Ahn Yeon-seok (; born April 11, 1984), better known by the stage name Yoo Yeon-seok, 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), and Love, Lies (2016), as well as the television series Reply 1994 (2013), Dr. Romantic (2016), Mr. Sunshine (2018), Hospital Playlist (2020–2021), When the Phone Rings (2024), and Phantom Lawyer (2026).
Early life Yoo was born as Ahn Yeon-seok on April 11, 1984, in Seoul, South Korea as a son of professor of engineering. In his junior year in high school, Yoo decided to take up acting and followed his older brother, who was preparing for the college entrance exams, to Seoul and they lived together near the district of Samseong-dong.
While taking acting classes, Yoo landed his first role by chance after meeting a friend who would later work on the costume staff of film director Park Chan-wook for the film Oldboy. He auditioned for a role on the recommendation of the friend and was immediately cast as the younger version of Yoo Ji-tae's character due to their resemblance.
After appearing in Oldboy, Yoo enlisted in the Republic of Korea Air Force for mandatory military service and began undergraduate studies at Sejong University. Upon graduation from Sejong University with a degree in Film Arts, he resumed his acting career in 2008, appearing in the plays In The Burning Darkness and Understudy. He also began using his agency's recommended stage name, Yoo Yeon-seok.
Career 2008–2012: Career beginnings After an extended hiatus from acting, Yoo made his return in the medical drama General Hospital 2.
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. But Yoo received his best reviews yet for playing a sensitive ex-boyfriend searching for his child in the independent film Re-encounter.
Soon after, Yoo became known to mainstream audiences as the rich and spoiled antagonist in the box office hit melodramas Architecture 101, and A Werewolf Boy. He further raised his profile with comedy film Born to Sing, and the fantasy series Gu Family Book.
2013–2014: Rising popularity and breakthrough Yoo rose to popularity in the nostalgic campus drama Reply 1994 in late 2013. 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. Yoo then appeared in the travel-reality show Youth Over Flowers.
2015–present: Leading roles 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. 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). 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).
In 2016, Yoo starred in the period music drama Love, Lies followed by romantic comedy Mood of the Day. He returned to the small screen with hit medical drama Dr. Romantic alongside Han Suk-kyu and Seo Hyun-jin.
In 2018, Yoo starred in romance melodrama Mr. Sunshine penned by Kim Eun-sook. He then appeared in the musical A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.
In 2020, Yoo starred in the critically acclaimed and hit medical drama Hospital Playlist, playing Ahn Jeong-won, an assistant professor of pediatric surgery and reprised his role in season 2 in 2021.
In 2022, Yoo starred in the crime-mystery film Vanishing by French film director Denis Dercourt, as detective Park Jin-ho. In December, he starred in the JTBC series The Interest of Love, playing an employee at a bank.
In 2023, he also reprised his role as Kang Dong-joo in a cameo role in the third season of Dr. Romantic.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2003 Oldboy Young Lee Woo-jin Credit as Ahn Yeon-suk 2009 Short! Short! Short! 2009: Show Me the Money Man Segment: "Saw" 2011 Re-encounter Han-soo 2012 Eighteen, Nineteen Ho-ya Architecture 101 Jae-wook Two Weddings and a Funeral Joon Cameo Horror Stories Man Segment: "Beginning" A Werewolf Boy Ji-tae 2013 Born to Sing Dong-soo Hwayi: A Monster Boy Park Ji-won 2014 Whistle Blower Shim Min-ho The Royal Tailor King Yeonjo 2015 Perfect Proposal Sung-yeol The Beauty Inside Woo-jin 2016 Love, Lies Kim Yoon-woo Mood of the Day Jae-hyun A Quiet Dream Motorcycle man Cameo 2020 Steel Rain 2: Summit Jo Seon-sa (North Korean Leader) 2021 New Year Blues Jae-Hyun 2022 Vanishing Park Jin-ho Korean-French Film 2023 My Heart Puppy Min-soo 2025 No Other Choice Oh Jin-ho Cameo 2026The Assassin(s)MaedaCameo
Television series Year Title Role Notes 2008–2009 General Hospital 2 Heo Woo-jin 2009 Dream Noh Chul-joong Soul Baek Joong-chan 2010 Running, Gu Heo Ji-man 2010–2011 Pure Pumpkin Flower Oh Hyo-joon 2011 Midnight Hospital Yoon Sang-ho 2012 Tasty Life Choi Jae-hyuk What About Mom? Kim Yeon-seok 2013 Gu Family Book Park Tae-seo Reply 1994 Chilbong 2015 Warm and Cozy Baek Gun-woo Mrs. Cop Jo Young-woo Cameo (episode 16) 2016–2023 Dr. Romantic Kang Dong-joo Season 1 and 3 (Special appearance; episode 12–16) 2018 Mr. Sunshine Goo Dong-mae 2020–2021 Hospital Playlist Ahn Jeong-won / Andrea Season 1–2 2022 Narco-Saints David Park 2022–2023 The Interest of Love Ha Sang-soo 2023 A Bloody Lucky Day Lee Byeong-Min / Geum Hyuk-soo 2024–2025 When the Phone Rings Paik Sa-eon 2025 Resident Playbook Ahn Jeong-won / Andrea Special appearance (episode 5) Tastefully Yours Jeon-min Special appearance (episode 5–7) 2026 Phantom Lawyer Shin Yi-rang The Perfect Lie Min Jun-ho scope="row" Covet the Scholar, Princess Kim Seo-yul scope="row" My Troika Min Sa-jun
Television shows Year Title Role Notes 2012 Cats and Dogs Host 2014 Youth Over Flowers Regular cast with Son Ho-Jun & Baro (Reply 1994 cast members) 2016 Wekid Mentor 2019 Coffee Friends Regular cast with Son Ho-jun Choi Ji-woo and Yang Se-jong 2021 Wise Mountain Village Life Cast Member with Hospital Playlist casts (Jo Jung Suk, Jeon Mido, Jung Kyung Ho & Kim Dae Myung) 2024 Whenever Possible Host with Yoo Jae-suk
Web shows Year Title Role Notes 2023 Bro and Marble Cast Member with Lee Seung-gi, Lee Dong-hwi, Ji Seok-jin, Kyuhyun, Joshua and Hoshi
Hosting Year Title Notes 2018 39th Blue Dragon Film Awards with Kim Hye-soo 2019 40th Blue Dragon Film Awards 2021 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards 42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards 2022 43rd Blue Dragon Film Awards 2023 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards
Music video appearances Year Title Artist 2008 "Things to Do Tomorrow" Yoon Jong-shin 2009 "On the Days I Longed for Love" 2013 "You Fool" Honey-G "Things to Do Tomorrow" Yoon Jong-shin feat. Sung Si-kyung "The Day to Love" Lee Seung-chul "One Way Love" Hyolyn "Only Feeling You" Yoo Yeon-seok, Son Ho-jun and Jung Woo 2014 "Three People" Toy feat. Sung Si-kyung 2015 "Because You're Pretty" Standing Egg 2018 "Then You" K.Will 2020 "Daystar" Kyuhyun
Discography Singles + List of singles, showing year released, selected chart positions, and name of the album Title Year Peak chart positions Album KORGaonPeak chart positions on Gaon Digital Chart:
USWorld "Only Feeling You" () 2013 8 — Reply 1994 OST Part 7 "To You" () 2021 73 — Hospital Playlist Season 2 OST Part 7 "Our Vacation") 2023 — — Bro & Marble OST "Happy Together" — — "Falling" — — "Say My Name" 2024 — 7 When the Phone Rings OST
Stage Musical + Musical play performances Year Title Role 2015–2016 Le Passe-Muraille () Dusoleil 2017 Hedwig and the Angry Inch () Hedwig 2019 A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder () Monty Navarro 2020 Werther () Werther 2021–2022 A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder () Monty Navarro 2024 Hedwig and the Angry Inch () Hedwig
Theater + Theater play performances Year Title Role 2008 The Good Person of Szechwan () 2008 In The Burning Darkness () 2009 The Understudy () 2017 Death of a Salesman - Suwon () Howard
Other activities In March 2026, Yoo has been appointed as a professor at Sejong University, his alma mater, to teach the Multimedia Performance course to senior students in the acting arts major at the Department of Film Art.
Personal life Tax dispute In March 2025, South Korean media reported that the National Tax Service had audited Forever Entertainment, a company founded by Yoo, of which he is chief executive, and notified him of additional taxes of about ₩7 billion, including income tax, then described as the largest publicly reported assessment of a South Korean celebrity. King Kong by Starship said the assessment arose from differences in how Yoo's tax representative and the tax authorities interpreted and applied tax law, that it had not been finalized, and that the agency would address the dispute through legal procedures.
Yoo requested a pre-assessment review. After adjustments, including for amounts already paid as corporate tax, the figure reported as due was about ₩3 billion, which he paid. In August 2026, the Tax Tribunal dismissed his appeal. His agency said the matter still stemmed from differences in the interpretation and application of tax law and that related procedures had not fully concluded; an administrative lawsuit remained possible.
Bibliography Year Title Publisher ISBN 2014 Yoo Yeon-seok's Dream Paperbook
Ambassadorship Ambassador for the 5th Seoul Animal Film Festival (2022)
Accolades Awards and nominations + 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 APAN Star Awards 2018 Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Mr. Sunshine Asia Artist Awards 2018 Artist of the Year Best Actor Popularity Award (Actor) 2020 Popularity Award (Actor) Yoo Yeon-seok Baeksang Arts Awards 2015 Best Supporting Actor – Film The Royal Tailor 2019 Best Supporting Actor – Television Mr. Sunshine 2024 Best Actor – Television A Bloody Lucky Day Blue Dragon Film Awards 2012 Best New Actor Horror Stories 2021 Best Supporting Actor Steel Rain 2: Summit Golden Cinema Festival 2015 Best New Actor The Royal Tailor Grand Bell Awards 2011 Best New Actor Re-encounter 2015 Best Supporting Actor The Royal Tailor Korea Film Actors Association Awards 2016 Popularity Award Mood of the Day Korea Musical Awards 2018 Best New Actor Hedwig and the Angry Inch MBC Drama Awards 2015 Top 10 Star Award Warm and Cozy 2024 Best Couple Award Yoo Yeon-seok When the Phone Rings Grand Prize (Daesang) When the Phone Rings Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries SBS Drama Awards 2016 Excellence Award, Actor in a Genre Drama Dr. Romantic Best Couple Award Dr. Romantic Idol Academy Award – Best Kiss SBS Entertainment Awards 2024 Rookie Award (Talk/Reality) Whenever Possible 2025 Excellence Award (Show/Variety) Best Couple Yoo Yeon-seok Whenever Possible The Seoul Awards 2018 Best Supporting Actor (Drama) Mr. Sunshine Soompi Awards 2018 Best Supporting Actor Male Category Style Icon Awards 2014 Top 10 Style Icon Yoo Yeon-seok
Listicles + Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement Publisher Year Listicle Placement Forbes 2019 Korea Power Celebrity 40 Korean Film Council 2021 Korean Actors 200
Notes
References
External links