Choi Min-ho

Choi Min-ho (; born December 9, 1991), known mononymously as Minho, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, rapper and actor. In May 2008, he debuted as a member of South Korean boy band Shinee which later became one of the best-selling Korean artists. Aside from group activities, he debuted as an actor in November 2010 in KBS2's drama special Pianist. and modeled for Ha Sang-beg's Seoul Collection F/W 08–09 in March 2008. One month later, Choi was chosen as a member of the group Shinee. The five-member boy group debuted on May 25, 2008, on SBS' Inkigayo. The group's first EP, Replay, was released on May 22 and debuted on the Korean music charts MIAK at number ten, peaking at number eight.

Choi began participating in the rap making of Shinee's songs with their first studio album The Shinee World, under the guidance of rap instructor JQ. JQ praised Choi's writing ability and pointed out that he has many good ideas and "a few genius moments here and there". He was especially pleased with Choi's rap lyrics for Shinee's 2009 single "Juliette".

In 2009 and 2010, Choi appeared in both the Korean and Japanese versions of Girls' Generation's music video "Gee". He was also featured in the music video of VNT's debut song "Sound" in 2010. In 2009, Choi joined the popular show Let's Go! Dream Team as a regular cast member.

2010–2015: Acting debut

In 2010, Choi joined the variety show Oh! My School as a cast member and began hosting the music program Show! Music Core alongside bandmate Onew, Miss A member Suzy and T-ara member Jiyeon. He made his acting debut in KBS2's drama special, entitled Pianist, with actress Han Ji-hye. In 2011, Choi was cast in SBS' sitcom, Salamander Guru and The Shadows. He played the role of a genius hacker.

In 2012, Choi was confirmed to take on the lead role, alongside f(x)'s Sulli and Lee Hyun-woo, in To the Beautiful You, a Korean adaptation of the manga Hana-Kimi. The drama started broadcasting on August 15, 2012, on SBS. In preparation for his role as a high jump gold medalist, Choi received personal training from coach Kim Tae-young, former national high jump athlete and a member of the Korea Association of Athletics Federations, for a month and a half. In December 2012, Choi joined dance project group SM The Performance alongside labelmates from TVXQ, Super Junior, Shinee, and Exo.

Choi began hosting the variety show Mamma Mia in April 2013, but departed after a month due to Shinee's touring schedule. He resumed his role as an MC on Show! Music Core after a two-year absence, this time hosting alongside Kim So-hyun and Noh Hong-chul. In July 2013, Choi returned to the small screen with MBC's Medical Top Team. His performance received a positive response and was praised for his growth as an actor. In August, he participated in the reality series Star Diving Show Splash, but it was cancelled after four episodes after several contestants were injured.

In 2015, Choi was cast as the lead in OnStyle's drama My First Time together with actress Park So-dam, which was broadcast in September. It was the first drama premiered by OnStyle, with a total of eight episodes.

2016–2020: Big screen debut, solo music and military enlistment

In early 2016, Choi extended his popularity as an actor. He was cast in several projects, including a historical Korean drama entitled Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, which began airing on December 19, 2016, on KBS2. His debut movie project titled Canola, alongside Youn Yuh-jung and Kim Go-eun and directed by Yoon Hong-seung (pseudonym Chang), was filmed in 2015 and released on the big screen in May 2016. He was cast in a supporting role in a film entitled The Princess and the Matchmaker, led by Lee Seung-gi and Shim Eun-kyung. The movie is the second installment in a planned trilogy by Jupiter Films after the 2013 box-office hit The Face Reader. Choi was then cast in the movie Derailed alongside veteran actor Ma Dong-seok, which was directed by Lee Seong-tae and premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. The movie had its world premiere screening at the 21st Busan International Film Festival in October 2016.

In 2017, Choi took part in the JTBC web drama entitled Somehow 18 alongside Lee Yu-bi. As a result of high online viewer ratings, the web drama was broadcast on television through JTBC. After receiving a positive response for his acting performance in Derailed, Choi stated that he chose the role because he wanted to work with director Kim Jee-woon. The film released on July 25, 2018. In September 2017, Choi received the Special Award at the due to his widespread popularity in the country as well as for his performances in various dramas. Choi was the first Korean artist to be presented an award at the show. On November 15, Choi was included in Vogues list of the "Sexiest Men Alive". Later that year, Choi was cast in a four episode mini drama The Most Beautiful Goodbye, which is a remake of the 1996 drama of the same name.

In March 2019, Choi released his debut solo single, "I'm Home", as part of SM Station. He then enlisted for the Marine Corps on April 15 as part of his mandatory military service, where he was recognized as an "exemplary marine soldier" for forgoing early discharge to participate in defense drills. He completed his military service on November 15, 2020.

2021–present: Further acting roles, Chase and Call Back

In January 2021, Choi resumed activities as part of Shinee. He also ramped up participation in various shows including a special appearance in web series Lovestruck in the City

He appeared in the horror film New Normal, directed by Jeong Beom-sik. It was selected as the closing film of the 26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. He released his debut solo EP, Chase, on December 6, 2022. Choi starred in the Netflix series The Fabulous alongside Chae Soo-bin later that month. He also released the digital single "Stay for a Night". In August 2024, he starred in the JTBC drama Romance in the House. In September, he appeared in his first play, Waiting for Waiting for Godot, alongside Lee Soon-jae. He portrayed the role of Val, an understudy continually waiting to go on stage; however, the production was cut short due to Lee's health issues.

Choi released his first studio album, Call Back, on November 4, 2024. He held his first solo concert, Mean: Of My First, later that month, at the Hwajeong Tiger Dome in Seoul. He later held shows in Taiwan, Japan, Macau and the Philippines. He appeared in the play Rendezvous in April 2025. In September, he resumed his role as Val in a new production of Waiting for Waiting for Godot. He released the single album Tempo on December 15. He will release his second EP, Make It Hot, on September 7, 2026.

Personal life "I wanted to become a professional football player like my dad, [...] But when I was a fifth grader, he told me he would kick me out of the house if I pursue that dream. That was the first time he disapproved of something I did so I decided to give up the dream." — –Minho about his dreams and the relationship with his father. After taking the college admissions test the previous year, he was admitted in 2010 to Konkuk's part-time admittance for the arts and culture film major and graduated in 2015. His father, Choi Yun-kyum, is a well-known South Korean soccer coach. Choi inherited his father's ability and showed his skills in shows like KBS2's Our Town's Physical Variety and won high praise from Lee Young-pyo, a retired member of the national team. Choi also led his team to victory at the Idol Futsal World Cup Competition. Originally, Choi wanted to become a professional football player like his father but he disapproved of his decision stating: "Frankly, I didn't want him to follow my path, [...] Back when I was playing, it was difficult to make it in that world, very abusive back in those days. I would stay home for a couple of hours and then be off to training camp. It pained me to see my son asking me to stay over for the night." His father also added that from the football manager's point of view, he didn't think his son had it in him to make it in that field, stating Minho is a strong-willed person, but has a small frame.

Other ventures Endorsements

Choi has endorsed numerous brands and has been listed among the highest paid advertising models in South Korea, reportedly receiving 300 million won as his annual advertising rate. Food company Our Home selected Choi as its first solo advertising model due to his "healthy and bright image". He appeared in advertising for SK Telecom, promoting its LTE network. In 2015, Choi was selected as a model for luxury fashion brand Coach alongside Choi Soo-young and Victoria Song, as part of a global project targeting people in their twenties. He attended the Coach 2016 S/S fashion show in New York. In 2017, he became the face of outdoor brand K2, promoting its sportswear line, and casual wear brand Andew. He attended Givenchy's 2018 fashion show in Paris, where he was listed among the best dressed celebrities. The same year, Choi was chosen as the official face of the Korea Sale Festa, the largest shopping event in Korea, becoming the first-ever Korean idol to promote it.

Pernod Ricard Korea announced in January 2022 that they selected Ju Ji-hoon and Choi as the new brand ambassadors of the modern classic scotch whisky brand Ballantine's and launched the new global campaign "Time Well Spent". The following year, he was named the new face of Godiva, and participated in campaigns for Valentine's Day and White Day. In 2025, he became the advertising model for the McDonald's McSpicy Shanghai Burger.

Philanthropy and ambassadorships In 2011, Choi was named an Honorary Ambassador for Youth by South Korea's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. He was chosen for the role because he embodied the policy goals of "healthy physical growth" and "cultivation of a sound mind". He has participated in several campaigns for UNICEF. In 2014, Choi and Girls' Generation member Yoona were appointed as ambassadors for Uniheroes, a fundraising branch of UNICEF. He later took part in UNICEF's "#Imagine" campaign, which was first introduced in November 2014 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 2022, the Korea Creative Content Agency, together with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, unveiled the second part of their immersive cultural project "Age of Light", in which Choi appeared as a virtual figure in the artificial intelligence experience booth, "Gwanghwa In". In March 2023, he donated 5 million won to Cheongju North Chungcheong Province for the love hometown project.

Choi has supported multiple campaigns promoting sport. In November 2017, Choi, alongside First Lady of the United States Melania Trump, attended the "Girls Play 2" campaign at the US embassy in Korea, an event organised to promote the 2018 Winter Olympics. In July 2021, the Korean Professional Football Federation appointed Choi as one of five K-League Ambassadors to help promote the league to the public. He was selected as an "Olympic friend" by the International Olympic Committee to promote the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon. He participated in the Olympic torch relay in Chuncheon on December 5, and later attended the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. He was appointed as an ambassador for the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, with the aim of promoting the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Discography

Studio albums + List of studio albums, showing selected details, chart positions and sales Title Details Peak chart positions Sales KOR JPN JPNHot Call Back Released: November 4, 2024 Label: SM Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 6 28 33 KOR: 87,383 JPN: 2,889

Extended plays + List of extended plays, showing selected details, chart positions and sales Title Details Peak chart positions Sales KOR JPNHot Chase Released: December 6, 2022 Label: SM Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 4 17 KOR: 76,139 Make It Hot Scheduled: September 7, 2026 JPN Tempo Released: December 15, 2025 JPN: 2,871 USWorld "I'm Home" 2019 — 12 SM Station Season 3 "Heartbreak" 2021 144 9 "Romeo and Juliet" 2022 — — "Falling Free" — — "Chase" 94 — Chase "Stay for a Night" 2024 — — "Call Back" 12 — Call Back "Tempo" 2025 — — Tempo "Make It Hot" 2026 — — Make It Hot"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

Music videos + Title Year Director(s) "I'm Home" 2019 "Heartbreak" 2021 96Wave "Chase" 2022 "Stay for a Night" 2024 SOZE Yoon(Studio Ga.Ze) "Call Back" Shin Hee-won(st-wt) "Tempo" 2025 Han Daehee

Songwriting credits All songwriting credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database and liner notes unless otherwise noted. + List of songs credited as lyricist Song Year Artist Album Co-written with "Love's Way" 2008 Shinee The Shinee World Wheesung, JQ (Makeumine Works) "Love Like Oxygen" Young-hu Kim, Kwon Yoon-jung, JQ "One for Me" Wheesung, JQ "Graze" Kim Jeong-bae, JQ, John Hyunkyu Lee "Best Place" Hong-seok, Park Hae-hyung, JQ "Juliette" 2009 Shinee Romeo Jonghyun "Get Down" Key & Minho (feat. Luna) 2009, Year of Us Minho, Key, JQ, Bigtone, Ryan S. Jhun, Script Shepherd, Antwann Frost "Obsession" 2010 Shinee Lucifer Jonghyun "Shout Out" JQ, Shinee, Misfit "Wowowow" Kim Jin-hee, JQ "Your Name" Onew "Hello" Shinee Hello Kim Eana "One" Park Sung-soo "Get It" Ceejay (Fresh Boys), Gilme, Key "Alarm Clock" 2012 Shinee Sherlock Jonghyun "Stranger" Kim Jeong-bae "Honesty" Jonghyun "Dream Girl" 2013 Shinee The Misconceptions of Us Jeon Gan-di "Girls, Girls, Girls" Jeon Gan-di, Key "Beautiful" Tesung Kim (Iconic Sounds) "Dynamite" Kim Boo-min "Shine" (Medusa I) Misfit "Orgel" Jonghyun, Key "Excuse Me Miss" Kim Boo-min, JQ "Sleepless Night" Max Changmin "Better Off" Jonghyun "Destination" Shinee Everybody Jeon Gan-di "Close the Door" Jinbo (Superfreak Records) "Colorful" Jeon Gan-di, Key "Romance" 2015 Shinee Odd Kim In-hyung "Farewell My Love" Jeon Ji-eun, Hwang Seon-jeong, Kim Jeong-mii (January 8th lalala Studio) "Don't Let Me Go" 2016 Shinee 1 of 1 Jo Yoon-kyung, Key "Lipstick" Oh Min-joo "Don't Stop" Jonghyun, Key "U Need Me" Agnes Shin (MonoTree) "Good Evening" 2018 Shinee The Story of Light Jo Yoon-kyung, Key "Chemistry" Jo Yoon-kyung "Our Page" Shinee, Kenzie "Sunny Side" Shinee Shinee "I'm Home" 2019 Minho SM Station Season 3 Jayins, Soo-chang, Lim Soo-ah "Area" 2021 Shinee Atlantis JQ, Cha Yoo-bin, Lee Yeon-ji "Runaway" 2022 Minho (feat. Gemini) Chase Gemini, Kwaca "Stay for a Night" 2024 Minho Kang Eun-yu, Mola, Thama, Cho Yun-kyoung

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2012 I Am Himself SM Town documentary 2015 SM Town the Stage SM Town concert film 2016 Canola Han-i 2023 New Normal Hoon Closing film at 26th BIFF

Television Year Title Role Notes 2008 My Precious You Himself Special appearance 2010 Pianist Oh Je-ro KBS Drama Special 2016–2017 Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth Kim Soo-ho 2021 Yumi's Cells Chae Woo-giSpecial appearance 2022 The Fabulous Ji Woo-min 2024 Romance in the HouseNam Tae-pyeong 2021 Law of the Jungle – Pioneers Extreme Debut: Wild Idol Trainer Corps Legendary Actors Main cast Chuseok special program 2021–2022 King of Golf Season 2 episode 1–13 2022 Run for the Money: Battle Royal Contestant 2025 Rising Eagles Main cast 2023 Bros On Foot Cast member with Ju Ji-hoon, Ha Jung-woo, and Yeo Jin-goo Webtoon Singer Host with Yoo Se-yoon and Jang Do-yeon

Radio Year Title Role 2021 Best Choice Host 2023 Kim Eana's Starry Night Special DJ

Hosting Year Title Notes 2011 Hallyu Dream Concert with Park Shin-hye and Ok Taec-yeon 2013MBC Korean Music Wave in Bangkokwith Nichkhun, Jo Kwon, Park Ji-yeon, and Bae Suzy 2014 28th Golden Disc Awards with Jung Yong-hwa, Yoon Doo-joon, Taeyeon, Tiffany Young, Oh Sang-jin 2016 Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards with Han Chae-ah 2017 One K Global Peace Concert with Kim Seol-hyun (at Manila, Philippines) 2018 DMC Korean Music Festival with Jo Bo-ah Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival with Lim Ji-yeon MBC Gayo Daejejeon with Noh Hong-chul, Lim Yoona, Cha Eun-woo 2023 32nd Seoul Music Awards with Kim Il-joong and Lee Mi-joo MBC Gayo Daejejeon with Lim Yoona and Hwang Min-hyun 2024 with Lim Yoona and Dohoon 2025 with Hwang Min-hyun and Annie

Music video appearances Year Title Artist 2009 "Gee" Girls' Generation "Sound" VNT

Theatre Year Title Role 2024 Waiting for Waiting for Godot Val Baeksang Arts Awards 2014 Most Popular Actor (TV) Medical Top Team BIFF Marie Claire Asia Star Awards 2017 Face of Asia Award Choi Min-ho Golden Cinema Film Festival 2021 Jury's Special Prize The Battle of Jangsari Grand Bell Awards 2016 Best New Actor Canola 2017 Derailed Indonesian Television Awards 2017 Special Award Choi Min-ho MBC Drama Awards 2013 Best New Actor Medical Top Team MBC Entertainment Awards 2014 Popularity Award (Music Talk Show) Show! Music Core 2015 2025 Multi-player Award I Live Alone SBS Drama Awards 2012 New Star Award To the Beautiful You Best Couple Award Choi Min-ho (with Sulli)To the Beautiful You SBS Entertainment Awards 2010 Best Newcomer in a Variety Show Star King