Born in Mokpo in 1957, President Yoo graduated from Seoul National University College of Law and passed the National Judicial Exam in 1981. Since his appointment as a judge at the Seoul Civil District Court in 1986, President Yoo has served as a Research Judge at the Supreme Court, Presiding Judge at the Seoul Administrative Court, Registrar of the Constitutional Court, Presiding Judge at the Seoul High Court, Chief Judge of the Seoul Northern District Court, and Chief Judge of the Gwangju High Court. During his service of over 30 years at the Court, President Yoo has focused on reaching decisions that protect the rights and freedoms of the people while remaining committed to the basic principles of the law, and has striven to effectively communicate with the public.

While serving as a judge in the ordinary courts, President Yoo also contributed to the development of constitutional theories by regularly chairing academic meetings of the Constitutional Research Society. After joining the Constitutional Court of Korea in November 2017, he has served as chair of the Comparative Constitutional Law Society and worked to further develop theories and practices of constitutional adjudication, by encouraging research and study of theories and cases of other jurisdictions.

Serving as a Justice at the Constitutional Court of Korea, President Yoo has stayed committed to protect the constitutional order and assure basic rights of the people. He has been involved in decisions that maintained the Special Act on Asset Confiscation for Pro-Japanese and Anti-National Collaborators to the State; struck down the provision in the Protection of Communications Secrets Act that allowed investigation agencies to request location tracking data and other communication confirmation data of individuals; and acknowledged the right to physical integrity and the freedom of assembly against police actions such as spraying water containing tear gas without legal grounds.

In September 2018, President Yoo took office as the 7th President of the Constitutional Court of Korea