Born in Pyeongannam-do, Lee Won-se moved south with his family after Korea’s liberation and grew up in a salt-field village in Siheung, Gyeonggi-do. The landscape and lives of laborers he witnessed there later became a defining influence on his cinematic world. After studying Theater and Film at Sorabol College of Arts, Lee entered the Chungmuro film scene in 1961 as part of director Kim Soo-yong’s production team. His early writing, shaped by close observation of salt-field workers’ harsh realities, revealed a lasting interest in marginalized lives and social landscapes. In the late 1970s, he also directed commercial films across a range of genres, expanding his scope while maintaining a grounded visual sensibility.