10 facts to know about South Korean actor Yoo Ah-in

Yoo Ah-in's real name is Uhm Hong-sik. In 2013, he shared in an interview that his manager thought that his real name sounded too "old-fashioned" and wanted to come up with a stage name that was more "idol-like and refreshing". In the end, the two came up with Yoo Ah-in, which draws from the German word 'ein' that stands for 'one'.

In 2018, the New York Times published an article listing "The Best Actors of 2018". Yoo Ah-in made the roster of 12 thespians and was the only Korean named. He was picked for his portrayal of Lee Jong-su in Burning (2018), which they called "grim and stunning".

Besides that, Yoo Ah-in has clinched multiple acting nominations and awards from the likes of the Grand Bell Awards, Blue Dragon Film Awards and Baeksang Arts Awards for his work in productions such as The Throne (2015), Veteran (2015) and Voice of Silence (2020).

Yoo Ah-in is most known for his versatile acting chops. But prior to his path down acting, he almost became an idol. He was street cast in front of his high school and received training to be a singer. Those dreams would later be dashed as he was told that he had no talent.

Speaking of high school, Yoo Ah-in had actually dropped out of high school to focus on becoming an actor. He doesn't regret his choice to not further his studies but is instead glad he did so. "I think of it as lucky that I had the will to quit school early. I had the courage to try planning another life and just recklessly threw myself into it. Because I did that, I was able to turn every moment that I’ve come up against in my life into an opportunity for my personal education."

"Since I debuted at a young age, I played characters who were my peers. I would think hard about the characters, do research and investigate the world that they lived in. That’s not something that would happen if you just went to a SKY university."

Like Singapore, South Korea also has mandatory military service that all able-bodied males have to go through. Yoo Ah-in, however, was granted an exemption after he had failed multiple rounds of pre-enlistment checkups. His condition included a bone tumour that was diagnosed in 2015 and a ruptured shoulder from filming action movies Tough As Iron (2013) and Veteran (2015).

Yoo Ah-in champions art in more than one way. Not only has he acted in indie film productions, but he is also the curator and creative director of Studio Concrete. Studio Concrete is a "creative collective" founded in 2014 by individuals from various artistic and professional backgrounds in their early to mid-thirties". Past exhibitions at Studio Concrete include art, photography, sculpture and more. It is located in Hannam-dong, Seoul.

Besides physical art forms, Yoo Ah-in also writes on the side. He has been reported to write poems and short stories in his diaries since he was young. He later contributed to magazines such as Arena Homme and Dazed. Yoo Ah-in was also briefly the Editor-in-Chief for the fashion magazine Tom Paper.

Located in Itaewon, Yoo Ah-in's restaurant was called TMI (Too Much Information). The space had a clean, sleek modern industrial vibe and served up mushroom and shrimp burgers and a variety of bites and drinks. They cook with fresh canola oil daily, organic foods and eschew the use of MSG. TMI ran between 2015 and 2017.

In a country where identifying as a feminist often comes with backlash, Yoo Ah-in has come out in support of the cause. "I am a feminist. I am a feminist willingly because I want everyone to be equal and because I want a world where no one is marginalized, persecuted, or hurt because of their characteristics. Our current society seems to be going through a fever in moving forward on that path. If the purpose of showing that you are right is because you want the world to be a better place, it would be better if we were more tolerant of each other. We must also think about the violence inflicted on those who inflict violence on others. I hope you don't use your beliefs as a sword. If everyone who did something wrong and made a mistake was put to death, there would be no one left in the world."

Because of his willingness to express his views, Yoo Ah-in has gained a reputation for being outspoken despite any controversy that follows his words.

In February 2023, news broke that Yoo Ah-in was facing investigations after he had tested positive for marijuana use. He was also suspected to have used propofol, a powerful anaesthesia, for non-medical purposes.

Then in September 2023, Yoo Ah-in was arrested by the South Korean authorities on charges of illegal drug use. He was also suspected to have tampered with evidence and attempted to flee the crime scene.

Prosecutors lobbied claims that the actor had been consuming these illegal narcotics for some time. His drug test result came back positive for marijuana, propofol, cocaine, ketamine, zolpidem, midazolam and alprazolam. Yoo Ah-in later admitted partly to smoking marijuana but stated that the other drugs were taken for medical purposes.

While it is uncertain when the two became close friends, Yoo Ah-in and Song Hye-kyo have weathered multiple storms together, including her marriage and divorce. In fact, Yoo Ah-in made a cameo in Descendants Of The Sun (2016) in order to surprise her. "I wasn’t able to give her a present at the party. I wanted to prepare a secret present for her and I got the opportunity to make a cameo appearance in her drama." The two are also managed by the same agency.

Song Hye-kyo was also reported to be helping Yoo Ah-in through his drug use by speaking with professionals for his treatment and legal consultation.

Yoo Ah-in is also said to be close to fellow top actor Gong Hyo-jin, where the latter had posted photos of them on her Instagram before.