Yoo In Na never seems to age. I saw her for the first time in the 2011 flick, My Black Mini Dress. Comparing her looks then with her looks in her latest drama, The Spies Who Loved Me, it’s as if no time has passed at all! Iba siguro talaga ang hangin sa South Korea, 'no? But more than her youthful glow, I find all her K-drama characters fun and refreshing. This is why I’m excited to catch her in the star-studded JTBC show, Snowdrop. Together with Jung Hae In and BLACKPINK's Jisoo, In Na will play the role of a charming surgeon who seems to have a mysterious side to her. I don’t know about you, but I’m ~dying~ to know what that mysterious side is!
And while we’re all waiting to see that mysterious side unfurl, here are seven things about Yoo In Na that will make you love her even more:
1. Yoo In Na was born on June 5, 1982.
That makes her a Gemini, and Geminis are known to be youthful, energetic, and full of fun and good humor. That probably explains why she doesn’t look a day over 25, even if she’s already turned 40 this year in Korean age. While many seem anxious about turning 40, In Na isn’t. In an interview with W Korea, she mentioned that her 30s were a decade of joy and sorrow. After realizing that food, friends, and sunlight alone can make her happy, she’s ending her 30s peacefully and is now full of good energy.
2. She was a top student in elementary—but!
In an episode of SBS’ Heroes, In Na revealed that she was pretty good at studying, even placing number one in elementary school. However, her academic brilliance doesn’t help her avoid scammers. In an episode of Happy Together, In Na funnily recalled instances where she got scammed, such as paying $100 (around P5,000) for spoiled fish or giving away her personal information in exchange for free make-up, LOL!
3. She wanted to become a rockstar.
In Na joined her first agency in 1998. 11 years and four other agencies later, she was at the brink of debuting into a girl group only to fall short on her dream because she’s not a good dancer. But you know what they say about life and lemons. "If singing wasn’t meant to be, I decided to give acting a go," she said. In Na joined YG Entertainment as an apprentice actress and, slowly, opportunities started opening up for her.
4. She started gaining popularity through High Kick Through The Roof.
In Na had a supporting role in High Kick Through The Roof, an MBC sitcom that ran from 2009 to 2010. Afterward, she also bagged another supporting role in the hit drama Secret Garden, top-billed by Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won. The role helped her win Best New Actress in the 47th Baeksang Arts Awards.
Eventually, her career kept on exploding as she also landed main roles in two other hit series—as Yoo Se Mi in My Love From The Star and as Sunny in Goblin. In 2019, In Na was once again paired with Lee Dong Wook in the romcom Touch Your Heart, where she played embattled actress Oh Yoon Seo. In her most recent drama, The Spies Who Loved Me, she played the role of a wedding designer married before to an Interpol agent and now to an industrial spy.
5. She is best friends with IU.
The two first met on the set of the SBS variety show, Heroes, and have been inseparable since! This, despite the 11-year age gap between the two. The BFFs have also acted together, playing sisters in the hit KBS show, You Are The Best! In the same Happy Together interview, IU revealed that it was In Na who convinced her to take on the role. "She’s really good at acting. I knew she could do a great job," In Na told the hosts why she convinced IU to take the job. Through the years, the two have been constantly supporting each other’s projects. IU once sent a coffee truck on the set of Touch Your Heart. On the other hand, In Na would attend every single one of IU’s concerts, once even bringing 50 pieces of Melona when IU requested for it.
6. She is blessed with a good heart.
Not only does In Na have a beautiful face, she also has a beautiful heart. Last year, it was reported that, in coordination with Cochlea of Love, she donated the fees needed for the cochlear implant surgery and speech rehabilitation of a two-year-old child. The report also mentioned that she has so far donated an approximate total of $109,100 (that’s over P5 million!) to the same charity organization. The Salvation Army is another recipient of In Na’s benevolent deeds, as she was reported to donate about $26,584 (about P1.3 million) to feed hungry children back in 2019. In Na is also said to care deeply for her workmates too! In that same report, it was mentioned that she also bought 100 pairs of winter boots for the staff of Touch Your Heart.
7. She is a versatile person.
Geminis are also known to be very versatile, so it’s no surprise that Yoo In Na is, too. On top of her busy career as an actress, she was also a radio DJ for KBS’ Let’s Crank Up The Volume. She hosted the program from 2011 to 2016, even earning the Best Radio DJ award in the 2014 KBS Entertainment Awards. But when she’s not an actress or a DJ, she’s a bookworm. She reads everything from literature to science books, and has a bookshelf in every room in her house. She also enjoys reading children’s books because they help her to simply learn and understand things she doesn’t know, so she could explain them to her niece as well.