Career
Shin Min-a began her career as a model for teen magazine KiKi in 1998, then appeared in several music videos for K-pop boyband g.o.d., until her acting debut in 2001. The newcomer quickly rose to stardom, through the high school martial arts comedy Volcano High with Jang Hyuk,[1] and the college romance Madeleine with Jo In-sung. She took on a supporting role in Kim Ji-woon's film noir A Bittersweet Life, reuniting her with previous Beautiful Days co-star Lee Byung-hun. This was followed by leading roles in the melodrama A Love to Kill with Rain, the romantic comedy The Beast and the Beauty with Ryu Seung-beom, and the psychological thriller The Devil with Uhm Tae-woong and Joo Ji-hoon.As Shin entered her mid-twenties, she began showcasing more maturity in her choice of roles, playing a sexy counterculture singer in Go Go 70s,[2] an unfaithful wife in The Naked Kitchen, and a cynical young woman in search of her father in Sisters on the Road.[3] But Shin became best known for her portrayals of supernatural horror icons revamped into endearingly innocent yet spunky heroines in the rom-com My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox, and the historical drama Arang and the Magistrate.[4][5]
Other activities
After her travels were documented on the cable channel O'live in 2008,[6] Shin published a book titled Shin Min-a's French Diary in 2009.[7]She has also contributed her vocals to several singles and soundtracks.[8][9]
Shin is one of the most in-demand and highest paid commercial endorsers in South Korea. Notable among her forays into branded entertainment is the 2008 multi-episode Summer Days opposite Hyun Bin and Ryu Seung-beom for LG Xnote featuring music by Yoo Hee-yeol,[10] as well as Friends & Love, a movie-style extended advertisement for Giordano in 2011 costarring Jung Woo-sung and So Ji-sub.[11]
In 2009, Shin went to Milan, Italy to shoot a photo spread for Elle Korea with Calvin Klein model Jamie Dornan.[12] In 2011, she was chosen as the first Asian model for the DIY Project ad campaign of American clothing brand Rag & bone,[13][14] then was subsequently featured in The New York Times's T Magazine.[15][16]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Beautiful Days | Lee Min-ji | SBS |
| 2003 | Punch | Jang Yu-bin | SBS |
| 2005 | A Love To Kill | Cha Eun-seok | KBS2 |
| 2007 | The Devil | Seo Hae-in | KBS2 |
| 2010 | My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox | Mi-ho | SBS |
| 2012 | Arang and the Magistrate | Arang/Lee Seo-rim | MBC |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Volcano High | Yoo Chae-yi |
| 2003 | Madeleine | Hee-jin |
| 2005 | A Bittersweet Life | Hee-soo |
| Sad Movie | Ahn Su-eun | |
| The Beast and the Beauty | Jang Hae-ju | |
| 2007 | My Mighty Princess | Kang So-hwi / Ok-soon |
| 2008 | Go Go 70s | Mimi |
| 2009 | The Naked Kitchen | Ahn Mo-rae |
| Sisters on the Road | Park Myung-eun | |
| A Million | Jo Yoo-jin | |
| 2013 | Hide & Seek |
| Year | Song Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "A Request" | Lee Seung-hwan |
| "Eyes Want to Travel" | Leon Lai | |
| "Love and Remembrance" | g.o.d. | |
| "Ever Since You Left Me" | g.o.d. | |
| 2000 | "Do You Know?" | Jo Sung-mo |
| 2001 | "With Coffee" | Brown Eyes |
| "I Love You" | Cha Tae-hyun | |
| "Sad Love" | g.o.d. | |
| "A Fool" | g.o.d. | |
| "You Don't Know" | g.o.d. | |
| 2008 | "Summer Day" | Yoo Hee-yeol feat. Shin Jae-pyung of Peppertones |
| "My Happy Day" | Yoo Hee-yeol feat. Shin Min-a |
|
| 2009 | "Miracle Blue" | Loveholics feat. Shin Min-a |
Discography
| Year | Track | From the Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | "Oppa, I Love You" | Punch OST |
| "Pray for Yoo-bin" | ||
| 2008 | "My Happy Day" | Yoo Hee-yeol - Summer Days |
| "Night Train" | Go Go 70s OST | |
| 2009 | "A Year Later" | The Naked Kitchen OST |
| "Miracle Blue" | Loveholics - In the Air | |
| 2010 | "Sha la la" | My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox OST |
| "I Can Give You All" | ||
| 2012 | "Black Moon" | Arang and the Magistrate OST |
Endorsements
| Year | Commercial | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Maxim T.O.P | Until 2012, with Won Bin |
| 2009 | Calvin Klein | Until 2010 |
| Vivien Jinro | Until 2011 | |
| Jinro Soju | Until 2013 | |
| 2010 | LG X-Note | Until 2012, with Hyun Bin & Song Joong-ki |
| Vivien Bra | Until 2011 | |
| 2011 | Giordano | Until 2013, with So Ji Sub |
| Hera | Until 2013 | |
| LG 3D | ||
| SK Telecom 45 LTE | with Kim Soo-hyun | |
| 2013 | Joinus |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Event | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | SBS Drama Awards | New Star Award | Won | [17] | |
| 2006 | Dior Timeless Beauty Award | Recipient | Won | ||
| 2008 | 4th University Film Festival of Korea | Best Supporting Actress | Won | ||
| 2009 | 6th Max Movie Awards | Best Actress | Won | ||
| 17th Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Actress | Won | |||
| 2nd Style Icon Awards | Female Fashionista | Won | |||
| 3rd Mnet 20's Choice Awards | Hot Fashionista | Won | |||
| 2010 | Korean Advertisers Association Awards | Good Model Award | Won | ||
| 3rd Style Icon Awards | Style Icon Actress, TV category | My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox | Won | ||
| SBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actress in a Drama Special | Won | |||
| Top Ten Stars Award | Won | ||||
| Best Couple with Lee Seung-gi | Won | ||||
| TVCF Awards | CF Model Awards | Won | |||
| 2011 | 1st Cosmo Beauty Awards | Beauty Icon of the Year | Won | [18] | |
| 2012 | MBC Drama Awards | Best Couple with Lee Jun-ki | Won | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Nominated |
