Meet Kang Tae-oh, breakout star in Extraordinary Attorney Woo: he made his K-pop debut with 5urprise before landing K-drama Run On with SNSD’s Sooyung – and went to the same uni as BTS’ Jin

Aug 2 , 2022

Kang Tae-oh is the latest heartthrob of K-dramas, namely Netflix’s Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Photo: @kto940620/Instagram

The 28 year old shot to international fame for his role in Netflix’s new K-drama alongside Park Eun-bin – but he’s been acting longer than you probably think

He studied film at Konkuk University, where Twice’s Nayeon, Song Kang, Shinee’s Minho, Hyuna, Hyeri and Yoo Ah-in reportedly attended – and has won multiple acting awards

Netflix’s new show Extraordinary Attorney Woo has taken audiences by a storm for its compelling storyline, unique characters and, importantly, for shining a positive light on autism.

While Park Eun-bin has been praised for her portrayal of main character attorney Woo Young-woo, Kang Tae-oh, who plays Lee Jun-ho, has also come out of the show as a superstar.

Park Eun-bin and Kang Tae-oh star as leads in Netflix’s Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022). Photo: AStory

According to PinkVilla, the show has consistently ranked No 1 on lists of trending K-dramas, with Kang also taking first place as most buzz-worthy actor during the third week of July.

So, who is the 28-year-old heartthrob and how did he get where he is today?

He belonged to the first all-actor K-pop group in South Korea

Kang Tae-oh is part of the first-ever actor group in South Korea. Photo: @hacci_8510/Instagram

If you ever thought that Kang boasts looks striking enough for a boy band, you aren’t off the mark. In 2013, Kang became part of the first-ever South Korean all-actor K-pop group, 5urprise. It was formed by talent agency Fantagio, the brains behind Astro, and Kang’s fellow members include Yoo Il, Seo Kang-joon, Gong Myung and Lee Tae-hwan.

5urprise members include Yoo Il, Seo Kang-joon, Gong Myung, Lee Tae-hwan and Kang Tae-oh. Photo: @hacci_8510/Instagram

Kang was active in the group until its disbandment in 2020. On top of acting, the members modelled too and released three single albums during their active years.