Yoo was born in 1917 in Yongin, Korea, Empire of Japan. Before he went to public school, he was taught at a traditional Korean village school (서당) at the age of six. [7 ] He went to Yonhi College (later Yonsei University) in 1938.
As an actress, Yoo appeared in supporting roles in movies and television dramas, notably in the comedy film Sex Is Zero (2002) and its sequel Sex Is Zero 2 (2007).