Yoo, also often spelled Ryu or Yu, is a common Korean family name. As of 2000, there were about 1.04 million people by this name living in South Korea, making up roughly 2% of that country's population. The surname "Yoo" can represent any of four hanja: 柳, 劉, 兪, and 庾. Of these the most common is 柳, with more than 600,000 holders in South Korea, whereas 兪 accounts for about 0.4 percent of the population at best. Only the characters 柳 and 劉 are commonly pronounced ryu (류). But Chinese prefer to pronounce and spell them as Yu. Notable clans include the Munhwa Ryu and the Pungsan Yoo.
Notable individuals
Historic
Modern
- Yoo Chae-yeong, b. 1977, South Korean actress and singer.
- Yu Jae-seok, a South Korean TV presenter, the Host-in-chief of Muhan Dojeon
- John Yoo is a professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley (Boalt Hall), and is best known for his work from 2001 to 2003 in the United States Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel.
- Jung-Suk Ryu, a young Korean-Canadian politician
- Yoo Sang-Chul
- Yoo Yong-sung
- Ryu Shikun, professional Go player.
- Ryu Shi-won, actor and singer
- Rhyu Si-min, 2007 presidential candidate of the UNDP Primary
- Jae Kuk Ryu, professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
See also
View More Summaries on Yu (Korean name)
