Shin Min-a

Shin Min-a, born Yang Min-a on April 5, 1984, is a South Korean actress and model. She initially rose to prominence as a commercial model before launching an acting career. She is best known for her television roles in dramas such as A Love to Kill, My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho, Arang and the Magistrate, Oh My Venus, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Our Blues, and No Gain No Love.

She began modeling in 1998 under her birth name after winning a competition for the teen magazine KiKi. She quickly gained attention through prominent television commercials for brands such as Samsung and Korea Telecom 018. In 2000, she entered acting through music videos, including Jo Sung-mo's "Do You Know". To prevent confusion with actress Yang Mi-ra, she adopted her stage name prior to her television debut in Beautiful Days and her feature film debut in Volcano High.

Shin expanded her career through diverse screen roles in the 2000s. She starred in the 2003 film Madeleine and the drama series Punch, winning a New Star Award at the 2003 SBS Drama Awards. Her subsequent films included A Bittersweet Life, Sad Movie, The Beast and the Beauty, and Go Go 70s, the latter earning her widespread acclaim. She also starred in the indie film Sisters on the Road and achieved major television popularity playing the lead role in the 2010 romantic comedy My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho.

Over the next decade, Shin maintained a prominent television and film presence. She appeared in the historical drama Arang and the Magistrate, the arthouse romance Gyeongju, and the romantic comedy Oh My Venus, receiving multiple KBS Drama Awards and an honor at the 11th Seoul International Drama Awards. After starring in the mystery film Diva and the political series Chief of Staff, Shin starred in the 2021 series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, which achieved high domestic cable ratings and became one of Netflix's most-watched non-English series.

Her later screen credits include the drama series Our Blues, the 2023 film Our Season, the romantic comedy No Gain No Love, and the 2025 crime thriller series Karma. Beyond acting, Shin authored the 2009 book Shin Min-a's French Diary and has recorded several musical singles and soundtrack contributions.

Shin has remained one of South Korea's top commercial endorsers, appearing in major campaigns for LG Xnote, Giordano, Calvin Klein, and Rag & bone, and featured in T Magazine. She has served as a brand ambassador for Roger Vivier and Gucci.

Known for her extensive philanthropy, Shin has donated over four billion won to support pediatric care, burn treatment, vulnerable families, and disaster relief, receiving a Presidential Citation in 2019 and a Good People Artist Award in 2024. In her personal life, she began dating actor Kim Woo-bin in 2015, and the couple married in Seoul in December 2025.