Not every performance announces itself. Some arrive quietly, settle in and stay with you long after. That was the case with Yoo Yeon-seok as Baek Sa-eon in When the Phone Rings (2024–2025), a role defined by restraint, one that steadily built its emotional weight. It also marked a shift in how audiences saw him, not just as a familiar face, but as someone capable of holding back just enough to make every moment land. Now, in Phantom Lawyer, Yoo Yeon-seok returns as Shin I-rang, trading that earlier stillness for something more fluid. There is humour, unpredictability, and a character that moves between tones with ease, without losing its emotional core. And yet, his appeal remains. If anything, it deepens.
“Shin I-rang is someone who may appear timid on the surface, but he carries a strong sense of justice and warmth within,” Yoo Yeon-seok tells Lifestyle Asia about the new 2026 drama. It is a role that leans into both lightness and sincerity, allowing him to navigate moments that are playful on the surface but grounded underneath.
In this conversation with Lifestyle Asia, Yoo Yeon-seok talks about his role in Phantom Lawyer, reveals what drew him to the character and shares a fun detail from his preparation involving the K-pop group IVE.
Yoo Yeon-seok on new drama Phantom Lawyer and finding a new rhythm as an actor
Phantom Lawyer introduces a unique blend of legal drama and supernatural storytelling, with your character navigating both the human and spirit worlds. What initially drew you to Shin I-rang and his journey?
Shin I-rang is a character who is full of warmth and compassion, with a strong sense of humanity, as well as passion and pride in being a lawyer despite his tough background. I was particularly drawn to how someone with a timid personality finds the courage to work on and resolve cases justly and righteously, without ignoring them or running away.
The role requires you to embody distinctly different energies depending on the spirit possessing you. With your background in theatre, which often emphasises physicality and presence, did that experience shape how you approached these scenes, particularly through subtle shifts in movement and behaviour?
Not just theatre, but the various projects I’ve worked on during my acting career have all equally influenced my ability to show a wide range of different sides of myself in this role.
After the strong global response to When the Phone Rings, expectations around your projects have only grown. Do you feel that kind of momentum adds a different kind of pressure, or does it make choosing a character like Shin I-rang even more exciting?
Since Shin I-rang is quite different from Baek Sa-eon, who had a colder, more composed demeanour, I was really excited for the opportunity to play Shin I-rang. It felt like a chance to show a new side of myself that I hadn’t explored before.
You have spoken about training in idol-style dance for one of the possession arcs. What was the most unexpected or enjoyable part of stepping into that world, even briefly?
I practised for about two months. I closely monitored real stage performances, studying facial expressions and those signature ending ‘fairy’ poses. I even showed clips of my dancing to the actual members of the K-pop group IVE — haha.
Through Shin I-rang’s journey, you encounter stories of loss, hope and closure. What kind of emotional experience do you hope viewers take away from watching his story unfold?
Shin I-rang is a character who is both righteous and deeply warm-hearted. Through his perspective and the way he approaches each case, I hope viewers are able to experience a wide range of emotions. While it may come across as a light, entertaining story with plenty of comedic moments on the surface, it also carries many relatable layers beneath. Ultimately, it’s a story that offers both warmth and a meaningful sense of reflection.
(Hero and Featured image: Courtesy of Yoo Yeon-seok/Instagram)
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.