He directed the 2004 sitcom Old Miss Diary, entertainment Star Golden Bell, and Happy Sunday – Qualifications of Men.

He volunteered with a film company as staff and completed his studies in Chemical Engineering in 2001, earning a Bachelor degree.

[citation needed] In 2002, he was assistant director to Lee Myung-han in the show "Declaration of Freedom Today is Saturday – The War Of Roses."

The program revolved around male entertainers and female college students who would meet and find a mate at a mountain lodge.

It was during this program that Shin collaborated with fellow assistant director Na Yeong-seok and Lee Woo-jung, who served as the main writer.

Concurrently, he was also assigned as an assistant director for the KBS daily sitcom "Old Miss Diary", which was directed by Kim Seok-yun.

Shin declined the offer due to concerns that his role would be diminished if a drama writer took over, reducing him to a "Jjiksae" (an insignificant figure).

[21] In April 2012, tvN revealed that Shin Won-ho was directing a drama titled Reply 1997, scheduled to air in June.

[22][23][full citation needed] This project was significant for Shin Won-ho, as it marked his first work at CJ E&M after transferring from KBS in July of the previous year.

Being a cable drama, it had the freedom to present a detailed and realistic portrayal of the era, while also having an exciting romantic storyline.

[29][30] Reply 1997 initially attracted viewers in their 30s, but gained popularity among a wider age range, including people in their 50s.

[32][33] Initially, Lee Woo-jung and Shin Won-ho planned to set the first Reply series in 1994, the year they were college freshmen.

][36] Reply 1994 (2013) depicts the lives of college students hailing from various provinces who share a boarding house in Seoul.

The drama features an ensemble cast including Go Ara, Jung Woo, Yoo Yeon-seok, Kim Sung-kyun, Son Ho-jun, Baro, Min Do-hee, Sung Dong-il, and Lee Il-hwa.

[39][40][41] Set in 1988, the story revolves around five friends and their families who live in the same neighborhood called Ssangmun-dong, Dobong District, Northern Seoul.

[54] Following the success of Prison Playbook, Shin collaborated once again with Lee Woo-jung in creating the television series Hospital Playlist.

[59] Following their television airing, each episode was made available on Netflix in South Korea, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and English-speaking countries.

[a][60] By the end of the first season, it had achieved the status of being the ninth highest-rated Korean drama in cable television history at the time.

[61] According to Nielsen Korea, the first episode garnered 10.007% viewership, setting a network record for the highest premiere ratings.