Shin Ae-ra (; born March 7, 1969) is a South Korean actress who made her acting debut in 1989. She has since played leading roles in

television dramas In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular sup ...

such as ''Love in Your Arms'' and '' Bad Housewife''. In 1995, Shin married actor Cha In-pyo, and the couple gained widespread admiration and respect from the Korean public for being

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

s. They are active

volunteer Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency ...

s at orphanages and welfare centers, as well as generous donors to causes such as the fight against

child abuse Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical abuse, physical, child sexual abuse, sexual, emotional and/or psychological abuse, psychological maltreatment or Child neglect, neglect of a child, especially by a p ...

and

school violence School violence includes violence between school students as well as attacks by students on school staff and attacks by school staff on students. It encompasses physical violence, including Fistfighting, student-on-student fighting, corporal punish ...

, rights for North Korean refugees, and

humanitarian aid Humanitarian aid is material and Humanitarian Logistics, logistic assistance, usually in the short-term, to people in need. Among the people in need are the homelessness, homeless, refugees, and victims of natural disasters, wars, and famines. Th ...

to underprivileged children (particularly in North Korea and Uganda). Shin and Cha often collaborate with organizations such as

Compassion International Compassion International is an American child sponsorship and Christian humanitarian aid organization headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that aims to positively influence the long-term development of children globally who live in pover ...

and the Social Welfare Society. Shin Ae-ra and her husband Cha In-pyo, have three children. Shin gave birth to their son, Cha Jeong-min in 1998, but she and her husband made headlines when they adopted baby girls, Cha Ye-eun in 2005, and Cha Ye-jin in 2008. Their case highlighted the issue of adoption in Korea, where despite the prevalence of overseas adoption, domestic adoption remains rare and is often

stigmatized Stigma, originally referring to the visible marking of people considered inferior, has evolved to mean a negative perception or sense of disapproval that a society places on a group or individual based on certain characteristics such as their ...

due to culturally held beliefs stressing "pure" bloodlines. Shin and Cha's case was even more notable as it is uncommon for Korean couples with biological children of their own to adopt, and they were lauded for serving as positive role models.

Filmography

Television series

Film

Variety show

Theater

Radio program

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shin, Ae-ra 1969 births Actresses from Seoul Living people People from Seongdong District South Korean radio presenters South Korean television actresses South Korean film actresses South Korean stage actresses South Korean musical theatre actresses Yeongsan Shin clan South Korean women radio presenters