2008—09: Career beginnings and Shinee

Minho was discovered at the 2006 S.M. Casting System. Minho modeled for Ha Sang Baek's Seoul Collection F/W 08-09 in March 2008.[4]

In 2008, he was chosen as a member of the group Shinee, the five-member boy group which debuted on May 25, 2008 on SBS's Inkigayo.[5]

For Shinee's first studio album The Shinee World, he co-wrote the raps to "Replay", "Love Like Oxygen", "Love's Way", "One for Me", "Graze", and "Best Place".[6][7] One year later, he wrote the rap lyrics for their 2nd mini-album Romeo, he also co-wrote "Talk to You", "Juliette", "Hit Me", and "Romeo + Juliette".[8]

In 2009 and 2010 Minho appeared in both the Korean and Japanese versions of Girls' Generation's music video "Gee".[9] He was also featured in the music video of VNT's debut song Sound in 2010.[10] In 2009, Minho joined the popular show Let's Go! Dream Team as a regular member.[11]

In Shinee's third mini-album, 2009, Year of Us, he along with fellow member Key, and lyricist JQ, wrote the song "Get Down", which features fellow label mate Luna of f(x).[12]