lee Min-jung concluded, "If the standard is whether my parents gave me a good education and let me do what I wanted without lacking, then I am a 'gold spoon.' But it's not the kind of 'gold spoon' where you can spend money carelessly."

Her friend Lee So-yeon expressed surprise at learning that Lee Min-jung paid for her university tuition and worked various part-time jobs during her college years, a fact Lee Min-jung embraced by stating, "I particularly like the saying, 'It's worth seeking hardship when you're young.'"

Lee Min-jung rose to stardom after portraying the iconic character Geum Jan-di in the 2009 MBC drama 'Boys Over Flowers'. She has since garnered consistent popularity by showcasing her versatile acting skills in a wide range of dramas and films. In 2018, she married actor Lee Byung-hun, receiving widespread congratulations.