Yoo Ah in

Early life

Yoo Ah-in, whose real name is Uhm Hong-sik, was born in Daegu in south-eastern Korea, the youngest of three children. In the first year of Gyeongbuk Arts High School majoring in fine arts, Yoo was discovered by a casting agent on the streets in front of the school. He came up to Seoul by himself and became independent, which he said developed into his own asset, although it was not easy to live alone. He also transferred to Seoul Arts High School, but before long he dropped out of school to carry on his broadcast activities, and later entered the college (Dankuk University and Konkuk University) with GED test.

Before debut, he was once scouted to be an aspiring idol and trained to sing.

2003-2005: Career beginnings and hiatus

Using the stage name Yoo Ah-in, he made his debut in a TV commercial in 2003. His first management wanted to create a pretty stage name for him that fitted an idol image because the name Uhm Hong-sik was considered too heavy, old fashioned, and not refreshing sound for celebrity name. So his manager encouraged him to change his name, and he chose the name Yoo Ah-in, in which Ah-in was taken from German word meaning one.

In October of the same year, Yoo auditioned for the teen series Sharp 1. He then started to appear in the series in January 2004, playing the role of a well-mannered and mature golden boy majoring in painting, which using his own stage name. Yoo garnered popularity from teenagers that his fan cafe members numbered 150,000. Based on this popularity, he held his first fan meeting in August 2004. In addition to starring in the drama April Kiss and one-act drama Shi-eun & Soo-ha, Yoo had also accumulated awareness as a newcomer, appearing in various commercials including school uniforms and youth apparels.

After that, however, he returned to his hometown of Daegu and halted his activities. According to Yoo, he got to live as an actor without any knowledge about acting and entertainment industry. At first, he was overjoyed with cheers and popularity, but then confused whether he really wanted it. So he had period of break deliberately in order to look inside himself. He was able to think about what is going to be for himself, not him being shown to others, and what kind of way the actor is. He had thought about his identity for a long time and drawn a picture of the future, then found himself who regarded acting seriously and started to have a passion for acting. Afterwards when asked about the blank period, Yoo said:

It [spotlight] did not seem to be mine because I did not know what was happening to me and how to cope with it at the time. I can digest it now. After then, I got the idea that I have to be ahead, wait and stand firmly on my feet, rather than breaking down in any kind of phenomenon that rushes to me.

2006–2009: Film debut and further roles

Resuming his acting career, Yoo starred in low-budget indie film Boys of Tomorrow, premiered at Busan International Film Festival in October 2006. Director Noh dong-seok cast Yoo because Noh was impressed that Yoo looked out of the window and said "it's sad" shortly when asked to describe his role at the audition. Yoo portrayed the role of a boy who is looking for a real gun to escape from the frustrating reality. He expressed the film "If I have drawn a picture of the actor career, this film must be within that picture".

He also starred in Jeong Yoon-cheol’s black comedy film Skeletons in the Closet, where he played the role of a eccentric boy who believes he was a king in previous incarnation. The film was released in March 2007 while his debut film Boys of Tomorrow released in May of the same year. Yoo's performances in both films was favorably noticed, earning him Best New Actor award at Busan Film Critics Awards and nomination at Blue Dragon Film Awards.

In 2008, Yoo played the role of a cruel but lonely assassin adopted by nobleman in drama Chil-woo the Mighty. He gained recognition from critics and viewers although it is the first historical drama for him. He was also featured in Min Kyu-dong’s comedy-drama film Antique, adapted Yoshinaga Fumi’s manga, as the hot-tempered patisserie aspirant and former boxer who used to be a genius but had to quit because of illness. He took classes of boxing and baking and lost weight for his role, for whom received Best New Actor award at Director's Cut Awards, and emerged as the one of 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 lively and bright sides of twenties. He next starred in film Sky and Ocean, playing a pizza delivery man who makes his own livelihood.

2010–2013: Rising popularity and breakthrough

Yoo rise to fame came in 2010 when he acted in fusion period drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal. Due to the drama's popularity, Yoo shot to stardom along with the rest of the young cast. He played the role that seems to be an unpredictable man but moonlights to reveal the corruption and always hiccups in front of women. Yoo's performance earned him many plaudits and a coined word "Geol-oh-al-yee"(Geol-oh fever/love sickness), named after the character's nickname.

This was followed by his first big-screen leading role in the coming-of-age film Punch, a critical and commercial hit in 2011. His costar, veteran actor Kim Yoon-seok predicted that "In the next 10 years, he will be one of the biggest names in Korean cinema."

However, Yoo's next project Fashion King was poorly received by audiences, particularly its controversial ending.

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 the historical figure.

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 costar, Jung Yu-mi later collaborated again as voice actors in the animated film The Satellite Girl and Milk Cow.

2014–present: Acclaim in film and television

In 2014, he 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 Love Affair, in which Yoo played a piano prodigy who falls for a married, much older woman.

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, and as the tragic Crown Prince Sado in Lee Joon-ik's period drama The Throne. He 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 "Actor of the Year" in the 2015 Gallup Korea Survey and ranked number two on Korea Power Celebrity by Forbes.

Yoo was then cast in the historical drama Six Flying Dragons, reuniting with Fashion King co-star Shin Se-kyung. The drama occupied the number one ratings slot all along. Yoo's portrayal of an ambitious prince Yi Bang-won won him Best Actor in the TV Category at the Baeksang Arts Awards. As he not only gained consecutive praise from the audience but also swept authoritative awards in film and television, the entertainment media coined a special word "A-in-shi-dae"(Ah-in Era).

The following year, he played a Korean wave star in ensemble cast film Like for Likes, his first romantic comedy since debut.

In 2017, Yoo starred in fantasy-romance drama Chicago Typewriter. He played the double roles of a renowned novelist who is depressed on the inside and a leader of resistance group in 1930's Japanese occupation of Korea.

The same year, it was announced that Yoo will portray a pure and sensitive young man who tries to solve the mystery surrounding the woman he loves in Lee Chang-dong's film Burning, due for release in 2018.

Studio Concrete

Yoo is the representative and creative director of Studio Concrete. The creative collective 'Studio Concrete' was established in 2014 by individuals from various artistic and professional backgrounds. Yoo and his friends founded Studio Concrete with the mission of "building a healthy support system for the future generations of creatives." The Studio Concrete space is located in a remodeled old townhouse with a gallery and cafe on the first floor and a workshop on the second. They host art exhibitions and display capsule collections by emerging Korean designers, many of whom are their friends and peers. To pay the bills, they also do creative consulting work for popular Korean brands like Lucky Chouette and Tom Paper.

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, He launched local clothing line Newkids Nohant to create Hangul-themed T-shirt designs. He then donated the profits made through the clothing line, opening up the Newkids Yoo Ah In Charity Fund. 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.

Yoo also hold charity bazaar to celebrate Children's Day and donated to the Korea Children's Leukemia Foundation. In 2016, he donated museum tickets for children.

In the media

Considered one of the most outspoken and politically minded 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. Yoo's unconventional image was strengthened by his willingness to make his social, artistic and philosophical interests public.

Personal life

In 2017, it was revealed that Yoo is suffering from a bone tumor, which explains why he had been delaying his mandatory military service. United Artists Agency says that Yoo's symptoms were benign, which means that the non-cancerous tumor will have minimal effect on his everyday life and carries no risk of spreading. On June 27, 2017 Yoo's agency announced that he had been exempt from military service after failing five medical examinations. In a statement, his agency said "Due to pre-existing medical conditions, actor Yoo Ah In has been deemed unfit for military service by the Military Manpower Administration and received a final verdict that exempts him from mandatory military service.”