Shin Min-ah

Shin Min-ah (신민아, Yang Min-a; born April 5, 1984, Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea) entered public life at fourteen through a magazine model competition she did not enter herself: a friend submitted her photo to KiKi magazine without telling her. She won. Early commercial work for Samsung and Korea Telecom built initial recognition, but she transitioned to acting before the idol-crossover template existed, taking five months of acting lessons before her drama debut. A Love to Kill (2005) established her as a serious dramatic presence. My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho (2010) became the kind of sustained cultural hit that resets a career, cementing her as an actress capable of navigating fantasy, comedy, and emotional precision simultaneously. Arang and the Magistrate (2012) and Oh My Venus (2015) extended that run across different genres. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021) was a platform moment: a warmly received ensemble piece that introduced her work to a new generation of international viewers via Netflix. Our Blues (2022) offered something more textured: a layered supporting arc in Han Hee's ensemble drama that critics frequently cited as her most precise work. In December 2025, she married actor Kim Woo-bin at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, following ten years together. In 2026, she leads The Remarried Empress on Disney+, a fantasy romance co-starring Lee Jong-suk, as Empress Navier.