Park Shin-hye (, born February 18, 1990) is a South Korean actress. She first gained recognition as a child actress in the television series Stairway to Heaven (2003) and Tree of Heaven (2006). In 2013, she starred in the film Miracle in Cell No. 7 which became one of the highest-grossing Korean films of all time. She then came to mainstream and international fame for television dramas You're Beautiful (2009), The Heirs (2013), Pinocchio (2014–2015), and Doctors (2016). This was followed with leading roles in Memories of the Alhambra (2018–2019), Doctor Slump (2024), The Judge from Hell (2024), and Undercover Miss Hong (2026).
Park has been included in the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40 list in 2015, 2017, 2021 and 2022. In addition to her acting career, Park is known for her philanthropy through her own charitable initiative, Starlight Angel Project.
Early life and education Park was born on February 18, 1990 in Gwangju, South Korea. She grew up in Songpa District, Seoul with an older brother. In 2001, Park auditioned for and later featured in singer Lee Seung-hwan music videos for "Do You Love Me!" and subsequently underwent formal training in singing, dancing, and acting at Lee’s agency, Dream Factory. While training, she featured in another of Lee's music videos, "Flower" (2003).
After completing her education at Youngpa Girls' High School, Park studied at Chung-Ang University for eight years and received a degree in theater in February 2016. She was recognized with a service award for her accomplishments as a celebrity ambassador during the convocation ceremony.
Career 2003–2008: Beginnings Park first gained recognition for her portrayal of the younger Choi Ji-woo's character in the popular Korean drama Stairway to Heaven in 2003. She continued to build her acting resume with supporting roles in various television series, most notably as a rebellious teenager in the 2004 drama special Very Merry Christmas.
In 2006, Park landed her first adult leading role in the South Korean-Japanese melodrama Tree of Heaven (2006). Her performance garnered critical acclaim and brought her wider recognition. The series was also aired in Japan, marking the beginning of her international recognition.
Park made her film debut in the 2007 horror film Evil Twin (2007), where she showcased her versatility by portraying dual roles: the protagonist and her deceased sister's ghost. She then ventured into antagonist territory with her role in the romantic comedy series Prince Hours, a spin-off of Princess Hours (2006). The same year, she appeared in the omnibus drama . and the weekend drama Kimcheed Radish Cubes, where she played the role of Jang Sa-ya, a temple-raised character, for which she sacrificed her long locks.
Park's talents extend beyond acting. From 2006 to 2007, she co-hosted the variety program Fantastic Partner from, where she collaborated with singer Yoon Gun to compose a song titled "I Think of You". Her performance earned her the Best Newcomer in a Variety Show award at the MBC Entertainment Awards.
2009–2012: Rising popularity
Park rose to fame after her portrayal as a cross-dressing heroine in the romance comedy music drama You're Beautiful (2009) alongside Jang Keun-suk. Despite average ratings in South Korea, the series gained a cult following and achieved high ratings in Japan. Park also contributed to the drama's original soundtrack with her songs "Lovely Day" and "Without Words".
In 2010, Park starred in the low-budget romantic comedy film Cyrano Agency, which centered around a dating agency helping clients win over their love interests. The sleeper hit proved to be both a critical and commercial success, attracting 2.7 million ticket sales nationwide and becoming the 8th best-selling film of the year. Park won the "Most Popular Actress" award in film category at the Baeksang Arts Awards. Park also voiced the main character of the animation film Green Days: Dinosaur and I, which premiered at the 15th Busan International Film Festival and received positive reviews.
Park then starred in MBC's youth melodrama Heartstrings (2011) opposite Jung Yong-hwa. The combined successes of You're Beautiful and Heartstrings raised Park's popularity in Japan, and in September 2011, she signed an exclusive contract with Japanese management agency IMX. The same year, Park starred in her first Taiwanese drama, Hayate The Combat Butler, which was based on the Japanese shōnen manga of the same name. In August 2011, she received the Popular Asian Star award at the LeTV Movie and Drama Awards.
In 2012, Park was cast in the third season of KBS Drama Special, Don't Worry, I'm a Ghost, which aired on July 15. Her performance in the drama won her the Best One-Act Special Actress Award at the 2012 KBS Drama Awards. Park was then cast in the third installment of tvN's "Flower Boy" series entitled My Cute Guys along with actor Yoon Shi-yoon, which premiered in January 2013. She played Go Dok-mi (in Korean, literally "lonely beauty"), a modern Rapunzel, who isolates herself in her "tower" to avoid the world. She also contributed to the drama's original soundtrack with her song "Pitch Black".
2013–2022: Breakthrough and mainstream success
In 2013, Park appeared in the comedy-drama film Miracle in Cell No. 7, which became one of the highest-grossing films in Korea. She went on to win the Best Supporting Actress award at the 33rd Korean Association of Film Critics Awards. To celebrate her 10th anniversary as an actress, Park held the "2013 Park Shin Hye Asia Tour: Kiss Of Angel" in four Asian countries, becoming the first actress to hold a tour spanning Asia. She then starred in actor and singer So Ji-sub's music video "Eraser" for his album Two'clock... Playground, co-starring with former child actor Yoo Seung-ho.
The same year, Park co-starred with Lee Min-ho in The Heirs, a teen drama written by Kim Eun-sook. The Heirs enjoyed immense popularity both locally, with a peak rating of 28.6%, and internationally, having over one billion cumulative views on the Chinese streaming website iQiyi. Park experienced a surge in popularity domestically and internationally, and she became a Hallyu star. She was given the "Popular Foreign Actress" award at the 2013 Anhui TV Drama Awards.
In 2014, Park played the role of the Queen in the historical film The Royal Tailor. The same year, Park starred in Pinocchio opposite actor Lee Jong-suk. She portrayed the female lead, a reporter who suffers from a fictional medical condition called the "Pinocchio complex" which causes her to suffer from uncontrollable hiccups when she lies. Pinocchio became a hit, earning an estimated US$5.62 million for broadcasting rights in just one year. With The Heirs at the end of 2013 and Pinocchio in 2014, she was included in Forbes Korea's Korea Power Celebrity 40 list, where she placed 33rd. In the same year, MBC's Section TV Entertainment Relay dubbed her "Nation's Little Sister". Park also received the Prime Minister's Commendation at the Korea Popular Culture Awards for her contribution to the Korean Wave.
In 2016, Park made her small-screen comeback in SBS's medical drama Doctors, where she played a troubled teenager who later becomes a successful doctor. The drama was a hit and topped viewership ratings and popularity charts during its 10-week broadcast. She then appeared in the comedy film My Annoying Brother as a judo coach alongside actor Jo Jung-suk and Do Kyung-soo of Exo. In the same year, Park was chosen as the Most Favored Korean Actress by fans of the Korean Wave in the United States.
Park next starred in the crime thriller film Heart Blackened, a Korean remake of the Hong Kong film Silent Witness, which was released in 2017. In 2018, Park became a cast member of the reality show Little Cabin in the Woods, produced by Na Young-seok, where she and fellow actor So Ji-sub documented their daily activities in a house located in Jeju Island. The same year, she starred in tvN's fantasy suspense drama Memories of the Alhambra, playing double roles as a hostel owner and a guitar-player NPC. The series was a commercial success and became one of the highest rated Korean dramas in cable television history.
In 2020, Park starred in the disaster film #Alive alongside Yoo Ah-in, which was based on a script written by Hollywood screenwriter Matt Naylor. The film was commercially successful, being the 7th highest grossing in South Korea for the year 2020. The same year, she starred in the Lee Chung-hyun-directed thriller film The Call which tells the story of two women living in different time periods but are connected through a mysterious phone call.
2023–present: Established actress
In March 2023, Park along with Park Hyung-sik were confirmed as the main characters for the romantic-comedy medical drama Doctor Slump. This would be their first reunion since working together in The Heirs (2013). The drama is written by and directed by , and revolves around once high school rivals who later meet again as doctors facing a slump. It aired on JTBC from January 27, to March 17, 2024, every Saturday and Sunday at 22:30 (KST). It is also available for streaming on TVING in South Korea, and on Netflix in selected regions.
In December 2023, Park and Kim Jae-young confirmed their appearances to lead the SBS TV drama The Judge from Hell directed by Park Jin-pyo. It premiered on September 21, 2024. The series is an action fantasy drama where the devil Justitia, who enters the body of a judge Kang Bit-na, meets the humane and passionate detective Han Da-on in a hellish reality and is reborn as a true judge by punishing criminals.
In July 2025, Park confirmed her appearance to play the lead role in the tvN drama Undercover Miss Hong helmed by Park Seon-ho and penned by Moon Hyun-kyung. She played Hong Geum-bo, a cold, career-focused elite inspector turned into a fresh-faced rookie to investigate suspicious fund movements at a securities firm. It premiered in January 2026.
Other ventures Ambassadorships Year Title Organizer Notes 2009 PR Ambassador of Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival (SICAF) Association Internationale du Film D' Animation (ASIFA) International 2010 PR Ambassador of 17th Jeonju Film Festival Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) with Song Joong-ki 2011 PR Ambassador for 'Stop Hunger' campaign Korea Food for the Hungry International (KFHI) Year 2011–2014, with Yoon Shi-yoon, etc. 2012 PR Ambassador of 49th Grand Bell Awards Grand Bell Awards with Joo Sang-wook 2013 PR Ambassador for Anti-Counterfeit Good Campaign Korea Intellectual Property Protection Association (KIPRA) Year 2013–2014 2014 Chung-Ang Ambassador Chung-Ang University with Kwon Yuri, Choi Sooyoung and Kim Soo-hyun
Endorsements
Park started her advertising career in 2004 as a model for the Pocari Sweat advertisement, known as the Gateway to Stardom. Subsequently, she appeared in campaigns for LG U+ "Aladdin Kids Phone Family Love Discount Plan," Hanbul cosmetics brand Sugar Ray, Ssamzie Korea's Ssamzie Sport, McDonald's China, and Case "Case Workbook" under a one-year contract.
In 2006, after gaining recognition for her acting in the drama Tree of Heaven, Park signed exclusive one-year model contracts with KTF's mobile communication service Bigi and Magic N Pym Multipack. She also appeared as a clothing model for Yeonsung Apparel's Clyde in 2006. In 2007, she signed a one-year contract with Nongshim's ramyeon Neoguri.