shin min-ah

Shin Min-Ah (신민아) is a popular South Korean actress and model. She has been active in the industry for more than twenty years. Throughout her career, she is best known for her role in the 2010 supernatural romantic comedy television series My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho.

Born in the Yecheon-gun region in the Gyeonggi province of South Korea, Min-Ah has always been a beautiful and confident girl. The actress made her debut in the entertainment industry as a young model when she was just in high school. She has gone on to be one of the most loved figures in Asia.

Relationship Facts: Is Shin Min-Ah Married?

Min-Ah is currently dating Kim Woo Bin, a fellow Korean actor who is five years younger than her. The pair met in 2015 during a photo shoot for the fashion brand Giordano in January and announced that they were together in July. 

Min-Ah and her boyfriend, Kim are rumored to be engaged with many sources alleging that they have secretly tied the knot and that they are now husband and wife. The pairing is supported by many people although the couple has kept their interactions a secret from the public. 

The lovely couple Kim and Min-Ah are often caught traveling and spending time together. However, they do not appear in each other's socials very much.

What Do Fans Think About Shin Min-Ah & Kim Woo Bin Relationship? 

Initially, the relationship between Shin Min-Ah and Kim Woo Bin was not well received by the fans. At the time, Woo Bin was getting a lot of flak for ending his years-long relationship with model Yoo Ji-Ahn.

Rumors were rife that Woo Bin did so after he gained fame. He was criticized for dumping the lady who had supported him when he was just starting out.

When Woo Bin later announced his pairing with Min-Ah, the new couple received a lot of criticism and hate.  Not only that many said that Woo Bin was a clout chaser. Many rumors were active that the duo would soon break up. 

Although Woo Bin and Min-Ah got that much hate, they stayed strong together and proved their love for each other. They are also very private people and do not share much about their relationship.

Fans Are Praising Shin Min-Ah & Kim Woo Bin's Relationship Now

Just years after getting criticism for dating, Shin Min-Ah and Kim Woo Bin gained the blessing of almost all their fans and proved their haters were wrong. This all happened when Woo Bin was diagnosed with cancer in 2017. He had to take time off to focus on healing and treating his disease. 

Shin was the front and center of this story. At the time she had an illustrious career ahead of her and she was also thirty-three years of age. But she chose to nurse her boyfriend and was his support in such a demanding time. 

This is also why the fans adore Volcano High actress Min-ah and support her relationship. Many believe that she would have gained even more fame had she not chosen to take a break to support her lover.

About Shin's Boyfriend, Kim Woo-Bin

Shin Min-ah's boyfriend, Kim Woo-Bin is a successful actor himself. He shot to fame as the volatile Choi Young-do in The Heirs (2013) and enjoyed a massive fan following in Korea and overseas. He initially started as a model but fell in love with acting as time progressed.

Sadly, Woo-bin was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer in 2017 and had to take a hiatus from work. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment for the disease and was fortunate to go into remission in December of the same year. However, he was exempt from military service due to his body condition just months later in 2018 proving that he was still physically recovering.

Kin Woo-bin returned to filming in 2020 and his first release after recovery was the sci-fi film Alienoid in 2022, possibly due to the ongoing Covid pandemic. Since then he has worked together with big names in the industry and continued his acting career.

Net Worth Of Shin Min-ah

Shin Min-ah is reported to have a net worth of $5 million  but this fails to take into account her endorsements and brand deals. She reportedly earns about $4 million a year from her brand endorsements and commercials alone. However, Shin is always sharing her wealth and donating to worthwhile causes. She once gifted her manager a luxury car in 2012 as a thank-you. Another Model, Falynn Guobadia has a net worth of $2.5 million.

Min-ah is also very much a homeowner having invested in her share of the property. In 2013, the star bought her first property building from her significant ad revenues. Then in 2018, she was in the news for buying an old house worth $5 million in Yongsan Seoul.

Min-Ah repaired that house and now generates rental income. Further, it is reported that she also has her own residence in UN Village in Hannam-dong which is a very wealthy area.

Why Did Shin Min-ah Change Her Name?

Fans are aware that Min-ah's legal name is Yang Min-ah. She initially used this name when she was modeling in her teenage years. But in 2000, at just sixteen years of age, she chose to take Shin Min-ah as her stage name. This might be the suggestion of her entertainment company but the reason for this change was that Min-ah had decided to focus fully on her acting career.

At the core of this decision was another star named Yang Mi-ra, another actress of similar age. At the time, Yang Mi-ra was already an actress with an acting portfolio and due to similar names, many people tended to confuse Yang Min-ah for Yang Mi-ra. So Yang Min-ah took the stage name Shin Min-ah and joined the cast of Volcano High debuting her successful acting career.

Professional Career

My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho star Shin Min-ah is definitely one of the most famous celebrities in South Korea. She got her start as a model when she was just fourteen years of age just like Melisa Aslı Pamuk. 

Shin sent a picture to Kiki magazine and was their first exclusive model. Since then, she began appearing in various commercials and magazine advertisements. 

Now, Shin Min-ah is making it big in South Korea and abroad, as one of the most accomplished actresses of her time. Her work portfolio consists of modeling, films, television series, and even made appearances in music videos. She has even sung for her television and film roles and is often applauded as a style icon.

Career As An Actor

Min-Ah is a celebrated actress who made her acting debut in 2001 in the movie Volcano High the same year as Brittany Curran. Her breakout performance in the 2005 gangster film "A Bittersweet Life" brought her a lot of recognition. 

Since then Min-Ah has received various acting offers from top Korean directors, taking on a variety of roles. Some of her works are "My Mighty Princess," "Go Go 70s," and "Sisters on the Road."

Shin's high-profile roles have established her as a versatile actress with a wide range of projects under her belt. Her work profile is quite varied as she works with big directors as well as indie projects.

Modeling Career

As a model, Min-ah has modeled for brands such as Cartier, Givenchy Beauty, Couronne, and Chanel to name a few. She has also been a brand ambassador for Gucci,  Roger Vivier, Chanel Beauty, Giordano, and Michaa.

In 2009, Shin Min-A was in the "Miracle Blue" project with Korean band Loveholic and Calvin Klein. There she sang and portrayed various characters in the music video. She has been featured in multiple MVs to date.

Shin is often the chosen face of luxury in South Korea and was even named a muse for Givenchy beauty and Calvin Klein Jeans. She imbues luxury and gives a very appealing and classy vibe and is one of the most sought-after faces in Asia.

Min-ah Founded An Entertainment Company

In 2012, Shin Min-a along with her fellow label mate, Hyun Bin opened their own entertainment company called O& Entertainment. This happened soon after their old company AM entertainment merged with SM entertainment. 

The business partners Shin and Hyun decided to take the venture after Hyun Bin came back from his two-year mandatory military enlistment. He was the leading man in Descendants of the Sun, which also starred Korean actor Song Joong-Ki.

The company is still active today but Hyun Bin reportedly left O& Entertainment in 2015 to start another company with his mentor. Shin also went back to her old company AM entertainment which may be due to the fact that her boyfriend, Woo-bin is also under the company. The two friends were the CEOs of the O& company and also the signed artists during their time there.

Physical Appearance: How Tall Is Shin?

Shin Min-ah is a gorgeous woman of Asian descent and has black and dark brown hair and dark eyes. She stands at a height of 5 feet 5 inches (169 cm) and is often seen wearing high heels. 

As a performer, Shin does gain and lose weight for her roles but her regular weight is about 50 kg similar to that of Woo Mi-hwa. In 2006, she was the recipient of the Dior timeless beauty award for her classic and elegant facial features and bone structure.

Min-ah once played a plus-size person for the romantic comedy series Oh My Venus but in real life, she works out regularly and has a toned figure. Skin-wise, she is a fair person but suffers from sensitive and dry skin. That is also why she uses facial oils in addition to her regular moisturizers in her skincare regimen.

Family And Early Life Details 

Shin is the youngest of three children and her family surname is Yang. Her family consists of her two parents, her older brother, and her older sister, all of whom were from the Gyeonggi province. It is rumored that she could be an aunt from her siblings but not much about her family is public. 

Min-ah was a student at Hyosung High School where she started working modeling gigs. She later attended the illustrious Dongguk University where she was in the Faculty of Theater. She was registered on the Seoul campus.

Total Works As An Actress

Check out the filmography of Min-ah and watch her in the following projects. She has made a lot of excellent dramas and movies.

Awards And Accolades Of Shin Min-Ah

During her years-long acting career, Min-ah has won several awards for her performances in various dramas and films. She first won the New Star Award at the 2003 SBS Drama Awards for her role in "Punch." 

At the same time, Shin also won Best Supporting Actress at the 4th University Film Festival of Korea for her role in "Go Go 70s." She also won the Best Actress award at the 6th Max Movie Awards and the 17th Chunsa Film Art Awards for her role in "Go Go 70s". 

Min-ah also won the Style Icon Actress, TV category award at the 3rd Style Icon Awards for her role in "My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox" as well as the SBS Drama Awards: Excellence Award for the same role. She also won the Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries at the 2022 8th APAN Star Awards for her role in "Our Blues" and "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha".

For Min-Ah's honorable charity works, she was awarded the Presidential Citation at the 4th Finance Day Commemoration Ceremony on October 29, 2019. This was not her first one as in 2011, she was named a model taxpayer at the 45th Taxpayer's Day Ceremony' and given a presidential citation.

Does Shin Min-ah Have Any Tattoos?

Well, no, Min-ah does not have any tattoos just like Han So Hee. Officially there is no mention of any tattoos on the body of the actress. However, there was once a rumor that she had a peace sign tattooed on her right ankle but this may be fake news.

As an actress, Min-ah has played many characters, and one of her famous roles was the amnesiac ghost for Arang and the Magistrate where she had a neck tattoo. The neck tattoo is an important part of the series.

Charities Work By Min-Ah 

Min-ah has made multiple donations to various organizations and causes over the years similar to American businessman Alvin Malnik. In total, she has donated more than $2.5 million dollars in charity projects which is more than 3.3 billion won.

Min-ah Started Donating Pretty Early

Min-ah's official charity history dates back to 2010, but she may have been active in charity much before that. One of the first instances to be public was the donation of $41,000 in 2010 to the construction of Korea's first multicultural school in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. Soon, she was a part of the international Ice Bucket Challenge which did fundraising in 2014 for ALS research. 

Later it was revealed that Shin had donated more than $800 thousand over seven years through "Fruit of Love." It is a social welfare community chest, and another organization that aids North Korean defectors called "Good Friends." She also participated in the "Let's Share the Heart" talent donation campaign in 2016.

Donations Done By Shin During Covid

Min-ah also donated about $40K to the Children's Hospital at Seoul National University in 2019.  During the COVID crisis, she gave a whopping sum of about $82,000 to the Seoul Community Chest of Korea in 2020 to assist in stopping the spread of COVID-19. 

Shin also continued to give and donated about $41,000 to the Fruit of Love to aid those affected by torrential rain just a few months later. Since 2015, she has made yearly donations to her chosen charities such as Fruit of Love, the Hallym Burn Foundation to name a few. 

Min-ah was even in the 'Let's Share the Heart' campaign PR video shoot to seek donations to the Hallym Burn Foundation, where she personally sends an annual sum of $82,000 to support intensive burn victims.

Charity Angel

Dubbed the charity angel by fans, Min-ah gave about $75 thousand each to the Korean Developmental Society, Seoul Asan Hospital in 2021. This was to help with the psychological care of kids with protracted COVID-19 infection along with her regular contributions to children with cancer. 

Shin also gave about $80 thousand to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association in 2022 for the benefit of those affected by a significant wildfire. Additionally, Shin gave about $200,000 in the year 2022 to organizations like Fruit of Love and Asan Medical Center in Seoul.

Shin Min-ah Has A Dog

According to her socials, Min-ah is a dog mom to an adorable Toy Poodle. The light brown furball is simply adorable and often joins Min-ah in her posts. 

The furball is named Woody. The name is possibly an English one with the 우디 (udi) Hangul alphabet. The poodle is a great companion and is definitely a very spoiled and valuable pet.

Social Media Handles

Shin Min-ah is a public figure and has an Instagram account as well as a Facebook profile which was created by AM entertainment. Her Instagram handle is @illusomnia where she has over 4.5 million followers. She shares her work projects and her life updates here.

Further, AM Entertainment shares updates about Min-ah on her official Facebook page, Shin mina 신민아 where she has over 95K followers. AM also has its own Instagram page @ament_official, which updates the fans on its top stars, one of them being Min-ah. Fans can view her work portfolio there.

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