Shin Hae-sun

Shin Hye-sun (; born August 31, 1989) is a South Korean actress. She debuted in the television series School 2013. In 2017, Shin played her first leading role and became well known in the weekend drama, My Golden Life, which garnered more than 8 million viewers. She is also best known for her other leading roles in Korean dramas such as Still 17, Angel's Last Mission: Love (2019), Stranger (2017–2020), Mr. Queen (2020–2021), See You in My 19th Life (2023), Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023–2024), The Art of Sarah (2025), and Filing for Love (2026).

Career 2012–2016: Career beginnings and minor roles Shin debuted as an actress through the TV drama School 2013, an installment of the long-running School series, after successfully passing the audition to cast in a schoolgirl role. She played a minor character with the same name as hers.

Shin began to land bigger roles in 2015 with Oh My Ghost and She Was Pretty. Though both titles were romantic comedies, her characters varied significantly.

2016–2017: Breakthrough

Her breakthrough came in 2016 with Five Enough. Her role as a gullible, naively-romantic woman and her pairing with actor Sung Hoon gained popularity among the viewers. The same year, she appeared in the fantasy-romance drama The Legend of the Blue Sea.

In 2017, she starred in the mystery thriller film A Day. Shin then played a key figure in an acclaimed crime thriller series Stranger. Soon after, she was cast in her first lead role in a television drama with KBS2's drama My Golden Life. The drama was a major hit in South Korea and surpassed 40% ratings, leading to an increased recognition for Shin. In addition, she received various offers from the advertising industry and producers of movies and dramas.

2018–2019: Artistic characters In 2018, Shin was cast as a lead in the SBS drama special The Hymn of Death alongside Lee Jong-suk. She played the role of Yun Sim-deok, Korea's first professional soprano singer.

The same year, she starred alongside Yang Se-jong in the SBS romance comedy drama Still 17, as an aspiring violinist whose life turned upside down due to an accident.

In 2019, Shin starred in the KBS2 fantasy romance drama Angel's Last Mission: Love alongside Kim Myung-soo, as a ballerina who has no interest in love.

2020–present: Film debut and rising popularity In 2020, she was cast to play her first lead role in the legal film Innocence, as a lawyer who decides to defend her mother (Bae Jong-ok) from prosecution. She received positive reviews for her performance in the film and was nominated in the Best New Actress category at the 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards.

In November, she appeared in the caper story film Collectors with Lee Je-hoon, as an art curator Yoon and later in the tvN hit drama Mr. Queen in a dual lead role as both Kim So-yong (Queen Cheorin) as well as Jang Bong-hwan, a male chef from 2020 whose soul travels back in time and gets trapped in Kim So-yong's body. Shin was nominated for 57th Baeksang Arts Awards in the category Best Actress (TV) for her performance in Mr. Queen

In 2023, Shin played the lead role of Ban Ji-eum in See You in My 19th Life as a woman who can remember all of her previous lives and wants to reconnect with a man from her previous 18th life. She also played the lead role in the drama Welcome to Samdal-ri alongside Ji Chang-wook. It follows the story of a photographer who returns to her hometown after suffering a fall from grace, rekindling an unfinished romance.

In April 2025, Shin has signed an exclusive contract with the new company Management Seesun.

In 2026, Shin starred in the Netflix mystery thriller television series The Art of Sarah and portrayed several characters with different personalities.

Public image She has been lauded by industry insiders for her acting skills, her ability to convey emotions to her audience and her accurate diction, earning her the nickname "Diction Fairy", and being called by insiders as one of the best actresses of her generation.

Philanthropy On August 30, 2022, Shin donated to help those affected by the 2022 South Korean floods through The Neighbors Honors Club.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2014 One Summer Night So-ra Short film Return Match Joo-yeon The Mother Earth Dae-ji 2016 A Violent Prosecutor Yoon-ah Bit part 2017 A Day Mi-kyung 2020 Innocence Ahn Jung-in Collectors Yoon Se-hee 2023 Don't Buy the Seller Jang Soo-hyun Brave Citizen So Shi-min 2024 Following Han So-ra

Television series Year Title Role Notes 2012–2013 School 2013 Shin Hye-sun 2014 Angel Eyes young Cha Min-soo High School King of Savvy Go Yoon-joo 2014–2015 Forever Young Han Mi-so Korean-Vietnamese production 2015 Oh My Ghost Kang Eun-hee She Was Pretty Han Seol 2016 Five Enough Lee Yeon-tae The Legend of the Blue Sea Cha Si-ah 2017–2020 Stranger Young Eun-soo Season 1 – Supporting roleSeason 2 – Cameo 2017–2018 My Golden Life Seo Ji-an 2018 Still 17 Woo Seo-ri The Hymn of Death Yun Sim-deok One-act drama 2019 Angel's Last Mission: Love Lee Yeon-seo 2020–2021 Mr. Queen Kim So-yong / Jang Bong-hwan 2023 See You in My 19th Life Ban Ji-eum / Yoon Joo-won 2024 Dear Hyeri Joo Eun-ho / Joo Hye-ri 2026 The Art of Sarah Sarah Kim / Mok Ga-hui / Du-a / Kim Eun-jae / Kim Mi-jeong Filing for Love Joo In-ah

Television shows Year Title Role Notes 2018 Hope for Children in Global Village Visitor / Narrator Episode 14 – "MBC x Good Neighbors USA: Cameroon" 2019 1919–2019, Memories Narrator Episode 2 – "Kim Hyang-hwa" 2024 Meeting You Narrator Season 4 – "Thirteen, Sixteen"

Web shows Year Title Role Notes 2021 Saturday Night Live Korea Host Episode 1 – Season 2

Hosting Year Title Role Notes 2018 2018 SBS Drama Awards Co-host With Shin Dong-yup and Lee Je-hoon 2019 2019 KBS Drama Awards With Jun Hyun-moo

Music video appearances Year Title Artist 2013 "Curious" What Women Want 2018 "Feel Like" Naul "Snowfall" g.o.d

Accolades Awards and nominations + Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result APAN Star Awards 2018 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama My Golden Life Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress – Television 2021 Mr. Queen Best New Actress – Film Innocence 2026 Best Actress – Television The Art of Sarah Blue Dragon Film Awards 2021 Best New Actress Innocence Blue Dragon Series Awards 2026 Best Actress The Art of Sarah Buil Film Awards 2024 Star of the Year Award (Female) Following Director's Cut Awards 2025 Best Actress (Film) Global OTT Awards 2026 Best Leading Actress The Art of Sarah KBS Drama Awards 2016 Best New Actress Five Enough Best Supporting Actress 2017 Best Couple Award Shin Hye-sun My Golden Life Excellence Award, Actress in a Serial Drama My Golden Life Top Excellence Award, Actress 2019 Best Couple Award Shin Hye-sun Angel's Last Mission: Love Top Excellence Award, Actress Angel's Last Mission: Love Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Korea Drama Awards 2018 Top Excellence Award, Actress My Golden Life Korean Film Producers Association Awards 2021 Close-up Award Shin Hye-sun MBC Drama Awards 2015 Best New Actress in a Miniseries She Was Pretty SBS Drama Awards 2016 Excellence Award, Actress in a Fantasy Drama The Legend of the Blue Sea 2018 Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Monday-Tuesday Drama Still 17 Best Couple Award Shin Hye-sun Still 17 Scene Stealer Festival 2016 Rookie of the Year Five Enough and A Violent Prosecutor The Seoul Awards 2017 Best New Actress Stranger 2018 Best Actress My Golden Life and Still 17 Seoul International Drama Awards 2019 The Hymn of Death

State honors + Name of country, organization, year given, and name of honor Country Organization Year Honor or Award South Korea National Tax Service 2024 Presidential Commendation

Listicles + Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement Publisher Year Listicle Placement Forbes 2024 Korea Power Celebrity 40 Korean Film Council 2021 Korean Actors 200