Lee Young-ae confirmed to be 4 months pregnant

Actress Lee Young-ae [Storm S Company]

Actress Lee Young-ae's agency has confirmed that the heroine of smash hit TV series "Jewel in the Palace" is four months pregnant.

"It is true that she is pregnant and we were going to inform the press at an adequate time because this is when a pregnant woman is most cautious but it seems like the news has gone out through her father", Lee Ju-yeol, chief of Lee's agency Storm S Company told Asia Economic Daily over the phone on Friday.

A report in the August issue of monthly magazine Lady Kyunghyang had first broken the news, quoting the actress's father who said the family recently found out about Lee's pregnancy.

He had also explained that they do not know yet whether it is a boy or a girl but both sides of her family are happy over the news.

Lee Ju-yeol added that the actress plans to halt all activities and focus on prenatal care until she gives birth.

Actress Lee, 39, has yet to make an acting comeback since getting married last August but she had been shooting television commercials while studying for a doctoral degree in theater and cinema at Hanyang University.

Best known for her role in hit TV drama "Jewel in the Palace" ("Dae Jang Geum"), Lee took all of Asia by surprise last year when she married a 55-year- old Korean- American businessman in Hawaii.

Reporter: Ko Kyoung-seok kave@

Editor: Jessica Kim jesskim@