South Korean star Lee Young Ae donates S$185,000 to save a Taiwanese baby

SEOUL - South Korean actress Lee Young Ae saved the life of a Taiwanese infant whose parents could not afford the cost of the baby's surgery, a Taiwanese online media outlet reported on Monday.

"Korean actress Lee Young Ae has saved an embattled pregnant woman," Taiwan.cn reported, saying the Jewel In The Palace star donated 150 million won (S$185,000) to a Taiwanese couple who were travelling in Korea in February when the pregnant wife fell and was forced to give birth to their daughter prematurely.

The baby needed surgery but the couple faced financial difficulties, the Korea Herald reported.

Lee, who became a mother of twins in 2011, came to know about a fund-raising effort to help the child and privately donated the money.

On Sunday, when she surprised the couple by visiting the baby at the hospital, the tot's mother was moved to tears.

Lee, 43, reportedly said of her donation, "This was made in gratitude to the Taiwanese people".

She was little known in Taiwan till 2000 when her TV series Fireworks helped to create the first Korean Wave.

Her huge Asian hit costume drama, Jewel In the Palace, has been aired and re-aired in Taiwan 14 times in the past 11 years.

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