Who are Cha In-pyo and Shin Ae-ra? Here's how South Korean actor couple are raising awareness on adoption
South Korean actor Cha In-pyo and actress Shin Ae-ra share 25 years of marriage and a beautiful love story where the couple not only have entertained their viewers with iconic character portrayals but outside the reel life too, the duo have taken exemplary life choices, some of which have sparked mixed reactions from fans.
Shin Ae-ra made her acting debut in 1989 and won early acclamations with lead roles in ‘Love in Your Arms’ and ‘Bad Housewife’. The duo seemed to be one of the favorite ‘90s couples among South Korean TV stars as their wedding received one of the most extensive media coverage of the year.
The couple didn’t just stop at entertaining viewers to win their hearts. They are also known for their major contribution to social work, including raising awareness on the stigma regarding adoption in Korea. Though, a practice quite prevalent in Western countries, in South Korea, adoption was seen as a distortion of "pure bloodline" back in the day when Shin Ae-ra started her activism on this social evil.
The couple gave birth to Cha Jeong-min in 1998 after which they went on to adopt two daughters — Cha Ye-eun in 2005 and Cha Ye-jin in 2008. After the second adoption, Cha In-Pyo said, “We announced our first adoption to the public. But this is the second time and we expected the news to spread naturally,'' said Cha in a telephone interview with Yonhap News.
Shin Ae-ra has also been recognized for her significant contribution in raising awareness of adoption and fighting to remove the stigma around it by the South Korean government. She was recognized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2011 for her efforts to improve social awareness of adoption. She has also been named the honorary ambassador for Korean Adoption Services.
Apart from their philanthropic work and advocating for adoption, Shin Ae-ra also made headlines for her unique stand on education. In 2018, the ‘Years of Ambition’ star chose to pursue education again she appeared for the SBS show 'Master in the House' and talked about her decision of pursuing a doctorate course in counseling and psychology from HIS university, California.
The episode made quite a controversy as some skeptical viewers accused her of attending a not "formally accredited school". Cha In-Pyo clarified the whole matter through a statement, showing his support for the wife and taking a stand for her.
The 53-year-old actor said, “Even though it’s not true, there was no reason for me to reply. But since you ask, I will answer. The university that my wife attends, HIS University, has been authorized by the California state government, and they are in the process of acquiring their federal government approval as well.”
He continued, “People are spreading rumors that my wife will work as a professor in Korea after getting a degree from a school that has only been authorized by the California state government. If I had to reply to those people, I would say that my wife has no intention of becoming a professor. Not only does she think that she is lacking in many areas, she does not even like to teach as an occupation.”
He also talked about the intention behind Shin Ae-ra’s decision, adding, My wife started working from her first year of college and neglected her studies. In her later years, she wanted to get an education and found it interesting enough to keep going. I could say whatever I wanted, but the proof is in watching what we do. When Shin Ae Ra returns to Korea, she intends to keep doing the charity work she had done before.”
Shin Ae-ra was last seen in the Netflix series ‘Record Of Youth’ co-starring with Park Bogum. Cha In-Pyo remains one of the most critically acclaimed actors of his time with more than 15 major awards for various roles in TV and films.