Shin Eun Soo

Who Is Shin Eun-soo?

Shin Eun-soo (Korean: 신은수) is a South Korean actress born on October 23, 2002, in Seoul, South Korea. She is one of the most promising young actresses in Korean entertainment today.

Today, she is best known for her emotionally powerful roles in Bad Papa (2018), Twinkling Watermelon (2023), Light Shop (2024), and the Netflix hit Love Untangled (2025). Furthermore, she is currently signed with Management SOOP — one of South Korea’s most prestigious talent agencies, home to Gong Yoo, Suzy, and Jeon Do-yeon.

Early Life: Seoul, JYP, and a Dream Bigger Than K-Pop

Born in Seoul, South Korea

Shin Eun-soo was born on October 23, 2002, in Seoul, South Korea. She grew up in one of the world’s most competitive entertainment landscapes, where the line between idol and actress is often blurred.

She is a Scorpio by zodiac sign — known for intensity, passion, and an unwavering focus on goals. These traits have shown up clearly in her acting choices throughout her career.

Joining JYP Entertainment in 2014

Shin Eun-soo joined JYP Entertainment (JYPE) in 2014 to train as both a singer and an actress. She was just 11 years old at the time — in the sixth grade of elementary school.

She addressed these experiences in an interview: “It’s true that when I first started, I worked hard to train as both a singer and an actress because I wanted to keep both options open. I’ve been working on my singing and dancing, even as I work on my career as an actress.”

However, her acting path eventually took priority. Because of her extraordinary talent in front of the camera, she became one of the youngest actresses to land a lead film role directly out of training.

Career Highlights: A Decade of Standout Performances

Acting Debut: Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned (2016)

In 2015, she auditioned for the female lead role in the movie Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned, written and directed by Um Tae-hwa. Although she had never acted before, Eun-soo was selected out of 300 candidates.

Shin debuted as an actress on November 16, 2016, with the release of Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned. In the film, she played Soo-rin, the female lead alongside acclaimed actor Gang Dong-won.

The performance earned her immediate recognition. Her performance in the movie earned her the Popular Film Star Award at the 2016 The Night of Stars: Korea Top Star Awards. She was also nominated for Best New Actress at the 22nd Chunsa Film Art Awards and the 54th Grand Bell Awards.

The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016)

That same year, she appeared in the hit SBS fantasy romance drama The Legend of the Blue Sea. She played the younger version of Jun Ji-hyun’s character — a role that placed her in front of one of South Korea’s most beloved dramas of the decade.

Illang: The Wolf Brigade (2018)

She then acted in the film Illang: The Wolf Brigade, where she worked with actor Gang Dong-won for the second time. She played Lee Jae-hee, a member of the anti-unification terrorist team known as “Little Red Riding Hood” — a darker, more complex character that showed early signs of her dramatic range.

Bad Papa (2018): First Award Win

In July 2018, she was cast in the family melodrama Bad Papa, playing the daughter of Jang Hyuk. The drama aired on MBC and ran for 32 episodes.

She won Best Young Actress at the MBC Drama Awards for her work in Bad Papa. This was her first major award win. It confirmed that, at just 16 years old, she could hold her own opposite seasoned veteran actors.

Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol (2020) and SF8 (2020)

Shin continued building her resume steadily through 2020. She appeared in KBS2’s romantic comedy Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol and also joined the sci-fi anthology series SF8. Both projects kept her visible and versatile during a period when many young actors struggle to find consistent roles.

Summer Strike and A Model Family (2022)

In 2022, Shin landed two significant main roles. She starred as Kim Bom in the 12-episode romance drama Summer Strike, earning strong audience ratings on MyDramaList. Additionally, she appeared in A Model Family as Park Yeon-woo and made a special appearance in the historical drama Bloody Heart as the childhood version of Kang Han-na’s character — reuniting with Jang Hyuk from Bad Papa in the process.

She also won the KBS Drama Award for Best Actress in a Drama Special for the one-act drama Like Otters (also known as Nineteen Otters or KBS Drama Special), further proving her strength in short-form dramatic storytelling.

Twinkling Watermelon (2023): Critical Breakthrough

2023 was the year Shin Eun-soo stepped firmly into the spotlight. She earned critical acclaim for her performance as the deaf student Yoon Chung-ah in the youth drama Twinkling Watermelon (2023).

The role was extraordinarily demanding. She played a deaf student who falls in love in the time travel romance series Twinkling Watermelon. Playing a character with hearing loss required meticulous preparation in sign language and physical expression. The performance resonated deeply with audiences and critics alike.

The drama scored a 9.2 rating on MyDramaList — placing it among the highest-rated Korean dramas in recent years. Twinkling Watermelon introduced Shin Eun-soo to a new generation of K-drama fans worldwide.

Light Shop on Disney+ (2024): Entering the Kang Full Universe

In 2024, she debuted in the Kang Full universe through the Disney+ fantasy series Light Shop. She plays Joo Hyun-joo, a mysterious young girl who visits the shop every day to buy a light bulb.

On December 4, 2024, the mystery fantasy series Light Shop, adapted from the webtoon of the same name, premiered on Disney+. She played the role of high school student Joo Hyun-joo, who visits the lighting store daily to buy light bulbs for her mother.

The series starred Ju Ji-hoon and Park Bo-young and was helmed by director Kim Hee-won — the acclaimed director behind Moving. Shin received praise for her delicate emotional expressions in the series, and the drama became one of Disney+’s highest-rated Korean originals.

Love Untangled on Netflix (2025): Global Breakout

On August 29, 2025, she starred in the coming-of-age rom-com Love Untangled, which premiered exclusively on Netflix.

Upon its release, it became the most-watched non-English film on the streaming service, with Shin’s portrayal of bubbly protagonist Park Se-ri gaining her a nomination for the Baeksang Arts Award for Best New Actress — Film.

The film follows 19-year-old Park Se-ri as she plans to straighten her perpetually frizzy hair before making a life-changing confession, all while getting entangled with a transfer student named Han Yun-seok. It starred alongside Gong Myung, Cha Woo-min, Yoon Sang-hyeon, and Kang Mi-na.

A Baeksang nomination is one of the most coveted honors in Korean entertainment. Therefore, the nomination confirmed Shin Eun-soo’s arrival as a leading figure in Korean cinema.

Project 30 (2025)

Also in 2025, Shin appeared in the film Project 30, further expanding her film resume alongside her Netflix success.

Upcoming: Hyeopban (TBA)

Shin has been cast in the upcoming Korean drama Hyeopban as Lee Ru-ri in a main role. The project remains one of the most anticipated upcoming K-drama releases, and her involvement has already generated significant audience buzz.

Agency Journey: From JYP to npio to Management SOOP

Npio Entertainment (JYP Subsidiary)

Before Management SOOP, Shin Eun-soo was an award-winning actor under npio Entertainment, a subsidiary of JYP Entertainment. The agency managed her career through her early formative years and rising profile.

Management SOOP (2025 — Present)

On March 12, 2025, Management SOOP announced the news of her exclusive contract, stating: “We are delighted to be working with Shin Eun-soo soon.”

Management SOOP is one of South Korea’s most elite talent agencies. The agency is home to some of South Korea’s top actors, including Gong Yoo, Kong Hyo-jin, Kim Jae-wook, Seo Hyun-jin, Jeon Do-yeon, Jung Yu-mi, Nam Ji-hyun, Suzy, Nam Joo-hyuk, and others. Joining this roster placed Shin Eun-soo in elite company and signaled serious industry confidence in her future.

Personal Life: A Relationship Confirmed and a Private Star

Dating Actor Yoo Seon-ho (Confirmed January 2026)

South Korean actors Shin Eun-soo and Yoo Seon-ho are dating. Their respective agencies, Management Soop and Hiin Entertainment, confirmed the news on January 29, 2026.

They told the media that the couple, both born in 2002, met through gatherings with mutual acquaintances and have been dating since December.

A source told the media: “The two who just started dating are a pretty couple who continue to meet freshly, enjoying ordinary dates like any other couple in their 20s despite their busy schedules.”

Yoo Seon-ho is a well-known actor-singer who appeared on the idol survival show Produce 101 Season 2 and has starred in dramas including Under the Queen’s Umbrella (2022) and The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract (2023–2024). He is also a beloved cast member of the variety show 2 Days & 1 Night.

Awards and Nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
2016	Korea Top Star Awards	Popular Film Star Award	Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned	Won
2017	Chunsa Film Art Awards	Best New Actress	Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned	Nominated
2017	Grand Bell Awards	Best New Actress	Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned	Nominated
2018	MBC Drama Awards	Best Child/Young Actress	Bad Papa	Won
2022	KBS Drama Awards	Best Actress in Drama Special	Like Otters	Won
2023	APAN Star Awards	Excellence Award — Short Drama	Like Otters	Won
2024	Korea First Brand Awards	TV Category New Actress	Twinkling Watermelon	Won
2026	Baeksang Arts Awards	Best New Actress — Film	Love Untangled	Nominated

Full Filmography

Television Dramas

Year	Title	Role	Network
2016	The Legend of the Blue Sea	Young Sim-chung	SBS
2018	Bad Papa	Yoo Young-sun	MBC
2018	Drama Stage: “Anthology”	Shin So-yi	MBC
2020	SF8	—	MBC
2020	Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol	—	KBS2
2022	Bloody Heart	Yoo Jeong (young)	KBS2
2022	A Model Family	Park Yeon-woo	Netflix
2022	Summer Strike	Kim Bom	Disney+
2022	Like Otters (KBS Drama Special)	Kim Jae-young	KBS
2023	Twinkling Watermelon	Yoon Chung-ah	tvN
2023	Tastes of Horror	Yoo-kyung	—
2024	Light Shop	Joo Hyun-joo	Disney+
TBA	Hyeopban	Lee Ru-ri	TBA

Films

Year	Title	Role
2016	Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned	Su-rin (Lead)
2018	Illang: The Wolf Brigade	Lee Jae-hee
2019	Homme Fatale	Sook-jeong
2023	Just Super	Hailey (Voice; Korean dub)
2025	Love Untangled	Park Se-ri (Lead)
2025	Project 30	—