Yoo Young-eun

Yoo Young-eun (; born 1990) is a South Korean television director that started her career in KBS. She worked as assistant director in drama like Descendants of the Sun, Queen of Mystery, Manhole, and Queen of Mystery 2. Her directorial debut as main director was in KBS Drama Special 2018, and she also worked on KBS Drama Special 2019 and KBS Drama Special 2020. In 2019, She received the 22nd Gender Equality Award for KBS Drama Special — Socialization: Understanding of Dance. She also directed television series How to Buy a Friend and won the 243rd PD of the Month Award. Her first historical drama, Bloody Heart, was screened at the 31st Energa Camerimaju International Film Festival and was longlisted in 2022 Rose d'Or Awards.

Early life Yoo Young-eun's passion for television dramas began at a young age. Her interest was sparked by the popular series Winter Sonata when she was in elementary school. By the time she reached her third year of middle school, she had decided to pursue a career as a director and started preparing to enter the broadcasting industry.

Career

Early Career and Assistant Directing (2012-2017) Yoo Young-eun began her career in 2012 by joining the KBS Drama Department. During this initial phase, she gained experience as an assistant director on several notable KBS dramas, including Descendants of the Sun, Queen of Mystery, Manhole, and Queen of Mystery 2. The drama featured a reunion with Choi Kang-hee and co-starred Lee Won-keun. Yoo cast Kim Joo-hun in both projects after being impressed by his theater performances.

First Series and Continued Drama Specials (2020) 2020 marked Yoo's series directorial debut with How to Buy a Friend. Based on Laad Kwon's Daum webtoon Friendship Contract, the KBS2 series aired April 6–14, 2020 followed teenagers Heo Don-hyuk (Shin Seung-ho) and Park Chan-hong (Lee Shin-young) in a protective pact while investigating a suicide. Yoo received significant acclaim for her "sensuous and beautiful visualization," winning the 243rd PD of the Month Awards. Furthermore, it was longlisted for the 2022 Rose d'Or Awards.

Streaming series with Netflix (2026) In 2023, Yoo was announced as the director of the romantic comedy Can This Love Be Translated?, written by the Hong Sisters. Netflix confirmed the production on June 27, 2024, announcing a cast including Kim Seon-ho, Go Yoon-jung, Sota Fukushi, Lee Yi-dam, and Choi Woo-sung. The series was produced by Imaginus and its subsidiaries Studio Sot and Trii Studio, with visual effects handled by Studio High. Production preparations were completed in June 2024, filming took place in South Korea as well as international locations including Kamakura and Enoshima in Japan, Alberta in Canada and Lazio, Umbria and Tuscany in Italy from June 2024 to February 2025.

The series follows the romance between polyglot interpreter Joo Ho-jin (Kim Seon-ho) and global actress Cha Mu-hee (Go Youn-jung) as they navigate differing love languages. Released on January 16, 2026, the drama debuted at number two on Netflix's global Top 10 before reaching number one for two weeks. Within its first month, it accumulated 259 million viewing hours and 19.7 million views, topping charts throughout Asia and Latin America. Critics praised the leads' chemistry, the emotional pacing, and the use of international filming locations. The production was credited with increasing tourism to its filming sites, notably Alberta, Canada.

On April 14, 2026, the Istituto Culturale Coreano announced that Yoo and producer Lee Hyun-young would lead drama workshops and lectures in Rome. Two days later, they conducted a professional workshop at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, focusing on the creative process and on practical challenges specific to filming in Italy. Later that afternoon, they delivered a lecture to approximately 200 students at Sapienza University of Rome addressing the sociological and artistic factors behind the international success of Korean dramas. They also explored what sets these productions apart from other global works, highlighting how South Korea has transformed its dramas into soft power. The program concluded on April 17 with a public talk show titled The Charm of Korean Dramas held at the Istituto Culturale Coreano, with opening remarks by Kim Choon-goo, the Korean Ambassador to Italy.

Filmography

Accolades Awards and nominations +Awards and nominationsAward ceremonyYearCategoryNominee / WorkResult Baeksang Arts Awards 2026 Best Director – Television Can This Love Be Translated? 31st International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage 2023 Golden Frog Bloody Heart 22nd Media Award for Gender Equality 2019 Minister Award (Grand Prize) KBS Drama Special: Socialization: Understanding of Dance 243rd PD of the Month Awards 2020 TV drama PD of the Month How to Buy a Friend Rose d'Or 2022 Best TV drama Bloody Heart