MonDec 9

Featured

Rapper

Minho

December 9, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Rapper, singer, actor, songwriter, model, and Korean idol Choi Min-ho, popularly known as Minho, was born on December 9, 1991. He has worn many hats but he is perhaps most famous for being part of the hit Korean boy group, SHINee. The group, one of the most popular and best-selling artists in Korea, debuted in 2008, and are still going strong. Apart from his music career, he has also been a part of various television shows over the years, like “Pianist,” “Medical Top Team,” and “Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth.” He has even acted in feature films and most recently, he debuted multiple singles that he co-wrote.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Choi Min-Ho

Nickname:

Flaming Charisma Minho, Minho, Ming, The Frog Prince

Birth date:

December 9, 1991

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Sagittarius

Height:

6' 0.5"

Relationship Status:

Single

Net Worth:

$10 million

Background

When Minho was first scouted by a modeling agency, he was only 15 years old. By the time this Incheon city native graduated from Konkuk University’s affiliated high school on February 10, 2010, he was already part of the Korean boy band, SHINee, having debuted two years prior. The group’s very first year was extremely successful. Their first mini-album, “Replay,” hit number eight on the Korean music charts.

The same year as his high school graduation, he was featured in multiple music videos by other music artists, namely Girls’ Generation’s Gee and VNT’s Sound. He even debuted in his first-ever television drama role, in the KBS2’s drama special, “Pianist.” That wasn’t all he did that year — he enrolled, part-time, at Konkuk University, to study as an arts and culture film major, graduating in 2015.

The son of a professional football player-turned-famous soccer coach, he also inherited his father’s skill with a ball, which was very evident during his appearance in the 2013 South Korean television sports variety show “Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education.” His athleticism is very evident in his part-time hobbies, playing basketball and football with teams, even leading them on to victory, as he did at the Idol Futsal World Cup Competition of 2014.

Through the years, Choi has continued to multi-task as an actor, singer, and model. In 2015, he was selected as a model for the New York-based luxury fashion brand Coach and attended their 2016 S/S fashion show in New York. He’s played multiple roles on television and film all along, garnering more and more praise for his roles, whether they are leading or supporting ones. He was also included on the” Vogue” ‘Sexiest Men Alive’ list in 2018.

In 2019, he paused his activities to complete his mandatory military service, reclaiming his place in SHINee as soon as he got discharged. He’s continued to model, sing with his group, release new solos, and has been signed on for a Netflix series too.

Career timeline

May 2008

His Debut with SHINee

He is part of a five-member Korean boy band, which soon becomes a best-selling group.

November 2010

His Debut as an Actor

He appears alongside actress Han Ji-hye in the KBS2 special drama, "Pianist."

2015

A Lead Role

Minho and actress Park So-dam led OnStyle's "My First Time Together," which was broadcast in September of that same year.

May 2016

His Debut Movie

"Canola," filmed in 2015, is released and receives a warm reception.

October 2016

A Major Film Premiere

"Derailed" premiers at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, and the 21st Busan International Film Festival.

March 28, 2019

His Debut Solo Single

‘I'm Home’ releases right before he officially starts his military training.

April 15, 2019

His Military Enlistment

He wins a place in the highly competitive ROK Marine Corps, going on to join the Airborne Marine Corps as a Paratrooper; he is discharged from service the next year.

January 2021

He is Back

He resumes all activities with SHINee, appears in various shows like "Lovestruck in the City" and "Law of the Jungle – Pioneers," and debuts as a radio host on a sports talk-variety show.

Why We Love Minho

We are pretty lucky to have him
Minho initially wanted to become a football player just like his dad. The only reason he didn't was because his dad thought the professional sports player's lifestyle was too tough and hesitated to put his son through that.
He keeps honing his talents
From a singer to an actor, Minho has loads of versatile talent. But he hasn't stopped evaluating his skills; his character roles keep evolving and getting better with every new show and movie he does.
He is great with his fans
His reputation as an eloquent and word-loving soul extends to his fans too. He famously writes long, detailed letters to many of his fans.

5 Surprising Facts

He prepares very realistically for his shows
He trained so much for his role as a high jump gold medalist that he created a personal record, jumping as high as 68.8 inches.
He has broken records
He became the first Korean artist to be presented an award at the Indonesian Television Awards 2017, and became the first-ever Korean idol to promote the Korea Sale Festa — the largest shopping event in Korea — in 2018.
He really loves his country
He rejected an opportunity to get discharged early from the military, instead, choosing to participate in defense drills, an act which got him verbally lauded as an exemplary marine soldier by the Republic of Korea Marine Corps.
He is famous for being athletic
He’s even participated in amateur football and basketball matches.
He is SHINee’s most prominent lyricist
Out of all the members, Minho has written the most lyrics, many of which eventually feature in the group’s songs.