Yoo Yeon-seok

Yoo Yeon-seok

Yoo in March 2015

Born April 11, 1984 (age 40)

Seoul, South Korea

Education Sejong University

Occupation Actor

Years active 2003–present

Agent King Kong by Starship

Korean name

Hangul 유연석
 Revised Romanization Yu Yeon-seok

McCune–Reischauer Yu Yŏnsŏk

Birth name

Hangul 안연석

Revised Romanization An Yeon-seok

McCune–Reischauer An Yŏnsŏk

Yoo Yeon-seok (born Ahn Yeon-seok on April 11, 1984) is a South Korean actor. After
making his acting debut in 2003 with a small role in Oldboy, he resumed his acting
career in 2008. His notable works include the films Re-encounter (2011), Architecture
101 (2012), A Werewolf Boy (2012), Whistle Blower (2014), Perfect
Proposal (2015), Mood of the Day (2016) as well as the television series Reply
1994 (2013), Warm and Cozy (2015), Dr. Romantic (2016), Mr. Sunshine (2018),
and Hospital Playlist (2020).
Early life[edit]
Yoo was born as Ahn Yeon-seok on April 11, 1984, in Seoul, South Korea. In his junior
year in high school, Yoo decided to take up acting and followed his brother, who was
studying another year to enter university, to Seoul and they lived together near the
district of Samseong-dong.[1]
While taking acting classes, Yoo met a friend who would later work on the costume staff
of film director Park Chan-wook. Remembering that he resembled actor Yoo Ji-tae, he
gave him a call about auditioning for a role. Without having to pass out his resume, he
made his acting debut as Yoo Ji-tae's younger counterpart in the acclaimed 2003
film Oldboy.[1][2]
Upon graduation from Sejong University with a degree in Film Arts, he resumed his
acting career in 2008 and began using his agency's recommendation stage name, Yoo
Yeon-seok.[citation needed]
Career[edit]
2008–2012: Career beginnings[edit]
After an extended hiatus from acting, Yoo made his return in the medical
drama General Hospital 2.[3]
Yoo took on supporting roles on television, such as the haughty student body president
in the horror series Soul and more appealing characters in medical drama Midnight
Hospital and Tasty Life.[4][5][6] But Yoo received his best reviews yet for playing a sensitive
ex-boyfriend searching for his child in indie Re-encounter.[7][8]
Soon after he became known to mainstream audiences as the rich and spoiled
antagonist in the box office hit melodramas Architecture 101,[9] and A Werewolf Boy.[10]
[11]
He further raised his profile with comedy film Born to Sing,[12] and the fantasy
series Gu Family Book.[13][14]
2013–present: Rising popularity[edit]
Yoo rose to popularity in the nostalgic campus drama Reply 1994 in late 2013.
[15]
Following his breakout year, he was cast in two high-profile films in 2014: Whistle
Blower about infamous biotech researcher Hwang Woo-suk, and Joseon-set period
drama The Royal Tailor.[16][17][18] Yoo then appeared in the travel-reality show Youth Over
Flowers.[19][20]
In 2015, Yoo was cast in his first leading role on network television as a chef and
restaurateur in the romantic comedy series Warm and Cozy, written by the Hong
sisters and set on Jeju Island.[21] He also starred in the thriller Perfect
Proposal (a remake of Woman of Straw), and The Beauty Inside (adapted from
the social film of the same title).[22][23] Later in the year, Yoo played the protagonist in Le
Passe-Muraille ("The Man Who Walked Through Wall"); this was his first stage musical
since his professional acting debut (Yoo had previously appeared in theatrical
productions while still in university).[24]
In 2016, Yoo starred in the period music drama Love, Lies followed by romantic
comedy Mood of the Day.[25][26] He returned to the small screen with hit medical drama Dr.
Romantic alongside Han Suk-kyu and Seo Hyun-jin.[27]
In 2018, Yoo starred in romance melodrama Mr. Sunshine penned by Kim Eun-sook.
[28]
He then appeared in the musical A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.[29]
In 2020, Yoo starred in the critically acclaimed and hit medical drama Hospital Playlist,
playing Ahn Jeong-won, an assistant professor of pediatric surgery[30] and reprised his
role in season 2 in 2021.[31]
In 2022, Yoo starred in the crime-mystery film Vanishing by French film director Denis
Dercourt, as detective Park Jin-ho.[32] In December, he starred in the JTBC series The
Interest of Love, playing an employee at a bank.[33]
In 2023, he also reprised his role as Kang Dong-joo in a cameo role in the third season
of Dr. Romantic.[34]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

2003 Oldboy Young Lee Woo-jin Credit as Ahn Yeon-

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

suk

Short! Short! Short! 2009: Show Me

2009 Man Segment: "Saw"
the Money

2011 Re-encounter Han-soo [35][36]

Eighteen, Nineteen Ho-ya [37]

Architecture 101 Jae-wook [9]

Two Weddings and a Funeral Joon Cameo [38]

2012

Segment:
Horror Stories Man [39]

"Beginning"

A Werewolf Boy Ji-tae [40][11]

Born to Sing Dong-soo [41]

2013
Hwayi: A Monster Boy Park Ji-won [42]

Whistle Blower Shim Min-ho [16][17]

2014
The Royal Tailor King Yeonjo [18]

[22]
2015 Perfect Proposal Sung-yeol
Year Title Role Notes Ref.

The Beauty Inside Woo-jin [23]

Love, Lies Kim Yoon-woo [25]

2016 Mood of the Day Jae-hyun [26]

A Quiet Dream Motorcycle man Cameo [43]

Jo Seon-sa (North Korean

2020 Steel Rain 2: Summit [44]

Leader)

2021 New Year Blues Jae-Hyun [45]

2022 Vanishing Park Jin-ho Korean-French Film [46]

2023 My Heart Puppy Min-soo [47]

Television series[edit]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

2008–
General Hospital 2 Heo Woo-jin [48]

2009

Dream Noh Chul-joong [49]

2009
Soul Baek Joong-chan [50][51]

2010 Running, Gu Heo Ji-man

 Year Title Role Notes Ref.

2010– Pure Pumpkin

Oh Hyo-joon [52]

2011 Flower

2011 Midnight Hospital Yoon Sang-ho [50][51]

Tasty Life Choi Jae-hyuk [6]

2012
What About Mom? Kim Yeon-seok [53]

Gu Family Book Park Tae-seo [13][14]

2013
Reply 1994 Chilbong [15]

Warm and Cozy Baek Gun-woo [21]

2015
Mrs. Cop Jo Young-woo Cameo (Episode 16) [54]

2016 Dr. Romantic Kang Dong-joo Season 1 [27]

2018 Mr. Sunshine Goo Dong-mae [28]

2020–
Hospital Playlist Ahn Jeong-won/Andrea Season 1–2 [55]

2021

2022–
The Interest of Love Ha Sang-soo [56]

2023

Cameo (Season 3; episode 12–

2023 Dr. Romantic Kang Dong-joo [34]

16)
Web series[edit]

Year Title Role Ref.

2022 Narco-Saints David Park [57][58][59]

A Bloody Lucky
2023 Lee Byeong-Min/Geum Hyuk-soo [60]

Day

Television show[edit]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

2012 Cats and Dogs Host [61]

2014 Youth Over Flowers Regular cast [19][20]

2016 Wekid Mentor [62]

with Son Ho-jun Choi Ji-woo and Yang Se-

2019 Coffee Friends Regular cast [63]

jong

Wise Mountain Village Cast

2021 [64]

Life Member

Web shows[edit]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.

Bro and Cast with Lee Seung-gi, Lee Dong-hwi, Ji Seok-

2023 [65]

Marble Member jin, Kyuhyun, Joshua and Hoshi

Hosting[edit]
Year Title Notes Ref.

2018 39th Blue Dragon Film Awards

2019 40th Blue Dragon Film Awards

[66]

41st Blue Dragon Film Awards

with Kim Hye-
2021
soo
42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards

2022 43rd Blue Dragon Film Awards [67]

2023 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards [68]

Music video appearances[edit]

Year Title Artist Ref.

2008 "Things to Do Tomorrow" Yoon Jong-shin [69]

2009 "On the Days I Longed for Love" Lee Oh Gong Gam

2013 "You Fool" Honey-G [70]

"Things to Do Tomorrow" Yoon Jong-shin feat. Sung Si-kyung [71]

"The Day to Love" Lee Seung-chul

[72]
"One Way Love" Hyolyn
Year Title Artist Ref.

Yoo Yeon-seok, Son Ho-jun and Jung

"Only Feeling You"
Woo

2014 "Three People" Toy feat. Sung Si-kyung [73]

2015 "Because You're Pretty" Standing Egg [74]

2018 "Then You" K.Will [75]

2020 "Daystar" Kyuhyun [76]

Discography[edit]
Singles[edit]

List of singles, showing year released, selected chart positions, and name of the album

Peak
chart
positions
Title Year Album

KOR
Gaon
[77]

"Only Feeling You" (너만을 느끼며)[78] 2013 8 Reply 1994 OST Part 7
(with Jung Woo and Son Ho-jun)

Hospital Playlist Season 2 OST Part

"To You" (너에게)[79] 2021 73
7

Theater[edit]
 Year Title Role Ref.

2008 The Good Person of Szechwan

2009 The Understudy

2015–
Le Passe-Muraille Dusoleil
2016

2017 Hedwig and the Angry Inch Hedwig [80]

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and

2019 Monty Navarro
Murder

2020 Werther (20th Anniversary) Werther

2021– A Gentleman's Guide to Love and

Monty Navarro [81]

2022 Murder

Book[edit]
Year Title Publisher ISBN

Yoo Yeon-seok's ISBN 978899714838

2014 Paperbook
Dream 7

Ambassadorship[edit]
 Ambassador for the 5th Seoul Animal Film Festival (2022)[82]
Awards and nominations[edit]
Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the
nomination

Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.

Excellence Award, Actor

APAN Star Awards 2018 Nominated [83]

in a Miniseries

Artist of the Year Won

Mr. Sunshine
Best Actor Won
2018 [84]

Asia Artist Awards

Popular Star Award,
Nominated
Actor

2020 Popularity Award (Actor) Yoo Yeon-seok Nominated

Best Supporting Actor –

2015 The Royal Tailor Nominated
Film

Best Supporting Actor –

Nominated
Television
2019 Mr. Sunshine [85]

Baeksang Arts Awards

Popularity Award Nominated

Best Actor – Television A Bloody Lucky Day Pending

2024 [86][87]

Most Popular Actor Yoo Yeon-seok Pending

2012 Best New Actor Horror Stories Nominated

Blue Dragon Film
Awards
2021[A] Best Supporting Actor Steel Rain 2: Summit Nominated [89]
Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the
nomination

Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.

Golden Cinema Festival 2015 Best New Actor The Royal Tailor Won [90]

2011 Best New Actor Re-encounter Nominated

Grand Bell Awards
2015 Best Supporting Actor The Royal Tailor Nominated

Korea Film Actors

2016 Popularity Award Mood of the Day Won [91]

Association Awards

Hedwig and the Angry

Korea Musical Awards 2018 Best New Actor Nominated
Inch

MBC Drama Awards 2015 Top 10 Stars Award Warm and Cozy Won [92]

Excellence Award, Actor

Dr. Romantic Won [93]

in a Genre Drama

SBS Drama Awards 2016 Best Couple Won

Dr. Romantic (with Seo [94]

Hyun-jin)
Idol Academy Award -
Won
Best Kiss

Best Supporting Actor

The Seoul Awards 2018 Won [95]

(Drama)
Mr. Sunshine
Best Supporting Actor
Soompi Awards 2018 Nominated [96]

Male Category
 Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the
nomination

Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.

Style Icon Awards 2014 Top 10 Style Icons Yoo Yeon-seok Won [97]

Listicles[edit]

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement

Publishe Placemen
Year Listicle Ref.
r t

Forbes 2019 Korea Power Celebrity 40 22nd [98]