Meet Shin Hye-sun, star of Netflix’s See You in My 19th Life: the K-drama actress grabbed attention in Mr. Queen, went to school with Lee Jong-suk and was inspired by Won Bin
- Shin was inspired to improve her acting by Won Bin in Autumn in my Heart, and went on to attend Korea’s prestigious National High School of Traditional Korean Arts with Lee Jong-suk and Kang Ha-neul
- After landing her debut in School 2013, she acted in several K-dramas, but it was her performance in My Golden Life – her first lead role – that catapulted her to mainstream fame
In 2021, Shin Hye-sun amused viewers with her portrayal of a young man whose soul is trapped in the body of a betrothed Joseon-era queen in historical drama Mr. Queen.
This year, Shin crosses realms into the modern period in the new Netflix series See You in My 19th Life. She plays Ban Ji-eum, a woman who can endlessly reincarnate and recall her past lives. After her 18th life gets cut short due to an accident, the next one sees her reconnecting with people she knew before, including her childhood friend Moon Seo-ha (Ahn Bo-hyun).
As her star continues to shine a decade after her on-screen debut appearance, we trace Shin’s career trajectory – from appearing in minor roles to becoming Korea’s “Diction Fairy”.
Shin Hye-sun was inspired by Won Bin
Shin told Korea JoongAng Daily that she wanted to become a cartoonist as a child, but when she saw people on TV getting lots of attention, she decided she wanted to appear on screen more and began aiming for an acting career instead.
Inspired, she honed her craft throughout her formative years, attending the National High School of Traditional Korean Arts and becoming classmates with actors Lee Jong-suk and Kang Ha-neul, according to Cosmopolitan Philippines, before attending Sejong University’s film art degree programme.