Yoo Jun-sang
Yoo in January 2015
Born	(1969-11-28)November 28, 1969 (age 55) Seongdong District,Seoul, South Korea
Education	Dongguk University
Occupations	Actor singer
Years active	1995–present
Agent	Namoo Actors
Spouse	Hong Eun-hee ​ (m. 2003)​
Children	2
Korean name
Hangul	유준상
Hanja	劉俊相
Revised Romanization	Yu Jun-sang
McCune–Reischauer	Yu Chunsang

Yoo Jun-sang (born November 28, 1969) is a South Korean actor and singer. Yoo is best known for starring in theHong Sang-soo filmsHa Ha Ha (2010),The Day He Arrives (2011), andIn Another Country (2012). He was also praised for his supporting roles inWide Awake (2007) andMoss (2010), and gained newfound popularity in 2012 because of theTV dramaMy Husband Got a Family. Aside from film and television, Yoo is also active in musical theatre, notably inThe Three Musketeers,Jack the Ripper andThe Days. He is also one of the main characters inThe Uncanny Counter seasons 1 and 2

Yoo Jun-sang graduated fromDongguk University with abachelor's degree in Theater and Film and a master's degree in Theater Arts. Having kicked off his career in 1995 throughSBS's open auditions, Yoo built a stable acting career through films andTV series.^[1] He also stars instage musicals, notablyClaws of Angel,^[2]The Three Musketeers,^[3]Jack the Ripper,^[4]Rebecca,^[5][6]Kim Kwang-seokjukebox musicalThe Days,^[7][8] andFrankenstein.^[9] Additionally, Yoo has been a full-time faculty member at the Korea Arts Institute since 2010.^[10]

He gave a memorable supporting turn as a cynical prosecutor in 2010'sMoss, the blockbuster mystery film based on a popularonline comic series.^[11] His performance garnered him Best Supporting Actor wins at theBuil Film Awards andChunsa Film Art Awards. He also won Best Supporting Actor at theGrand Bell Awards for the 2007 medical thrillerWide Awake.

But Yoo is best known as a regular in the films ofauteurHong Sang-soo.^[12] He headlinedThe Day He Arrives in 2011, which netted him the Best Actor prize at theBusan Film Critics Awards.^[13][14] He also starred inHa Ha Ha, which won the top prize in theUn Certain Regard section of the2010 Cannes Film Festival, at which Yoo and his fellow cast members walked the red carpet.^[15] When asked to describe the actor, Hong said that "Yoo is... a kind person."^[16] [...] I just... like him. I like him a lot. He is someone with a drive that doesn't irritate me. His honesty doesn't irritate me either and I like his energy. His energy has a clean color. And I think he's a lot of help when we work together."^[17] The director cast him opposite renowned French actressIsabelle Huppert in Hong's first English-language filmIn Another Country. He described Huppert as "a real joy" to work with,^[18] while she praised him as "kind and charismatic."^[19] Yoo was singled out inThe Hollywood Reporter review as the film's scene-stealer.^[20]

After a five-year absence from television, he returned in the seriesMy Husband Got a Family (also known asUnexpected You) co-starringKim Nam-joo. The drama was a big hit, it not only consistently topped its timeslot throughout its long run, but ranked number one on the 2012 yearly TV ratings chart.^[21][22] As a result, Yoo enjoyed his biggest surge of mainstream popularity since his debut, landing commercial contracts and gaining the nickname "Nation's son-in-law".^[23]

In 2012, he published his memoir titledThe Invention of Happiness. Yoo said he began writing diaries back in university when his professor recommended that he try filling up at least one journal each year with personal reflections. The book contained highlights from his 20 years of journaling life—from his days as a college student, moments on the set of several productions to his travels and vacations—as well as poems and sketches made by the actor in his everyday life.^[1][19] He donated all of the proceeds from the book to charity, especially to impoverished children.^[24]

For the aerial action blockbusterR2B: Return to Base, Yoo along with the rest of the cast had to undergo months-long physical training for their role as jet fighter pilots. The actors also had to pass mandatory tests for actual pilots to be able to get into the cockpit—in a low-pressure chamber, emergency escape routine, simulated flight as well as training to develop tolerance for acceleration. Yoo reportedly passed out twice before he passed his 6G test, only passing on his third attempt.^[25][26][27]

Yoo underwent knee surgery after an injury to hiscruciate ligament while filmingFists of Legend. The action movie revolved around a group of middle-aged men who fight on a reality show for a cash prize.^[28] On December 19, 2013, he released his first album, titledJunes; besides singing, Yoo composed, wrote the lyrics and produced all the seven songs included.^[29] Yoo's second album,J N Joy 20: Travel Project One, Just Travel... Walking... and Thinking..., was a collaboration with guitarist Lee Jun-hwa and released on November 13, 2014, followed by his first concert.^[30][31]

Besides acting, singing and writing, Yoo can also play several musical instruments including guitar, saxophone, violin and the piano.^[10] Furthermore, he showcased 20 pieces of his artwork at the Art Asia fair in December 2012.^[32]

He married actressHong Eun-hee in 2003, and they have two sons named Yoo Dong-woo and Yoo Min-jae.^[33][34] Dong-woo appeared in the 2011 short filmModern Family.^[35]

On the talk showHealing Camp, he spoke about his love for his widowed mother, who suffered acerebral hemorrhagic stroke in 2011.^[36]

• Public Relations Ambassador for the Park Kyung-ri Literature Awards (2022)^[65]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toYoo Jun-sang.

• Yu Jun-sang atNamoo Actors
• Yu Jun-sang at theKorean Movie Database
• Yoo Joon-sang atIMDb
• Yoo Joon-sang atHanCinema

• Excellence in Acting, Actor for APAN Star Awards winners
• South Korean male film actors
• South Korean male television actors
• South Korean male stage actors
• South Korean male musical theatre actors
• 1968 births
• Living people
• Male actors from Seoul
• People from Seongdong District
• Dongguk University alumni
• 21st-century South Korean male actors

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