Extraordinary Attorney Woo's Kang Tae-oh is the internet's most-searched actor now, here's what you should know about him

Their popularity is soaring now, playing will-they-won't-they love interests in the hit K-drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo.

Recently, Kang Tae-oh (who plays Lee Jun-ho) even beat his co-star Park Eun-bin (Woo Young-woo) to take the top spot in the list of most-searched TV actors on the internet in South Korea, according to Good Data.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo has taken the K-drama world by storm, becoming the most-watched mini-series in South Korea this week and topping the Netflix Singapore charts on July 14 and 15, taking its cast to new heights.

The series follows young lawyer Young-woo who tackles challenges in the courtroom and beyond as a newbie at a top law firm and a woman on the autism spectrum. Kind-hearted and mild-mannered Jun-ho works in the same company and becomes infatuated with Young-woo.

 

 

 

 

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If you didn't know about 28-year-old Tae-oh before, here are five facts about the handsome actor.

He was a member of the all-actor group 5urprise

 

We've all heard of boy band members becoming successful actors, but in 2013 talent agency Fantagio Entertainment started a five-member actor group, the first of its kind, comprising Tae-oh, Yoo Il, Seo Kang-joon, Gong Myung and Lee Tae-hwan.

In a reversal of the usual trend, the group made their acting debut in the mobile drama After School: Lucky or Not, releasing their single Hey U Come On for its soundtrack, before going their separate ways in 2020.

He has wanted to be an actor since elementary school

Tae-oh has only ever had one career goal.

In an interview with Marie Claire Korea, he said: "I have never thought about anything else since I decided to be an actor in elementary school."

He added that he wanted longevity as an actor over simply being popular, stating: "I think about how to keep up rather than how to climb."

He won the best new actor award at KBS Drama Awards 2019

Tae-oh played the villainous Prince Neungyang in the 2019 KBS historical drama The Tale of Nokdu, which saw him stage a coup and become the king of the Joseon dynasty in the 17th century.

If being a ruler wasn't enough, he also won the best rookie (male) award in the KBS Drama Awards that year.

He acted in a Vietnamese drama

In 2014, Tae-oh played the lead role in the Vietnam Television (VTV) drama Forever Young, co-produced by Korean company CJ E&M Pictures, which earned him the moniker of Prince of Vietnam.

"I was able to gain attention from many people because the Korean-Vietnamese collaboration drama Forever Young did very well," he recounted on the KBS show Happy Together 3 in 2018.

It earned him the Impressive Actor award at the VTV Awards in 2015 and the drama was renewed for a second season in 2016.

This is his last drama before enlisting for mandatory military service

Tae-oh announced during the press conference for Extraordinary Attorney Woo in June that this would be his last role before he heads off to serve his country.

"All South Korean men have to fulfil military service. I don't feel complicated or have any special feelings just because this is my last work before I enlist in the army. Actually, the [feeling] hasn't come to me yet," he said.

Want more of Tae-oh? You can catch him on Extraordinary Attorney Woo,The Tale of Nokdu and Run-on on Netflix, and Doom At Your Service on Viu.

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drimac@asiaone.com