Former Culture Minister Yoo In-chon will break the 7-year hiatus he took from acting with a performance of his own play on Friday.

The professional actor-turned-public official will perform the main role in the new play he produced, “Faust ― Goethe and Gounod,” on Friday at Yoo Theater, which he founded in 1999, in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul.

Yoo served as the culture minister for three years starting in 2008 under the Lee Myung-bak administration.

“I am warming up to my return to being an actor,” Yoo was quoted as saying in a local news report. “I have been in public posts for eight years, starting with the chairman of the Seoul Foundation of Arts and Culture. Now it’s time to fulfill my role as an actor and a theater producer.”

“Faust ― Goethe and Gounod” is a recreation of Goethe’s play “Faust” and the opera version of the play by Charles Gounod. The play will feature arias sung by tenor Kim Dong-won, soprano In Gu-seul and baritone Lim Chang-han.

Asked about future plans, Yoo said he will continue acting, and has no plans to hold any public post.

“I plan to act in a play based on modern Korean novels and pansori soon,” he said in the news report.

The play will be staged on Friday and Jan. 2 at Yoo Theater. For more information, visit www.utheater.co.kr.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)