# Shin Min-a Recalls Winning a Teen Magazine Model Contest at 14

- URL: https://unnienote.app/en/news/shin-min-a-modeling-start-teen-magazine-kiki-2aeac3
- Published: 2026-11-04T09:28:26.498Z
- Publisher: Unnie Note

> Actress Shin Min-a has revealed in a YouTube interview that she first became known as a teen magazine model before moving into acting.

## Key points

1. Shin Min-a began as an exclusive model for teen magazine 'Kiki' in 1998.
2. She debuted at age 14 and won first place in the magazine's model contest.
3. She says she sometimes regrets not experiencing after-school study sessions.

## How did Shin Min-a start her career?

Shin Min-a said in an interview posted on the YouTube channel '이은지' on October 30 that she did not begin as an actress. She first became an exclusive model for the teen magazine 'Kiki' in 1998, a period when young models from magazines such as 'Kiki' and 'Ssessi' were very popular.

## What came after the magazine work?

According to Shin, her next project was a music video for singer Jo Sungmo titled 'Do You Know?'. From there, she said her acting career began naturally with the drama 'Hwasan High School'.

## Did she enjoy her early career?

Shin said she won first place in the teen magazine model competition and debuted at age 14. She described skipping school for work as a special break and a kind of escape that made her very happy at the time.

## Does she have any regrets?

When host Lee Eun-ji asked whether debuting so young was a regret, Shin said she sometimes feels that way, mainly because she never got to experience the typical Korean after-school study sessions known as 야자.

## For international fans

Shin Min-a is one of Korea's best-known actresses, and this interview offers a rare look at her teenage years before acting. Her early magazine work and music video appearance are part of the background that fans outside Korea may find interesting.

## FAQ

### Did Shin Min-a start as an actress?

No. According to her own account, she first worked as an exclusive model for the teen magazine 'Kiki' in 1998 before moving into music videos and acting.

### Which magazine did Shin Min-a model for?

She said she was an exclusive model for the teen magazine 'Kiki', and she also mentioned the magazine 'Ssessi' as part of the same trend of young models.

## Sources

- [www.osen.co.kr](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1112901465)

_Written and translated with AI from official announcements and Korean media reports. If something is wrong, please let us know._