Yoo Ah-in at 40, starting anew on probation... Next project and agency both 'confirmed' [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Yoo Ah-in (40, real name Eom Hong-sik), whose probation sentence was finalized after being tried for habitual drug use, has announced a fresh start — including his next project and a new agency. Will the 40th-year-old Yoo Ah-in appear different from the one before?

On the 21st, Billion announced that it had signed an exclusive contract with Yoo Ah-in. Although recent reports suggested he was in talks to sign with another management company after receiving a 5 billion won signing bonus, Yoo Ah-in ultimately chose Billion as his new home.

In announcing the exclusive contract with Yoo Ah-in, Billion stated: "We have taken Yoo Ah-in's past incident and the concerns surrounding his recent return to activity very seriously. Before finalizing the contract, we engaged in sincere and repeated conversations with Yoo Ah-in over an extended period, deeply reflecting on the responsibility, attitude, and direction he must pursue as an actor resuming his career." It further explained: "After a careful and meticulous process, we decided to embark on this new beginning together. What mattered most to Yoo Ah-in during the contract process with Billion was not better terms or superficial support for simply restarting activities, but rather a genuine partner who would walk alongside him step by step — sharing in every moment of his sincere journey to seek forgiveness and understanding from the public and rebuild trust."

Three days before the news of the exclusive contract was released, Yoo Ah-in officially announced his return through director Jang Jae-hyun's new film "Vampire." On the 18th, NEW reported that filming had begun for "Vampire," the follow-up to director Jang Jae-hyun's "Exhuma." "Vampire" is a mystery occult film depicting an unidentified hitman hired by a clergyman to track down a mysterious cult group. On that day, photos of Yoo Ah-in participating in a script reading alongside actors Lee Sung-min, Lee Jun-hyuk, and Choi Hyun-wook were released, drawing significant attention.

Yoo Ah-in was indicted for allegedly habitually administering medical propofol and other substances through 181 sessions of sleep anesthesia disguised as cosmetic procedures at hospitals in the Seoul area from September 2020 to approximately January 2022. Between May 2021 and August 2023, he illegally obtained over 1,100 tablets of two types of sedatives under others' names on 44 occasions. In January 2024, he also faced charges of smoking marijuana in the United States with Choi Mo and others, as well as inciting others to smoke.

As a result, Yoo Ah-in was sentenced to one year in prison and placed under house arrest following the first-instance verdict in September 2024. In February, the second instance reduced his sentence to one year in prison with two years of probation, leading to his release. The Supreme Court later upheld the original verdict as final.

Yoo Ah-in is currently still within his probation period. He announced his return to commercial films before his probation term ended and has now secured a new agency to begin anew.

Legally, individuals serving prison sentences with probation are not restricted from employment activities except in certain special cases. However, Yoo Ah-in is not an ordinary office worker but an actor. He became the actor known as Yoo Ah-in thanks to public interest and affection, yet his drug use led to widespread public disappointment, ultimately causing his own downfall.

While it is not illegal for Yoo Ah-in to make a fresh start and move busily during his probation period, the public's sentiment honestly finds it difficult to understand such an urgent pace of action.

Among countless young male actors, director Jang Jae-hyun chose Yoo Ah-in specifically, and the management company that signed an exclusive contract with him while he was still on probation must also bear a significant weight of responsibility.

It remains to be seen whether Yoo Ah-in can truly start anew, leaving behind his past drug conviction entirely, and whether his hurried steps forward represent the right choice for his acting career.

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*This content was translated by AI.