Yoo Yeon-seok smiles often when he speaks, and sitting with him during the interview at the Far East Film Festival, there is so much calmness emanating from him.

He made his acting debut in 2003 with a small role in Oldboy before returning to the screen in 2008 to fully resume his acting career. Since then, he has built an extensive body of work across film and television. His well-known film credits include Re-encounter (2011), Architecture 101 (2012), A Werewolf Boy (2012), Whistle Blower (2014), Love, Lies (2016), and Vanishing (2022, a French-Korean production). On television, he is best known for Reply 1994 (2013), Dr. Romantic (2016), Mr. Sunshine (2018), Hospital Playlist (2020–2021), When the Phone Rings (2024), and Phantom Lawyer (2026).

Yoo arrived in Udine as part of KOCCA On Screen and the festival’s Screen Talk programme, representing a growing wave of Korean talent whose work is increasingly circulating far beyond domestic borders.

KOCCA, the Korea Creative Content Agency, has become a powerful engine behind that movement, helping Korean films and dramas find audiences internationally. For Yoo, however, the significance of being at the festival was personal: “The films I’ve appeared in have been submitted to festivals before,” he says, “but this is actually my first time coming here in person. Because of that, the experience itself feels very meaningful to me.”

And when it comes to KOCCA, Yoo is conscious of that role, “It is through KOCCA that I was also able to present and introduce my TV series overseas for the first time,” he explains, and adds, “I think KOCCA is really helping and supporting more of these proactive activities.”

Beyond the broader context of his growing international reach, what became most compelling in our conversation was his focus on the work itself – on how characters are built, taken apart, and reimagined. His latest role in Phantom Lawyer reflects this directly: he plays a character who is possessed by different spirits across episodes, with each encounter requiring an emotional and physical transformation.

“In each episode, I help resolve the lingering regrets of different ghosts after encountering them and becoming possessed by them,” he says. “Through this possession, I end up portraying different characters and images each time. So the fact that I can show a wide range of different personas within a single project was very appealing to me as an actor, and that is why I chose this work.”

For Yoo, possession is not played for dramatic effect, but approached as a way to explore transformation in a more considered and structured manner. It became one of the most demanding aspects of the role, requiring careful preparation. When speaking about it, he emphasised a research-driven approach, relying on detailed observation and real-life insight rather than purely imaginative interpretation.

“Because the character has shamanistic elements, I actually met shamans rather than lawyers,” he explains. “I interviewed them to understand what it feels like to see ghosts, and what sensations a person experiences when a ghost enters the body and possesses them.”

He also expanded his preparation by turning to visual references, studying archival footage to enhance his understanding. “I also looked into documentary footage where people claim to have encountered ghosts, as there are quite a lot of such materials available, and I used those as a reference as well.”

And he certainly delivered an excellent performance. That same attentiveness carries into his understanding of character difficulty. One of the most demanding roles, he reveals, was unexpectedly physical. “I was possessed by a high school student who is also an idol,” he says. “I had to learn how to dance like a K-pop idol, and to do this, I had to prepare myself for two months. And so I think that was one of the most challenging roles.”

If possession describes his latest work, then responsiveness describes his wider work. When asked about working across theatre, film, and television, Yoo described theatre as a space of immediate exchange.

“I think a big advantage is being able to directly connect with the audience inside a theatre,” he replies. “In that sense, as an actor, I also receive energy from the audience. And performing the same text each time in different theatres, with new audiences and different conditions, feels like experiences that help me grow and improve as an actor.”

By contrast, cinema is influenced by a range of external forces; it is not only performance, but also environment.

“I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint exactly to the director,” he says when asked about creative support, “because I think there are so many elements that the director provides to the actors. That could be lighting, that could be props, that could be interaction with other actors. So I think it is a collection of different elements that inspire me.”

Across film, television, and theatre, Yoo approaches acting as a process of taking in his surroundings, including the exchange of energy with others. His career has also developed across different cultural contexts. He traces his recognition in Korea back to Reply 1994, a series that became a defining cultural touchstone in the country.

“In Korea, there is Reply 1994,” he says. “I think that project is the one that really made my name known in Korea.”

From there, his global recognition expanded through Mr. Sunshine, “After that, on a global platform, I appeared in Mr. Sunshine, where I played a character called Gu Dong-mae. I think that character is still remembered by many fans around the world even today.”

Instead of treating these roles as turning points, Yoo sees them as layers of visibility, different audiences discovering different versions of him. That same awareness of the audience extends into his experience at the festival itself. Meeting viewers in person, responding to questions, and engaging in Screen Talk discussions became, for him, an extension of the work rather than an external reflection of it.

“Just being here at the festival, meeting people who know my work and my characters, talking with them, sharing thoughts, and hearing their perspectives. This is something I truly value and will remember for a long time.”

Even Phantom Lawyer, the project he was presenting, becomes part of that dialogue-based framing. The story of a lawyer who listens to and empathises with others, in his view, reflects the experience of taking part in these exchanges. “This time, Phantom Lawyer also carries a message about a lawyer who listens to others and empathises with their stories, and in the same way, I’ve been able to talk with many people here.”

Alongside reflection runs imagination, a willingness to step into roles he hasn’t yet explored. When asked about what comes next, Yoo answered with a big smile.

“I think it would be very happy for me if I had the chance to play a strong, charismatic character,” he says, “maybe wearing an Italian suit, driving a Ferrari somewhere in Italy, even smoking a cigar while acting out a powerful role like that.”

For Yoo Yeon-seok, acting is never fixed. It is a constant process of moving between different selves – written, researched, performed, and still envisioned.

Following his successful appearance at the Far East Film Festival, one can only hope that his schedule might one day bring him back to London as well, perhaps to join one of the growing Asian film festivals in the city, the London East Asia Film Festival.

Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler

Featured image © 2026 View of the Arts

_{Phantom Lawyer is available on Netflix}

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