At the age of 14, while attending Dongduk Girls' High School, Shin Il-seon entered the entertainment industry by joining an opera troupe at the recommendation of her older brother. In 1926, she appeared in Arirang directed by Na Un-gyu, playing the role of Yeong-hee, the younger sister of the main character Yeong-jin.

With the enormous success of this film, she became a star in her own right. In 1927, while filming Goldfish on the banks of the Han River, her foot slipped and she fell into the water. Fortunately, her life was saved, but hers was one of the major accidents that occurred during filming during the colonial period.