Yoo Ah In: From “Song Hye Kyo’s best friend” to the one-of-a-kind “crazy horse” of Korean cinema

Once again Yoo Ah In – the “Crazy Horse” of the Korean screen has proven his ability with the title of “Best Actor”.

Yoo Ah In has just returned to the big screen with the blockbuster Hellbound.  This is the much-anticipated collaboration between him and director Yeon Sang Ho – who created the success of the super hit  Train to Busan.  Yoo Ah In‘s performance in this work once again proves why he is one of the best young actors at the moment.

However, the nearly 20-year career journey of the Korean “Crazy Horse” is not easy.  Let’s take a look at his journey

From a sassy boy who dropped out of school to a young star

Rebellion, stubbornness, pride, arrogance and freedom are the keywords that describe Yoo Ah In‘s personality, which make a one-of-a-kind “Crazy Horse”.  Yoo Ah In is so “crazy” that he even dropped out of school in the tenth grade to move to Seoul to live alone.

At that time, his talent was discovered by a recruiter.  That’s why he defied his family’s objections as well as his unfinished studies to raise his dream of becoming a celebrity.  In an interview, he once said: “School doesn’t give much meaning to my life”.  Leaving his hometown of Daegu alone to Seoul (Korea), he rented an apartment by himself, learned vocal skills to debut as a singer.  However, he was said to have no qualities and had to give up because of stage fright.

Not good at managing money, without support or friends, Yoo Ah In at that time faced countless difficulties and even lost his way.  However, Ah In also decided not to ask for help from his parents because he once stated that he “didn’t need their help after leaving home”.

The dream of becoming a singer did not come true. In 2003, Yoo Ah In first appeared in a promotional clip.  After that, he suddenly received roles in series such as Sharp 1, April Kiss, Drama City and won many brand representation contracts.  Originally a rebellious, freedom-loving person, this sudden popularity made Yoo Ah In feel confused, even wondering if he wanted it or not.

Under the pressure of glory, Ah In fled to his hometown, for the next two years, he always questioned himself, looked for answers about who he was, what he wanted,…  It was not until 2006 that he returned to Seoul to seriously pursue an acting career and immediately succeeded with Boys of Tomorrow.

Since 2006, Yoo Ah In received many good scripts, but it was not until four years later that luck really came when Ah In had an excellent role in the hit historical drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal.

Following the success of Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Yoo Ah In continuously achieved marks in both movies and dramas.  Because of his outstanding ability, Yoo Ah In is happily called a “cup collector” by the audience when he continuously conquers prestigious awards.  He is also the youngest Blue Dragon’s Best Actor in Korea, the youngest person to receive this prestigious award twice.

Talented yet troublesome

The ”crazy” personality has given Yoo Ah In a unique image on the Korean screen, but it has also brought him a lot of trouble.  Yoo Ah In did not hesitate to reveal his political views, publicly participated in protests against the government of President Park Geun Hye, pointed out the bad side of the Me Too movement, publicly expressed sympathy for Jo Min Ki – an actor who committed suicide because of allegations of sexual harassment,… He’s also gotten into a lot of trouble because he’s not afraid to argue with anti-fans and the media on SNS, or to post sensitive images that are believed to adversely affect young fans, etc. 

The fact that Yoo Ah In was not required to serve in the military sparked a lot of debate. The fact that he repeatedly avoided enlisting due to health issues sparked speculation that Yoo Ah In was avoiding military service on purpose. Yoo Ah In was even subjected to five physical examinations over the course of five years, all of which determined that he was unfit to join the army. In the end, he was granted a medical exemption from military service after being diagnosed with a bone tumor. Of course, health is a personal matter, but Yoo Ah In still had to face a lot of criticism.

Admirable friendship with Song Hye Kyo

Yoo Ah In was once labelled “Song Hye Kyo’s best friend” before achieving stardom. Despite being 5 years younger than their senior, Yoo Ah In and Song Hye Kyo are extremely close. They work for the same management company and have very similar personalities. He’s also a rare actor who gets Song Hye Kyo‘s support on a regular basis. They also use social media to show how close they are. Without fear of a love scandal, the two frequently share photos of themselves meeting and chatting. Yoo Ah In is also the one who allows Song Hye Kyo to open up about her problems.

In particular, Yoo Ah In has a very close relationship with Song Joong Ki because the two used to work together in the drama  Sungkyunkwan Scandal.  That’s why it’s not exaggerated to say, Yoo Ah In is the one who has a direct impact on Song – Song‘s relationship.  After the couple divorced, Song Hye Kyo and Yoo Ah In became even closer, causing netizens to suspect that they were dating.