[News Culture] Through this series, News Culture meets aspiring singers, actors and models, emerging artists and practitioners across traditional and popular culture who are steadily building careers on their own terms. News Culture supports every artist investing blood, sweat and tears in pursuit of a dream. (Editor’s note)
“Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any ‘how.’”
The line, commonly attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche, speaks to the power of having a clear purpose. For 22-year-old Lee Yu-na, that purpose is modeling.
“If it’s something I truly want, I don’t think I’ll regret going after it,” she said.
Lee is not waiting for the perfect moment to begin. She is already studying graphic design at one of Britain’s leading art schools, approaching modeling agencies in London and building the discipline she believes a global career will require.
Her goal is straightforward: to become a model who works internationally.
Lee currently attends Chelsea College of Arts, part of the University of the Arts London, where she majors in graphic design. UAL is internationally recognized for its programs in art, design, fashion and performance. Its alumni include designers Paul Smith and Jimmy Choo, actors Colin Firth, Tom Hardy and John Hurt, and singer Sade Adu.
Art came naturally to Lee from an early age, but she eventually chose design over fine art.
“I looked at how quickly the world was changing and thought design might offer more possibilities,” she said.
Lee now lives alone in the U.K. and returned to Korea during her university break. Moving abroad did not present a major language barrier. She attended an English-language kindergarten before going on to an international school.
“I’ve been around English since I was very young,” she said with a laugh.
At 171 centimeters and 45 kilograms, Lee may not fit the conventional image of an exceptionally tall runway model. What she does have is a distinctive face and an ease in front of the camera.
Her features can appear cool and metropolitan in one frame, then open and youthful in the next. Together with her long proportions, that versatility gives her a presence that is difficult to confine to a single look.
The discipline behind it began long before she started approaching agencies.
“I started watching what I ate and exercising when I was 12,” Lee said. “I didn’t like being chubby.”
Asked about her hobbies, she answered “working out” without hesitation. Weight training and Pilates remain part of her daily routine.
“My mother was the one who first encouraged me to exercise, but now I do it because I genuinely enjoy it,” she said. “There’s a real sense of accomplishment.”
For Lee, staying in shape is not simply about appearance.
“I think taking care of yourself is important,” she said. “Exercise isn’t only about making your body look better. It also helps you stay mentally healthy. I keep doing it because I want to maintain the balance I have now.”
Her approach to food, however, has become less restrictive.
“There was a time when I practically lived on chicken breast,” she said. “I don’t follow a strict diet anymore. I just try to eat smaller portions and maintain my weight.”
Before beginning university, Lee sent her profile to several modeling agencies in the U.K. One prominent London agency invited her to audition.
The process mainly consisted of test shoots. She advanced through the second round but was eliminated at the final stage.
“I didn’t make it in the end, but it was still a really valuable experience,” she said with a smile.
Rather than treating the result as a setback, Lee saw it as her first serious encounter with the industry. She plans to continue sending out her portfolio and auditioning whenever the right opportunity arises.
Her interest in modeling began in elementary school, when BLACKPINK first captured her attention.
“I was a huge fan,” Lee recalled. “Whenever I saw them on television, in commercials or in magazines, they looked incredible. I remember thinking, ‘I want to be someone who appears in places like that someday.’”
That initial fascination soon expanded beyond modeling. During middle school, she attended acting classes and also trained in singing and dance.
She enjoyed stepping into unfamiliar territory, although the experience was not always encouraging.
“Everything felt exciting because it was new,” she said. “But there were also moments when I lost confidence because I wasn’t improving as quickly as I wanted.”
Balancing those lessons with schoolwork made the process even more demanding. Still, modeling remained part of her plans while she prepared for admission to UAL.
At 18, Lee attended ESteem Model Academy, where she received formal training in runway walking and posing.
What stands out about Lee is that she is not treating her dream as an all-or-nothing gamble. She wants to model, but she is also building a career that can draw on her academic background.
“I’m also interested in working in sports social media and using what I’ve studied,” she said.
It is one reason she continues to take university seriously rather than viewing her degree as a fallback. For Lee, design, sport, fashion and digital media are not separate paths. They are different parts of the same future.
She has already begun building an online presence through TikTok, where she posts scenes from life in the U.K., everyday vlogs and lip-sync videos.
A YouTube channel may be next.
“I want to give it a try soon,” she said, visibly brightening at the idea.
The conversation eventually turned to Jung Ho-yeon, who moved from an internationally successful modeling career into acting and recently appeared in the film “HOPE.”
For Lee, Jung represents what can happen when modeling becomes a platform rather than a limit.
“The Korean dramas I enjoyed most while I was in the U.K. were ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Crash Landing on You,’” Lee said. “My friends there were especially into ‘Squid Game.’”
One performer, however, stood out more than anyone else.
“I kept watching Jung Ho-yeon,” she said. “Seeing someone captivate audiences around the world as both a model and an actor made a strong impression on me.”
Lee has only just entered her 20s. The opportunity she is looking for could arrive quickly, or it could take years of auditions, training and rejection. She appears prepared for either possibility.
What matters to her is continuing to move toward it.
“I don’t think about regret,” Lee said. “When there’s something I love and genuinely want to do, I go for it. I want to achieve my dream of becoming a model while I’m still in my 20s. Most of all, I want to work internationally and represent Korea.”
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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