Shin Se-kyung is a South Korean actress, singer and model. She started as a child actress and had her breakthrough in 2009 with the sitcom High Kick Through the Roof. Since then she starred in the films Hindsight, ' and ', as well as the television seriesDeep Rooted Tree, The Girl Who Sees Smells, Six Flying Dragons, The Bride of Habaek and . Forbes listed her among the 40 most powerful celebrities in Korea; she ranked 26th in 2011 and 14th in 2012.
Shin made her entertainment debut at eight years old in 1998 when she was featured on the cover and poster for Seo Taiji's solo album Take Five. As a child actress, she also appeared in the children's show Ppo Ppo Ppo and 2005 historical dramaToji. After a small part in My Little Bride, she subsequently had starring roles in Cinderella, ominibus films Acoustic and Five Senses of Eros, as well as a well-received turn as the younger version of Princess Cheonmyeong in Queen Seondeok.
2009–present: Rising popularity and leading roles
Shin failed to gain a large following until her breakthrough role as a housemaid on the second season of the popular TV sitcom High Kick! in 2009. Building on her sitcom fame, Shin signed on to numerous television commercials and print advertisement and even made her as one of the most sought celebrity endorser. Lead roles in high-profile acting projects followed, among them film noirHindsight with Song Kang-ho, the highly rated historical drama Deep Rooted Tree with Jang Hyuk and Han Suk-kyu, and aerial action film' with Rain. However, Shin's next project Fashion King was poorly received by audiences, particularly its controversial ending. Shin then released her first digital single, "You Were Sweet," which she recorded to promote a coffee franchise she models for. A former singer trainee in middle school, Shin has also contributed songs to the soundtrack of Hindsight, the charity albumLove Tree Project, and did her own singing in showcase piece Acoustic. In 2012, she recorded a Christmas carol duet with :ko:에피톤 프로젝트|Epitone Project. Shin returned to television in the 2013 melodrama When a ManFalls in Love opposite Song Seung-heon, but she received criticism from viewers for her passive character. In 2014, she played a more "bold and confident" role in the gambling film ', followed by the fantasy-action series Blade Man. In a break from her usual dramatic roles, Shin played an aspiring comedian in the webtoon adaptation The Girl Who Sees Smells in 2015 as the titular character. Shin then reunited with Fashion King costar Yoo Ah-in in Six Flying Dragons, another period drama from the screenwriters of Deep Rooted Tree. In 2017, Shin starred in tvN's fantasy-romance drama The Bride of Habaek alongside Nam Joo-hyuk. This is followed shortly by another fantasy-romance drama, alongside Kim Rae-won. In 2019, Shin starred in the historical drama Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung, alongside Cha Eun-woo.
Ambassadorial role
On January 15, 2014, Shin was appointed as the Goodwill ambassador for UNESCO's Korean Committee. The honor serves as recognition for her contributions in promoting Korean Culture and Education and her advocacy for the Korean Language, including her appearance in Deep Rooted Tree. In this capacity, she endorses the vision and the mission of the UNESCObridge program, both in Korea and outside.
Shin was appointed as the Korean hanbok ambassador. She attended the hanbok runway show on October 20, 2017.
Personal life
On October 20, 2010, Shin and boy band SHINee member Jonghyun were spotted dating by a local news outlet; their agencies confirmed the relationship on October 26. After nine months of dating, Shin and Jonghyun broke up in June 2011, citing their busy schedules.
