Comedian Shin Dong-yup’s daughter has reportedly been accepted to the prestigious Seoul National University (SNU) following her earlier admission to the Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts), her ballet academy said Wednesday.

The news was announced on the academy’s social media account, congratulating Shin’s daughter, whose name is Ji-hyo, who had been accepted to SNU’s physical education department for the upcoming academic year.

The post described Shin Ji-hyo as a “proud graduate” and praised her for steadily achieving the goals she had long dreamed of, adding that the academy would continue to support her.

Shin Ji-hyo, a third-year student at Sunhwa Arts High School, had previously been accepted to the School of Dance at K-Arts, a renowned school that specializes in the arts.

Her father shared news of her college acceptance to K-Arts in a YouTube video released in October last year. Shin Dong-yup appeared visibly anxious as he waited for the results, only to break into a broad smile and shout, “She got in,” after receiving the news from his manager mid-filming.

Online commenters congratulated the father and daughter, noting that her acceptance to both institutions suggested strong academic ability in addition to her performance skills. Others praised her dedication, saying success in ballet requires both physical talent and sustained effort.

It is yet unknown where Shin Ji-hyo will choose to go.

Shin Dong-yup married television producer Sun Hye-yoon in 2006. The couple has two children: daughter Ji-hyo and son Gyu-wan.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]