On June 17, Lee Da-hae released a nostalgic video titled “Lee Da-hae Appears on Nanjing Road as Joo Yoo-rin from My Girl!” via her YouTube channel 1+1=Lee Da-hae. The video documented her emotional transformation and the overwhelming response she received while revisiting one of her most iconic characters.
“This is the day we test if people in Shanghai still recognize me as Joo Yoo-rin,” Lee said with a smile. Despite concerns that 20 years might have dimmed her character’s legacy, the outcome was anything but.
She painstakingly recreated her look using old photos for reference, even lamenting that her original makeup products had long been discontinued. Once ready, she styled her hair in Joo Yoo-rin‘s signature pigtails and headed to Nanjing Road dressed in character.
The emotional moment came quickly. A fan immediately recognized her and reenacted a famous scene from My Girl, leaving Lee visibly moved. As more fans gathered around her, the scene turned chaotic—in a good way. Crowds swelled to the point that local police had to intervene and manage the scene.
“This feels amazing,” Lee said, overwhelmed by the support. One Chinese fan tearfully told her, “You haven’t changed at all.”
Lee also took a moment to reflect on the drama’s cultural impact. “The My Girl OST is still widely used in China even now,” she said. She also shared a previously unknown behind-the-scenes detail: she was initially considered for the lead role in Full House, but ultimately chose a different project, which she feels was the right decision.
Lee Da-hae’s heartfelt return to Joo Yoo-rin proves that timeless characters—and the actors behind them—continue to resonate deeply, even 20 years later.
