During the past few years,Shin Min-ahhas been going through a career renaissance. The South Korean actress first came onto the scene in the 90s as a model, but it took several years for her to land an acting role in the dramaBeautiful Days.Ever since then, Shin has continued to consistently land roles in Korean dramas and movies, while also pursuing her career as a model. However, in the 2010s and 2020s, Shin appeared in some of hermost well-known dramasand worked with some of themore prominent directorsof Korean entertainment.
First, she appeared inMy Girlfriend is a Nine Tailed Fox, thenArang and the Magistrate. Almost a decade later, she rose to prominence yet again after starring in popular dramas likeOur BluesandHometown Cha-Cha-Cha. Shin has continued to show throughout her career that she can adapt to the different kinds of roles given to her while still giving a quality performance. From starting out as a model and appearing in Korean pop music videos, she has come a long way since the beginning of her career, graduallybuilding up a namefor herself. These are her best movies and television shows that have been released so far.
Released in 2020,Divastars Shin Min-ah as Yi-young, a competitive diver who is extremely talented in the sport, but decides to give it up to be closer to her best friend. Her friend, Soo-jin (Lee Yoo-young), is in synchronized swimming, but when an accident happens during an Olympics' selection practice, it leads to catastrophic consequences.
Yi-young loses her memory and Soo-jin vanishes. But as Yi-young’s memories slowly trickle back, she realizes something more sinister is afoot when it comes to her best friend and potential motives. Shin was praised for her portrayal of the main character.
11A Quiet Dream
A young woman is trying to keep everything of her life together inA Quiet Dream. Portrayed by Han Ye-ri, she helps run a bar, making sure the business stays afloat, and three men are trying to woo her as she works each day. At home, she’s trying to take care of her father, who is disabled and no longer can take care of himself. The film focuses on her relationships with the men who are smitten with her, and some of the scenarios that arise from their interactions each time she shows up to work.
10Tomorrow, With You
Shin Min-ah and Lee Je-hoon star in the 2017 dramaTomorrow, With You. She portrays Ma-rin, a former child star who now works as a photographer. Her husband, So-joon, has a grand realization, which is what led him to decide on marrying her: he’s going to die.
He discovers he has the ability to travel through time through a certain subway, so he’ll do whatever it takes to change what he thinks his fate is, even if it means sacrificing his happiness to marry her. But, throughout the course of the series, his feelings will change.
Luciferwas the second installment in a trilogy by director Park Chan-hong and screenwriter Kim Ji-woo, and it aired on Korean television in 2007. A detective has been assigned to two different murder cases, and it seems at first these are two completely unrelated case. But when the tarot cards are revealed to be found at the crime scene, he meets with a librarian (Shin) who tells him that they are related to a death several years ago. The plot thickens after this, and when more people are murdered, it becomes a race against time to figure out who the culprit is.
Related:20 Korean Dramas With the Most Compelling Love Triangles
8A Bittersweet Life
Well-known director Kim Jee-woon came out withA Bittersweet Lifein 2005, and it had its international premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, albeit out of competition. Lee Byung-hun is Kim Sun-woo, who works for a local mob boss that is concerned with a rival family and their tension. When Sun-woo is assigned to watch over his boss’ mistress (Shin), it is going to lead to disastrous results. After seeing her get beat up by her lover at home, he interferes, but that’s the beginning of a dangerous dance between the two of them and his employer.
7Arang and the Magistrate
Arang and the Magistrateis based on a specifictale from Korean folklore, of the woman named Arang. Shin portrays Arang, who has been killed in a way that isn’t fair. She returns to Earth as a ghost, she crosses paths with Eun-oh, a nobleman who is looking for his mother. He has a peculiar ability to see ghosts and interact with them, and Arang appears in front of him when he is named the new magistrate. Desperate to find out how she died and discover the circumstances of her situation, she asks him for help. He reluctantly agrees, and together they’ll investigate.
6Sisters on the Road
Gong Hyo-jin and Shin Min-ah star inSisters on the Road, which was released in 2008. They portray two sisters, and one has returned to her home on Jeju after the death of their mother. There, she reunites with her estranged sister and her daughter, and they’re going to learn how to cope with living each other after all of these years. When one of the sisters decides to go on a road trip to find their father, they’re really going to be forced to overcome their issues when trapped in the same car.
5Oh My Venus
InOh My Venus, So Jo-sub portrays Young-ho, a personal trainer who works with stars abroad in Hollywood. But when scandal breaks out, he runs with his tail between his leg back to South Korea. On the flight home, a lawyer (Shin) passes out on his flight, and he’s the only one who can help her.
That’ll change the trajectory of their lives, as when she accidentally takes his press pass, she realizes she can blackmail him into helping her lose weight. Over the course of the series, they’ll grow closer despite the bumps that allowed them to meet originally.
Related:The 10 Best Enemies-To-Lovers Korean TV Dramas
4My Girlfriend Is a Nine Tailed Fox
2010’sMy Girlfriend Is a Nine Tailed Foxwas a show that was iconic in the early-2010s, making it a staple for many who became fans of Korean dramas during this time. Cho Dae-woong is attending college with the dream of becoming an actor, specifically for action movies, when he accidentally unseals agumiholiving inside of painting. When he has a potentially fatal fall, the gumiho saves him by giving her bead to him, but that’s going to tie them together throughout the course of the film.
Chinese filmmaker Zhang Lu madeGyeongjuin 2014, and it’s a quiet movie set in the idyllic Korean countryside. Choi Hyeon’s friend has just passed away, and he makes the decision to return to South Korea in order to come and pay his respects.
He leaves behind his job as a history professor in China, and when he arrives in Gyeongju, he wanders around reminiscing in the memories he has with his friends there. When he shows interest in a piece of art in a teahouse, he meets its owner, Yong-hee (Shin), and they spend the day together.
