Youn Yuh-jung

Personal context

Summary

Youn Yuh-jung is a South Korean actor with a career spanning more than five decades, known for unconventional roles in films such as Woman of Fire, The Bacchus Lady, and Minari. Her work often features complex women and challenges conventional portrayals of age and family. In her 2021 Academy Awards speech, she urged people not to divide one another by race, gender, or sexual orientation, saying people are equal. In 2025, she said she hoped The Wedding Banquet would help South Koreans become more accepting of gay people, drawing on her experience as the mother of a gay son. No public political affiliations, party campaigning, or broader activist roles are on record.