[비즈한국] They say Yoo Ah-in is coming back. Three years after being convicted for habitual drug use, he is starting production on a new film. Critics argue it is too soon, noting that his probation period has not even concluded yet. It is a valid point. However, I have decided to welcome his return. To be precise, I have decided to apply the spirit of tolerance taught by South Korea’s corporate world to the entertainment industry as well.
There is an excellent precedent: Hur Hee-soo, the second son of SPC Group Chairman Hur Young-in. In 2018, he was arrested and indicted for smuggling liquid marijuana into the country via international mail twice and using it three times. The court sentenced him to three years in prison, suspended for four years. At the time, SPC Group declared, “We will permanently exclude Vice President Hur Hee-soo from management.” It was not “we will have him self-reflect for a while,” nor was it “we will have him step down from all positions.” It was a permanent exclusion. By definition, “permanent” means “a state that remains unchanged for a long time.” At least, that is how I learned Korean in school.
However, “permanent” in a conglomerate family seems to mean something different than it does to the general public. Mr. Hur quietly returned as an executive at Baskin Robbins Korea (BR Korea) in November 2021, and in 2025, he was promoted to president of SPC Group. It was closer to a triumphant homecoming than a return to the front lines of management. He even personally led the entry of the American Mexican franchise Chipotle into South Korea and Singapore. The media ran headlines like “Hur Hee-soo’s Bold Move” and “Attempting Back-to-Back Home Runs.” The past was erased, leaving only his management prowess. A man who once brought in liquid marijuana now brings in burritos. Smuggling and importing are, in fact, only a hair’s breadth apart.
Coincidentally, this year, SPC Group physically split Paris Croissant to launch a pure holding company, “Sangmidang Holdings.” The existing SPC Group website also migrated to the Sangmidang Holdings site. According to the company, the intent is to revive the name of the bakery founded in 1945 and inherit the founding spirit. The name reportedly means “a house that provides delicious and good things.” How beautiful. The promise of permanent exclusion has vanished, but the 80-year-old bakery name has returned. Perhaps restoring what should be remembered and discarding what is inconvenient once its shelf life has passed is the true method of memory management for a bakery enterprise.
Therefore, there is no reason to be strict only with Yoo Ah-in. Yoo received a final sentence from the Supreme Court of one year in prison, suspended for two years, and a fine of 2 million won. Hur Hee-soo was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for four years. Of course, the content, frequency, and social responsibilities of their respective crimes differ, and the roles of an actor and a businessman are not the same. However, one side is still being judged on whether they “are fit to appear before the public,” while the other is already handing out business cards as a president and directing global business. The latter’s company even officially declared a “permanent exclusion” at one point. The company’s promise, which carried more weight than the court’s sentence, expired faster than the court’s probation.
Some might argue that businessmen are different because they create jobs and pay taxes. But I question whether there is truly no one else who could do that job if it weren’t for a third-generation owner. You do not need the innate talent of being the founder’s grandson to bring Chipotle to Korea. While audiences can choose their actors, consumers cannot vote to replace the owner of a massive conglomerate. In that sense, they deserve even stricter accountability, yet the reality is the opposite. A national consensus is required for the return of an entertainer, while a single personnel appointment letter is enough for the return of a third-generation conglomerate heir.
That is why I welcome Yoo Ah-in’s return. This does not mean he did nothing wrong, nor that time washes away all sins. Since Hur Hee-soo was able to return and become a president, telling only Yoo Ah-in that he must never appear again contradicts the South Korean version of fairness. If “permanent exclusion” lasts only three years for some, while for others it remains a life sentence even after probation ends, the issue is not the return itself, but rather the surname and shareholding ratio of the person being allowed to return.
Yoo Ah-in also does not need to feel too stifled. If it bothers him that much, he can just change his name. Just as SPC dug up the 80-year-old name “Sangmidang” to launch a new holding company, Yoo can return to his real name, Uhm Hong-sik. Then he can simply say, “I will return to my roots.” A few years from now, the media will write, “Uhm Hong-sik’s New Bold Move,” or “The Second Act of an Acting Life.”
South Korea is a warm country that gives second chances. Especially if your father is the chairman.