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
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.
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
7 Korean actors heading to Hollywood in 2022, from Jennie to Cha Eun-woo
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.
A decade-long career
And it’s not just South Korea that saw his acting potential. Kang was also cast in a lead role as the character Lee Jun-su in Vietnamese drama Forever Young. His talent was so well received that it even launched a second season, as per the Philippines’ Preview.
Award-winning star
Kang has already earned a number of awards. In 2017, he landed the Rising Star Award at the Asia Artist Awards for his heartwarming performance in the drama You Are Too Much.
6 K-pop idols with tattoos who aren’t afraid to flaunt them
In 2019, he landed another gong from the KBS Drama Awards as best new actor for a completely different type of character – a historical Prince Neungyang in The Tale of Nokdu. He was even nominated for a best couple award along with his co-star Jang Dong-yoon for the same drama.
And his winning streak didn’t stop there. He achieved an Impressive Actor nomination by the VTV Awards and became the first Korean actor to receive the best actor award at the Vietnam Drama Awards for playing the lead role in both seasons of Forever Young. This lead him to be nicknamed as the “Prince of Vietnam” by the country’s fans.
He attended the same university as BTS’ Jin
Kang reportedly studied film at Konkuk University, a private institution that has hosted some of South Korea’s biggest names in showbiz.
He is the opposite of his character in Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Kang plays the character of Lee Jun-ho so well that you’d almost believe that’s his real-life persona.
Meet new K-pop girl band NewJeans: Minji, Haerin, Hyein, Hanni and Danielle
In a YouTube video uploaded by Korea’s Singles magazine, Kang was asked various questions about how he compares with his character’s personality.
In the interview, Kang mentioned that his character is an active person while he himself is more of an introvert homebody who’d rather just sleep and eat than go out. Nevertheless, he enjoyed reading the script and playing Lee Jun-ho, as he feels the character brings a sort of “healing” feeling around everyone he meets.
According to Sportskeeda, Kang may be taking a hiatus from acting soon though, so that he can enlist for his nation’s mandatory military service. It could be as early as August or September as his agency has reportedly already confirmed his departure, per Zoom TV Entertainment.
- 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