Park Shin-yang made his acting debut in the 1996 movie Yuri, which won him Best New Actor at the 17th Blue Dragon Film Awards and the 33rd Baeksang Arts Awards. The following year, he headlined the film The Letter, which earned him another Best New Actor trophy at the 18th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards. He then took home the Best Actor honors at the 19th Blue Dragon Film Awards and the 7th Chunsa Film Art Awards for the 1998 movie A Promise.  In 2004, he led the hit SBS drama Lovers in Paris, which gave him the Daesang at the SBS Drama Awards. The series was also awarded the Daesang at the 41st Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2007, he received another Daesang at the SBS Drama Awards for his work in the popular series War of Money. His performance in the drama also scored him the Best Actor trophy at the 44th Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2016, he bagged a Top Excellence Award at the KBS Drama Awards for Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho. In 2019, he reprised his role in the drama’s sequel.

Park Shin-yang married his girlfriend in 2002. They have a daughter.