SHE looks set to become the next big Korean transsexual icon after Harisu.
Lee Si Yeon was formerly a male model called Lee Dae Hak.
He was known for sashaying down the catwalk in women's clothing, complete with long hair and makeup.
Onlookers would lavish praise on him- how he looked more stunning than most women.
But the lanky 1.82m was not satisfied to be another pretty face.
His biggest dream was to become an actor and he grabbed the chance in a 2001 debut in the gangster film My Boss My Hero, turning on the laughs as an effeminate guy.
Fans might also remember him in the sex comedy Sex Is Zero - Korea's answer to American Pie - which was shown here in 2004.
He played - you guessed it - yet another funny sissy role.
NIGHTMARE
But, off screen, his life was turning into his worst nightmare.
Forced to beef up and chop off his precious hair, he felt so miserable that he tried to kill himself several times.
Life then was like 'living in hell', he said, according to Chosun Ilbo.
But during his last suicide attempt, he saw the light.
'I was lying down and I thought, 'Instead of dying just like that, why not become the woman I've always wanted to be?'
So he did.
After undergoing a sex change operation last year, he has returned to Korea's showbiz scene as a she - with a demure, feminine image.
Now calling herself Lee Si Yeon, she announced at a press conference in Seoul last week that she has started a second life and would soon get her gender changed legally.
'When I was modelling, I could live as I pleased,' she said according to My Daily.
'But once I entered showbiz, I was forced to live a life I didn't like. Under the request of the management company, I not only cut my hair short but also built muscles on my body.
'After I finished filming and went back to my own life, I found I could no longer fit into all the women's clothing that I liked.
'It was then I realised that was not the life I wanted. Now I feel blissful that I can stand in front of everyone as a woman.'
She flaunts her newfound femininity in a new movie Sex Is Zero 2. Despite mixed reviews, it has attracted more than two million admissions in Korea since its opening last month.
She plays a supporting transsexual character, and you can see for yourself the ultimate transformation when the film opens here on 27 March.
News of the sex change got out during the promotions of the movie in November and became the biggest talk of town.
But she chose to remain in the shadows as she did not want to steal the thunder from the film.
Some reports said she was overwhelmed by the sudden media attention and was not mentally prepared to cope with public scrutiny.
The Korea Times quoted an official from the movie company who said that they were 'extremely cautious' as they were worried she might be 'affected negatively by what people and the media say'.
TVN cable channel managed to catch her by surprise in November, but she spoke only briefly.
She said she felt like she found her true self only after the operation, and even though she knew the road ahead might be filled with obstacles, she would try to look on the positive side because 'that's my own decision'.
One month later, she told the entertainment news website Newsen.com in an exclusive interview that she had doubts over her sexuality ever since secondary school.
To become a 'real woman', she worked hard to earn money for the operation.
Now, she finally seems confident enough to face the public.
She declared last week: 'Coming back to showbiz, I will live my life upright and I hope I can bring some courage and strength to homosexuals or other transsexuals like me.'
But the decision to go under the knife was a hard one, as her parents objected to it.
She said her father still refuses to see her, although she managed to win over her mum.
'On the day of the operation, my mum told me she lost a son but got a daughter. Then we hugged each other and cried.'
DREAM
Her dream now is to live like a woman and one day get married, just like Harisu did last year.
'Now I don't have to care about what people think, I can dress up like a woman openly. I will live my life seriously and work hard with determination.'
At least her co-stars from Sex Is Zero 2 have showed their support.
Actress Shin Ee, who did a funny sex scene with her in the original film, told reporters she has not changed much since the operation.
