W5 bil. and counting: Shin Min-a, Kim Woo-bin seal marriage with donation

Shin Min-a, right, and Kim Woo-bin / Courtesy of AM Entertainment

South Korean stars Shin Min-a and Kim Woo-bin turned their wedding day into a moment of giving, donating 300 million won ($220,000) as they officially began their life as a married couple — a gesture that has quickly gone viral as fans praise them as a “giving couple.”

The newlyweds tied the knot Saturday afternoon at The Shilla hotel in central Seoul. On the same day, their agency AM Entertainment said the couple made year-end donations to multiple organizations, including the Hallym Burn Foundation, Asan Medical Center in Seoul and humanitarian group Good Friends.

The charitable act was not a one-off. Both Shin and Kim have built long reputations for consistent, quiet philanthropy, making their decision to mark their wedding with a donation feel symbolic rather than surprising.

Shin has practiced steady giving since 2009, supporting people across age groups who face difficult circumstances. She has shown particular commitment to burn patients — a group that often struggles to receive sustained public attention and faces overwhelming medical costs — and has continued supporting burn-related causes since 2015.

Kim began donating anonymously in 2014 to help underprivileged teenagers. For the past 11 years, he has continued annual donations through Asan Medical Center to support children with cancer and marginalized communities. He has also joined donation drives during national emergencies, including COVID-19, wildfires and flood disasters.

Shin Min-a, right, and Kim Woo-bin / Courtesy of AM Entertainment

According to figures disclosed so far, Shin’s cumulative donations total about 4 billion won, while Kim’s exceed 1.1 billion won. Combined, the couple’s lifetime donations surpass 5 billion won, reinforcing their image as celebrities whose influence extends beyond entertainment.

The couple’s wedding itself became a trending topic that lasted from the announcement itself to details revealed after the ceremony. The officiant was Ven. Beopryun, a Buddhist monk who Kim relied on for emotional support during his battle with nasopharyngeal cancer. The wedding favors also drew buzz, as Shin prepared luxury brand gifts tied to her role as a global ambassador, a detail fans described as both thoughtful and generous.

Shin and Kim first met on the set of a clothing commercial in 2014 and went public with their relationship in 2015. When Kim paused his career for nearly two years starting in 2017 to undergo cancer treatment, Shin remained by his side, a chapter that deepened public support for the couple.

Shin Min-a, right, and Kim Woo-bin / Courtesy of AM Entertainment

After more than a decade together, the two closed a long chapter of dating and opened married life with a shared act of giving, leaving fans wondering what warm-hearted moves the newlyweds may make next.

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.