Han Hyun-min (; born 19 May 2001) is a South Korean model and actor, who gained national recognition by becoming the first Korean model of African descent to walk the

catwalks A fashion show is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase their upcoming line of clothing and/or accessories during a fashion week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the spring/summer and fall/winter seasons. This is where ...

in South Korea and internationally.

Early life

Han was born in 2001 to a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

father and a

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

mother from the

Cheongju Han clan The Cheongju Han clan () is a Korean clan well known for their many female members including six queens. The Cheongju Han clan was one of the most prominent clans during the Goryeo period and Joseon period, currently, the Cheongju Han is kno ...

. He was raised in the

Itaewon Itaewon (; ) is a commercial district in Seoul, South Korea, known for its nightlife and multi-ethnic population. Etymology The name Itaewon was originally derived from the name of an inn located there during the Joseon period. Today it's calle ...

neighborhood of

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

, where many foreigners in South Korea reside. Growing up in Seoul, Han faced racial discrimination as a biracial child and has publicly spoken up about his experiences.

Career

A modeling agency discovered Han via his

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

at age 15 while he was still in school. They arranged a meeting and met at a coffee shop where they asked him to walk and signed him on the spot. He quickly became one of Korea's most in-demand models and was named one of TIME Magazine’s 30 most influential teens. In June 2022, Han signed a contract with Sublime.

Filmography

Film

Music Videos

Television series

Variety Show

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Han, Hyun-min 2001 births Living people South Korean people of Nigerian descent South Korean male models Male actors from Seoul Models from Seoul