Yoo Ah-in

Early life

Yoo was born in Nam District, Daegu in southeastern South Korea, the youngest of three children. In the first year at Gyeongbuk Arts High School, majoring in fine arts, Yoo was discovered by a casting agent on the streets in front of the school. He traveled to Seoul by himself and began living independently, which he said developed into a personal asset. He was enrolled in Seoul Arts High School, but soon dropped out of school to carry on his broadcast activities. Yoo later entered Dankuk University and Konkuk University, having completed a GED for high school certification. Before debuting, he was once scouted to be a K-Pop idol and trained to sing.

Career

2003–2005: Career beginnings and hiatus

Yoo made his debut in a TV commercial in 2003. His first management wanted to create an attractive stage name for him that fit an idol image because the name Uhm Hong-sik was considered too heavy and old fashioned. He then chose Yoo Ah-in, Ah-in taken from the German word meaning "one".

Yoo was then cast in the teen series Sharp after auditioning, playing the role of a model student majoring in painting. After the series aired, Yoo gained popularity and was cast in romance drama April Kiss and one-act drama Shi-eun & Soo-ha. Yoo also appeared in various commercials including school uniforms and youth apparel.

After that, however, Yoo took a break from acting and disappeared from the spotlight. According to Yoo, he became an actor without any prior knowledge about acting and entertainment industry. At first, he was thrilled by the accolades and popularity of the profession, but then became confused about whether or not that was what he truly desired in life. Yoo felt the need for a hiatus to reflect upon what he wanted for himself instead of catering to others, and what kind of path as an actor he would want to take in the future. Having taken the time for introspection, he discovered his passion for serious acting. Yoo recalls of his career beginnings:

During Sharp, I had no idea what was happening to me, and I didn't know how to deal with it, so the popularity didn't feel like it was mine. Now, I can handle it better. After Sharp, I remember thinking that I must not falter and collapse under the situation I was thrust into, and that I had to firmly take a step forward and wait.

2006–2009: Film debut

Resuming his acting career, Yoo starred in low-budget indie film Boys of Tomorrow, taking over the role of a young man Jong-dae, who carries the psychological scars of a traumatic childhood accident. The film premiered at Busan International Film Festival in October 2006, and competed for the Golden Leopard at the 2007 Locarno International Film Festival. He said about the meaning of his first film, "If I have drawn a picture of the actor career, this film must be within that picture." Director Noh Dong-seok met Yoo when he couldn't make up his mind even though he has met several actors interested in the role of Jong-dae. Noh decided to cast Yoo within five minutes of meeting him, saying, "I can't forget the first five minutes I met Yoo at the audition. When I asked other actors about Jong-dae character, they usually answered, 'I think he's going to wear something, have some hairstyle and some kind of personality'. But he stared out the window for a long time, and suddenly said one word as if he choked up slightly, 'It's sad.' At that moment, I thought, 'Jong-dae is him.'" During the film's press junket, Noh said, "In contrast to his noticeably good looks, he was filled with a furious energy. When I hear the word 'youth,' I think of Yoo Ah-in. The true main character of this movie, I think, is [not Jong-dae but] Yoo Ah-in." Noh also recalled Yoo's audition in an interview, saying, "I fell for Yoo Ah-in at first sight. Of course, he also had good looks. But he had an extremely different feel from the other actors whom I had met during casting. Yoo Ah-in was nervous when he met me. Before his identity as an actor, he possessed twenty years of his natural self as Yoo Ah-in." Yoo's role as a boy looking for a gun in order to escape from his frustrating reality earned positive reviews, and he won the Best New Actor award at the Busan Film Critics Awards. Yoo then starred in Jeong Yoon-cheol's black comedy film Skeletons in the Closet, playing the role of an eccentric boy who believes he was a king in previous incarnation. Yoo was nominated at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.

In 2008, Yoo starred in historical drama Strongest Chil Woo, playing a cruel but lonely assassin adopted by a nobleman. He gained recognition from critics and viewers for his performance, despite it being the first historical drama for him. He was also featured in Min Kyu-dong's comedy-drama film Antique, adapted from Yoshinaga Fumi's manga Antique Bakery. For his role as a patisserie aspirant and former boxer, Yoo took boxing and baking classes. Min purposefully gave Yoo long sets of lines in the film, saying that Yoo already knew exactly how to act with rhythm, "No matter how long his lines were, just one sentence could tell you how good his rhythm was." And, "Most rookie actors wait around for their turn in the script and then get so nervous that they mess up their first lines and everything else completely falls apart, but Yoo Ah-in got it done in one stroke of the knife. That's why I purposefully gave him long sets of lines. He's an actor whose talent is most evident in long takes and full shots." Yoo received the Best New Actor award at the Director's Cut Awards and emerged as one of the most promising actors in Korean film industry. In 2009, he was cast in romance drama He Who Can't Marry, as cheeky assistant who works at the architectural office, portraying the bright side of being in one's twenties. He next starred in the film Sky and Ocean as a pizza delivery man who strives to make his own livelihood.

2010–2013: Rising popularity and breakthrough

Yoo's rise to fame came in 2010, when he acted in fusion period drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal, adapted from a book with the same title. Yoo became famous due to the drama's popularity. He played the role of an unpredictable man who moonlights to reveal the corruption of rich nobles. Yoo's popularity was later referred to as "Geol-oh-al-yee" (Geol-oh fever), coined after the name of his character. The drama's scriptwriter Kim Tae-heui said in her interview, "[t]he most charming character in the book was Geol-oh but I don't think I'm cut out exactly for portraying such raw and rough male character. That's how my Geol-oh is more sensitive and less in words compared to other characters. This combined with additional interpretation of actor Yoo Ah-in who happens to be a very sentimental actor, the Geol-oh in the drama became someone completely different from the original story."

In 2011, he played a leading role of biracial teenager in the coming-of-age film Punch, a critical and commercial hit. The film premiered at the 2011 Busan International Film Festival, and competed for Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. His co-star, veteran actor Kim Yoon-seok praised him that "In the next 10 years, he will be one of the biggest names in Korean cinema." Yoo was nominated at the Buil Film Awards, his first nomination for the Best Actor category.

The next year, Yoo starred in drama Fashion King, taking over the role of a self-made but obsessed-with-success fashion businessman. The drama portrays the love and success of young people, but poorly received due to its weak narrative and controversial ending. Still, he described his joining the project as an adventurous and satisfying step as he was able to play a character with worldly desires. Cast as King Sukjong in the 2013 period drama Jang Ok-jung, Living by Love, a revisionist take on infamous royal concubine Jang Hui-bin. Yoo called the role one of the biggest challenges of his career and he garnered favorable press reviews for his mature, charismatic and versatile portrayal of Sukjong. He then played the titular character in the film Tough as Iron, about a Busan pier worker who takes care of his mother afflicted with dementia and kidney disease. Yoo and Tough as Iron co-star, Jung Yu-mi later collaborated again as voice actors in the animated film The Satellite Girl and Milk Cow.

2014–2017: Acclaim in film and television

In 2014, Yoo appeared as a quirky supporting role in Lee Han's Thread of Lies (this was Lee's second film adaptation of a Kim Ryeo-ryeong novel after Punch). This was followed by a leading role in cable melodrama Secret Affair (Secret Love Affair), in which Yoo played a poor piano prodigy in love with his married, much older teacher. To prepare for his role, Yoo practiced the piano and listened to classical music. The drama occupied the number one ratings slot throughout its run and became the highest rated general cable drama of the year. Due to his popularity, Yoo was dubbed as "kukmin yeonha-nam" (the nation's younger boyfriend). Yoo garnered favorable press reviews for his delicate, three-dimensional and passionate portrayal of a genius pianist. 10 Asia praised, "Secret Affair is Yoo Ah-in's turning point in acting. He makes the affair looks so irresistible and concrete, he makes the viewers sympathize for his forbidden love and follow his journey till all hell breaks loose." And, "His piano concerto scene will be the talk of the town for a long time and is worth lasting memory."

In 2015, Yoo starred in two top-grossing films. He played an amoral young millionaire who faces off with a detective in Ryoo Seung-wan's crime thriller/comedy Veteran with Hwang Jung-min and Yoo Hae-jin among the cast, and as the tragic Crown Prince Sado in Lee Joon-ik's period drama The Throne alongside Song Kang-ho. Veteran became one of the highest-grossing films in South Korea and The Throne was South Korea's submission for the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. Ryoo Seung-wan described Yoo's character in Veteran as "more like James Cagney's characters", and praised Yoo's take on his first character as a ruthless chaebol, "He was more interested and active in expressing this villain character. We were more like supplementing each other rather than one guiding the other." And, "Yoo Ah-in's character being like a boy made this character even more special. If you watch James Cagney's movies, his characters have this childish side; Yoo Ah-in doesn't have it, so that's what makes it even more scary. It's something that not even Lee Marvin can make." Lee Joon-ik said he hand-picked Yoo and wrote the Crown Prince Sado character for Yoo after watching Punch, "When I watched Punch, I already saw Sado's heart in Yoo Ah-in. He's an actor with so much dissatisfaction and anxiety, who has an internal flame bottled up inside", and, "He showed the essence of people in their 20s." For his roles in both Veteran and The Throne, Yoo received Best Actor awards at influential film awards including Blue Dragon Awards, Korean Film Reporters Association Awards, Chunsa Film Art Awards, and Golden Cinematography Awards. The same year, he was named Film Actor of the Year by Gallup Korea and ranked number two on Korea Power Celebrity 40 by Forbes.

2018–present: International acclaim and activism

In 2018, Yoo starred in Lee Chang-dong's film Burning opposite Steven Yeun, portraying a pure and sensitive young man, Jong-su, who tries to solve the mystery surrounding the woman he loves. Lee said the reason he cast Yoo, "Yoo Ah-in is one of the most famous Korean actors in that age group, and he's known for being good at delivering emotionally charged performances. In contrast to that, Jong-su is such a passive and shy character who doesn't show his emotions and who doesn't react, so I thought that would be really interesting for this actor to play this role." Lee then praised, "No one else could inhabit the character of Jong-su like he did. Yoo Ah-in is irreplaceable for this role, he is capable of conveying great nuance and sensitivity."

Burning had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where Yoo walked the red carpet. It was selected as the South Korean entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, became the first Korean film to make it to the final nine-film shortlist of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Yoo's performance was praised. Justin Chang of Los Angeles Times said on NPR, "As the movie's inarticulate male lead, Yoo Ah-in has, in some ways, the trickiest task. But he reaches almost subterranean depths of feeling." Jessica Kiang of The Playlist wrote, "Yoo's Jong-su is the very definition of still waters that run deep and dark and conceal who knows what in their murky reaches. Only a flawlessly assured performance could make the film's devastating yet ambivalent and enigmatic finale work as well as it does here." Pierce Conran of Screen Anarchy wrote, "Even more impressive is Yoo Ah-in, who is most well known in the West for playing the slimy son of a corporate head who serves as the villain in Ryoo Seung-wan's Veteran. Never better, Yoo embodies a sense of confusion, which eventually turns to dread in a performance that doesn't allow us to make any easy judgments about his character. Jong-soo's intentions throughout the story may seem innocent, but coupled with references to emasculation and his timid physicality, Yoo crafts an unusually compelling lead." Tim Grierson of Screen Daily wrote, "Ah-in Yoo is remarkable as Burning's ineffectual, withdrawn protagonist: he's the perfect vessel for Lee's grand treatise on the immutable fact that none of us truly understands anyone or anything." For his role in Burning, The New York Times featured Yoo in their list of "The Best Actors of 2018", making him the only Asian to be on the list and the first Korean actor to do so.

Other works

Studio Concrete

Yoo is the representative, curator, and creative director of Studio Concrete; a creative collective which was established in 2014 by a group of artists born in the 1980s. Yoo and his friends founded Studio Concrete with the mission of "building a healthy support system for the future generations of creatives." The group is involved in a range of creative projects including planning exhibitions and advertisements, graphic design, product design and art collaborations. Located in a remodeled old townhouse in Hannam-dong, the group's atelier functions as a cultural complex and features a gallery, cafe and shop. The space hosts free monthly exhibitions and events that introduce the work of emerging local and international artists.

Through Studio Concrete exhibitions, Yoo shows his support for the LGBT community, liberal feminist, Korean Childhood Leukemia Foundation, and other minority groups. In addition to Studio Concrete's annual charity bazaar for children, the art gallery holds new events every month for various groups. In 2017, Studio Concrete collaborated with Diesel for "Make Love Not Walls" Global Campaign in Seoul. The gallery also held a Feminist Book Fair & Discussion. In 2018, Studio Concrete produced a short documentary The Interview for Diesel's "Hate Couture" Global Campaign to take a stand against Cyberbullying. All the proceeds from the brand's sale were donated to the anti-bullying programmes. That same year, the gallery collaborated with W Korea magazine for "Breast Cancer Awareness" Campaign. Proceeds from the item's sale were donated to Korean breast cancer foundation. The following year, Studio Concrete co-produced 12 episodes of KBS1 special talk show Do-ol Ah-in Going All Directions commemorating 100th Year March First Movement.

International artists who have held their solo exhibitions in Studio Concrete are Daniel Caesar, Jean Jullien, Joan Cornellà, and Eric Joyner. Since 2016, Studio Concrete has been working together with DJ Peggy Gou, as well. Until 2019, Studio Concrete has held 16 solo exhibitions, 18 collaborative exhibitions, 2 special invitation exhibitions, and art collaboration projects with The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Diesel, Budweiser, Absolut Vodka, Dunkin' Donuts, CNCity Energy, and more.

Philanthropy

In 2013, Yoo donated to a campaign titled "I Am Against The Unfair Food Tray of Children" through The Beautiful Foundation. He had helped The Beautiful Foundation adding 22% to the fundraising goal, thus only 1% to go to reach 350 million Won. The Foundation published his letter encouraging participation, and soon after, the fundraising exceeded its goal.

In 2014, Yoo launched a local clothing line named Newkids Nohant to create Hangul-themed T-shirt designs. He then donated the profits worth 100 million won made through the clothing line, opening up the Newkids Yoo Ah In Charity Fund in 2015. The fund will be used to provide aid for college tuition and educational expenses for the students who attend college while living in or after retiring from residential care centers. On April 18, 2014, Yoo quietly joined the Sewol Ferry relief efforts after the Sinking of MV Sewol tragedy, and secretly sent supplies to the family members of missing passengers in Jindo.

Since 2015 Yoo and his art gallery Studio Concrete hold the annual charity bazaar to celebrate Children's Day and donate all the proceeds from the bazaar to the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation. In 2016, he donated museum tickets worth 40 million Won for underprivileged children.

Yoo is the first Asian actor to be the global model of Diesel. In September 2018, Yoo joined Diesel's "Hate Couture" Global Campaign to take a stand against Cyberbullying. Yoo and his artist group Studio Concrete released a short documentary The Interview for the campaign on September 20, 2018. The Interview took the form of a fake documentary rarely seen in the fashion film genre. Yoo took the helm as the creative director and the main character himself. Proceeds from the sale of the brand's pieces will be donated in support of anti-bullying programmes.

Yoo has been a supporter of breast cancer awareness campaigns since 2012 through Amore Pacific Group and W Korea Magazine's annual campaign activities, such as "Pink Ribbon Love Marathon" and "Love Your W" campaigns. In January 2017, together with the renown sculptor Osang Gwon, Yoo teamed up to produce a bust-sized cubist sculpture, symbolizing the breast cancer awareness campaign "Love Your W". On October 26, 2018, Yoo and his artist group Studio Concrete collaborated with W Korea in the 13th annual "Love Your W" campaign by designing a set of special T-shirts, and bringing up the Woman & Beauty theme for a photo exhibition called "Love Your W". Proceeds from the exhibition were donated to the Korean Breast Cancer Foundation.

Public image

Considered one of the most outspoken and politically socially charged Korean actors of his generation, Yoo drew media attention in late 2012 when he tweeted a strongly worded criticism against the withdrawal of Ahn Cheol-soo from the presidential race. He also criticized the age regulation on Lady Gaga's concert in Seoul which were first sold as PG-13 but later on changed to PG-18. On November 19, 2016, Yoo took part in the biggest mass rally calling for president Park Geun-hye's resignation.

Yoo identifies himself as a feminist. In February 2016, Yoo's remarks about female film directors while promoting his movie Like for Likes grabbed media attention. Yoo said, "I want to work with a female movie director. When people talk about female directors, they always put 'female' in front of director, even though they don't put 'male' for male directors. This can mean that women are special, but in reality women often lose out in society because of their gender. I want to lend weight to them and I am also curious about working with them." Yoo also made a feminist remark about the film, "This film depicts the stereotypical perception of women that is deeply rooted in Korean society. When a man articulates his opinion, he is considered as having self-confidence and cool, but when a woman does the same she is called a very opinionated. This part went straight to my heart." In February 2017, Yoo stated, "I am also a feminist, since all of us wish for equality. So, whoever wishes for a world where he or she is not marginalized, persecuted, nor hurt because of his or her own attributes—is in fact a feminist by choice."

In late 2017, Yoo tweeted a strongly worded criticism against the radical feminist community Megalia, which resulted in accusations that he had made aggressive expressions of a typical patriarchally minded Korean man. Yoo denied the allegation. In March 2018, he posted a short, silent, caption-less clip of some people being tied down and burned to death while the people surrounding them just watching. Netizens quickly assumed that the video pointed towards the Me Too movement in South Korea as a witch-hunt. In the BBC interview, May 2018, Yoo said, "Feminism is the most important human rights movement of today." And, "There is the structure of 'men, the discriminator of women' versus 'women, the victim.' We must co-exist in this world, and I believe that the way to do so must be discussed in a less aggressive, more peaceful way." In his talkshow Do-ol Ah-in Going All Directions, January 2019, Yoo's thought on gender war happening in South Korea and his support for the minorities have drawn media attention, "The rational voice of the weak and the minority have never been accepted much by those with power or vested interests. Considering what causes such aggressive and even violent voices to emerge, I think it's because our society does not yet accept reasonable, honest, and sincere demands. However, if we take a step away from the irrational violent voices, I think we have an opportunity to change society."

Personal life

Yoo has two elder sisters. In addition to managing Studio Concrete art gallery in Hannam-dong, Yoo had been an investor and business partner of TMI (Too Much Information), a Korean healthy fried food with mushroom-oriented restaurant in Itaewon, Seoul from 2015 to 2017.

Yoo was also a freelance writer. He had been the chief editor of Tom Greyhound's fashion magazine Tom Paper from 2014 to 2016, and had contributed several columns for magazines such as InStyle Korea, and Movieweek. The Seoul Poets Association's magazine, Monthly Poetry, praised his writings as "beautiful, clear and clean breath of oneself that is different from glamorous life of an actor." His writings were noticed by publishers and professional writers as well.

In his spare time, Yoo likes cooking for his acquaintances.

Military service exemption

In 2017, Yoo revealed that he had a bone tumor, and thus had been delaying his mandatory military service. Yoo's representatives stated that his symptoms were benign, which meant that the non-cancerous tumor would have minimal effect on his everyday life and carry no risk of spreading. On June 27, 2017, Yoo's representatives announced that he had been exempt from military service after failing five medical examinations.

Legal issues

On February 8, 2023, Yoo was questioned by the police for propofol use, and would share more details and promise to cooperate with all investigations, confirmed by his agency UAA. The police performed a search and seizure of various doctors' offices and clinics in Seoul's Gangnam and Yongsan districts that are suspected of having illegally administered propofol to Yoo since early 2021. Later, the police banned Yoo from leaving the country. On February 10, the police officially announced that a sample of Yoo's urine had tested positive for marijuana and negative for propofol. The results of his hair test would then be revealed on February 23. As the police's claims gathered public attention, advertisers quickly pulled their advertisements featuring Yoo, which according to Korea's Daily, included popular international brands such as a pharmaceutical company and a Chinese fashion brand. Yoo's drug scandal also impacted his upcoming projects, including the Netflix film The Match, which was supposed to be released in the first half of 2023 but temporarily put on hold, Hi-Five, in post-production, and the Netflix series Goodbye Earth, released on April 26, 2024. On February 23, the police announced that Yoo tested positive for propofol as the result of a detailed hair analysis. He had also tested positive for marijuana in a previous drug test.

On March 1, 2023, it was announced that his hair test also revealed the presence of parts of cocaine and ketamine.

On September 3, 2024, Yoo was sentenced to one year in prison for habitually abusing illegal drugs and immediately put under detention with a fine of ₩2 million.

Following the scandal, Yoo was dropped from Hellbound's second season, and replaced by actor Kim Sung-cheol.

On February 18, 2025, Yoo was released after being sentenced to a one-year prison sentence in prison due to receiving a suspended sentence from an appellate court.

On July 26, 2024, a 30-year-old man filed a criminal complaint to the officials at Yongsan Police Station that Yoo allegedly raped him while he was asleep in a unit of an officetel in Yongsan District, Seoul, on July 14. It was reported that the property did not belong to either of them and that other men were present at the scene. Yoo's lawyer denied the allegations and stated that the claims were unfounded.

Accolades