Actor Yoo Ah-in signs with Billions ahead of screen comeback

Actor Yoo Ah-in, who received a suspended sentence after being convicted of habitual drug use, has signed with a talent agency as he prepares to return to the screen in director Jang Jae-hyun's new film "Baempir."

Entertainment agency Billions announced the exclusive contract with Yoo on Friday via social media, saying it "takes seriously the concerns surrounding Yoo Ah-in's past incident and his recent resumption of activities."

Billions said it had held multiple candid conversations with Yoo over an extended period before signing the deal, carefully considering the responsibilities and attitude required for him to resume work as an actor and the direction he should take going forward. "Through that cautious and thorough process, we decided to accompany Yoo Ah-in on his new beginning," the agency said.

The agency added that what Yoo valued most in the contracting process was not better terms or superficial support for simply resuming activities, but "a sincere partner who would walk alongside him through the weighty and delicate process of seeking forgiveness and understanding from the public and rebuilding trust." It described the ideal partner as one willing to seriously accompany him through "the difficult and lengthy journey of standing again as a completely new actor."

Billions said it shared Yoo's outlook and intended to take a long-term approach — one focused on ensuring the actor fulfills his responsibilities and builds entirely new trust, rather than rushing ahead.

"We will not treat the past lightly or try to move past it hastily," the agency said. "We will take the current concerns gravely, humbly listen to criticism from the public and the press, and approach any necessary communication with humility. We will proceed carefully and sincerely so that the actor's genuine remorse for past wrongdoing, along with his intrinsic will as a performer, is conveyed authentically through his future actions."

Yoo was indicted on charges of habitual use of propofol and other controlled substances on 181 occasions between September 2020 and March 2022, obtained under the guise of cosmetic sedation procedures at hospitals in Seoul. A court sentenced him to one year in prison and took him into detention after a first-instance ruling in 2024. An appeals court then handed down a suspended sentence of one year in prison, two years of probation and a fine of 2 million won ($1,440) in February last year, a ruling the Supreme Court upheld in July of the same year.

Yoo recently announced his return to the screen after being cast in "Baempir," a new mystery occult film by Jang, the director of Exhuma.

Billions also represents actors Go Chang-seok, Son Hyun-joo, Lee Jun-young, Jung Sung-il and Jo Bo-ah.