Edited by Seo Hayne
Translated by Yu Jin Kim
What can be more boring than introducing an actor who finally broke into the scene ten years after his debut? Surprisingly, Kang Tae Oh perfectly fits into this description. Kang Tae Oh has recently been at the center of attention due to the tremendous success of the hit drama,Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Starring as Lee Jun Ho, he has been stealing the hearts of many viewers with his sweet and thoughtful character as he eats kimbap together with Woo Young Woo (played by Park Eun Bin) and carefully listens to her whale stories. Gaining the nickname of the Nation’s Disappointed Man for his heart-fluttering line, That’s disappointing, he said to Woo Young Woo, the actor has been enjoying the heyday of his acting career. Despite the endless love he is receiving from fans, Extraordinary Attorney Woo will be the last drama starring Kang Tae Oh as he will enlist soon. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at Kang Tae Oh’s five best dramas that show his versatile charms.
Doom at Your Service (2021)
Doom at Your Service follows the love story between Myul Mang (Seo In Kuk), the destruction himself whose presence ruins the life of everything, and Dong Kyung (Park Bo Young), who is on the verge of death as she is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Kang Tae Oh stars as Hyun Kyu, the first love of Dong Kyung’s best friend Ji Na (Shin Do Hyun). In high school, Hyun Kyu went abroad as if to run away from Ji Na, but later, he regretfully reunites with her. Things get complicated as he gets involved in a love triangle between Ji Na, who became a webtoon artist as an adult, and Joo Ik (Lee Soo Hyuk), who got close with her as her tutoring student. In the end, Hyun Kyu says goodbye to Ji Na after going through several events that made him grow. Viewers left favorable responses for the scene where he wished the best for her as it showed the actor’s delicate portrayal of the character and his wretched emotions.
RUN ON (2020)
RUN ON depicts the love and growth between an athlete named Ki Seon Gyum (Yim Si Wan) and a translator named Oh Mi Joo (Shin Se Kyung). Besides the main couple, the Dan-Ah couple that Kang Tae Oh and Sooyoung played also garnered massive attention. Kang Tae Oh takes on the role of Yeong Hwa, an art student who loves drawing. The scene where he goes to school on a bike with his art supplies around his shoulder is said to have portrayed youth itself, and it doesn’t seem that Yeong Hwa lives in the same world as Dan Ah, the CEO of a sports agency who only goes after paintings that suit her taste. As the polite young man didn’t hesitate to reveal his true feelings toward her, the CEO opened her heart, saying, I guess you were behind the painting all along. As he successfully pulled off his character, he made his own unique, young, sweet, and trustworthy boyfriend character.
The Tale of Nokdu (2019)
The Tale of Nokdu is a historical fiction series that follows Jeon Nok Du (Jang Dong Yoon), a man who disguises himself as a woman and enters the widow village. There, he meets Dong Joo (Kim So Hyun), a hot-tempered woman practicing to become a gisaeng. In the series, Kang Tae Oh stars as Yool Moo, the most loved man by gisaengs, who secretly harbors his feelings for Dong Joo. However, Yool Moo discloses his true colors toward the end of the drama as he reveals his real identity as Prince Neungyang, who wants to steal the throne. His sudden shift in attitude and his eerie smile made viewers feel the chills running down their spines. What was more interesting was that he kept his feelings toward Dong Joo even after revealing his true identity. Thanks to his delicate portrayal of the double-sided character, Kang Tae Oh won the Best New Actor Award at the 2019 KBS Drama Award 7 years after his debut.
You’re Too Much (2017)
You’re Too Much is a story about pop diva Yoo Ji Na (Um Jung Hwa) and her impersonator named Jung Hae Dang (Jang Hee Jin) becoming entwined as they meet each other. Kang Tae Oh stars as Um Jung Hwa’s son, who leaves a strong impression on viewers. There, he plays Kyung Soo, whom his mother abandoned at the age of six due to the loss of sight he experienced. Although he reunites with his mother after 20 years, he soon falls into a pit of despair as she promises him that she will make him the heir of a chaebol. Despite it being a 50-part weekend drama filled with tear-jerking scenes, Kang Tae Oh’s delicate depiction of the character made viewers stay tuned to the show.
Flower of the Queen (2015)
Flower of the Queen is also a 50-part weekend drama. The drama revolves around the ambitious woman Lee Soo Jung (Kim Sung Ryung), who reunites with her daughter Kang Yi Sol (Lee Sung Kyung) whom she abandoned long ago. Kang Tae Oh plays a kind, sweet young man named Dong Gu who has a crush on Yi Sol. Looking through Kang Tae Oh’s roles in previous projects over the last ten years, he usually took on the role of a pure-hearted guy who craves love from others. Although he doesn’t play a big part in this drama, we recommend Flower of the Queen for those who wish to get a closer look at the charming actor when he was in his early twenties.
Editor Seo Hayne: I like actors as they faithfully lead through their long running-time. I also like idols who accomplish everything on stage within 3 minutes.
