Shin Won-ho

Education

Shin was born in Seoul on August 28, 1975. Despite wanting to major in entertainment at Hanyang University, his homeroom teacher and father compelled him to choose a science major in high school. He paid attention to getting into college due to Garak High School being a new school. Eventually, his father submitted the application form for a science major.

Shin enrolled in Seoul National University's College of Engineering, majoring in Chemical Engineering. He volunteered with a film company as staff and completed his studies in Chemical Engineering in 2001, earning a Bachelor's degree. He also pursued a minor in Communications.

Career

Career in KBS

Shin applied to KBS during the 27th KBS Open Recruitment and joined as a staff member in KBS Entertainment. He said, "For jobs that require creativity like PD, there are advantages (as a chemical engineer)." Shin began his career as an assistant director in the network's variety department. His first work was The World is Now.

In 2002, he was assistant director to Lee Myung-han in the show Declaration of Freedom Today is Saturday. The program revolved around male entertainers and female college students who would meet and find a mate at a mountain lodge. It was during this program that Shin collaborated with fellow assistant director Na Yeong-seok and Lee Woo-jung, who served as the main writer. Together, they gained recognition as a group known as the Yeouido Research Institute, later also known as Lee Myung-han's division.

In 2002, when Lee Myung-han was in charge of directing Super TV Sunday is Fun, his juniors took on the responsibility of directing each segment of the show. Shin directed Kung Kung Ta, while Na Young-seok directed Let's Go! Dream Team – Season 1.

In 2004, Shin took on the role of assistant director for the quiz show Star Golden Bell. Concurrently, he was also assigned as assistant director for the KBS daily sitcom Old Miss Diary, which was directed by Kim Seok-yun. The sitcom aired from November 22, 2004 to November 4, 2005.

Shin made a comeback to the entertainment industry as the main director of Heroine 6, a sequel to Heroine 5. Heroine 6 was one of the segments of the show Happy Sunday, produced and directed by Lee Myung-han. Shin took over as director when Lee Myung-han and Na Young-seok were working on another segment for Happy Sunday. The show aired on KBS2 from May 8, 2005 to April 29, 2007.

From 2009 to 2011, Shin held the position of the main director for the variety show Qualifications of Men. During this time, he was honored with the Korea PD Award for Best Entertainment Work as well as the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award in the Broadcasting and Video Grand Prix at the Korea Contents Awards. Additionally, he received recognition at the 17th Korea Entertainment and Arts Awards, where he was awarded the Best Entertainment Program and the 47th ABU Award in the Entertainment category.

Career in CJ E&M

After his move, Shin focused on exploring new possibilities in reality programming, drawing from his experience at KBS. In November 2011, news speculated that Shin's comeback would be a reality program. However, tvN director Song Chang-eui suggested Shin try directing a drama with a drama writer. Shin declined the offer due to concerns that his role would be diminished if a drama writer took over, reducing him to a "Jjiksae" (an insignificant figure). He expressed his willingness to take on the project only if he could have the opportunity to create a fresh version and test it out. Eventually, Song Chang-eui agreed to his condition, and Shin formed a production team including writer Lee Woo-jung and other entertaintment writers.

In April 2012, tvN revealed that Shin was directing a drama titled Reply 1997, scheduled to air in June. Lee Myung-han served as executive producers, with Lee Woo-jung as the scriptwriter. This project was significant for Shin, as it marked his first work at CJ E&M after transferring from KBS in July of the previous year. After a month-long delay, the first self-produced drama by tvN, Reply 1997, was broadcast on July 24, 2012.

Reply 1997 revolves around six friends from Busan. The story timeline shifts between their past as high school in 1997 and their present reunion in 2012, where a couple gets engaged. The show explores the growing popularity of fan culture in the 1990s with K-pop groups like H.O.T. and Sechs Kies. Reply 1997 depicts the IMF crisis and the political situation of that time. Being a cable drama, it had the freedom to present a detailed and realistic portrayal of the era, while also having an exciting romantic storyline. Reply 1997 initially attracted viewers in their 30s, but gained popularity among a wider age range, including people in their 50s. The drama's storytelling approach with memory, nostalgia, and retro elements appealed to different generations. Additionally, the success of Reply 1997 sparked a revival of 1990s popular culture and a retro craze.

In April 2013, tvN announced the second installment of the Reply series: Reply 1994. Despite having the same writer, director, and producer as Reply 1997, is not a prequel. It maintains the concept of a coming-of-age drama with 1990s nostalgia but introduces a new plot and characters. Initially, Lee Woo-jung and Shin planned to set the first Reply series in 1994, the year they were college freshmen. However, after casting Eun Ji-won from Sechs Kies, they changed the year to 1997. This decision was influenced by the peak popularity of H.O.T. and Sechs Kies fandoms in 1997, which created a contrast to the struggling Korean economy during the IMF crisis.

Personal life

Shin married his wife in 2005. In 2018, he mentioned that they had two daughters in elementary school, one was in 5th grade, while the other was in 2nd grade (born in 2009).

Filmography

Recurring cast

Notes

1 Main Character

2 Supporting character

3 Cameo appearance only

Accolades