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The Best of Kang Tae-Oh: From ‘Prince of Vietnam’ to Lee Jun-Ho

Scroll through if ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ brought you here!

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Elaine Carag-Calderon

<p>If you’ve so much as casually browsed through Netflix in the past month, you’ve probably seen <strong>Extraordinary Attorney Woo</strong> sitting consistently on the list of Top 10 TV Shows in the Philippines Today. Aside from <strong>Park Eun-bin</strong>’s impressive turn as South Korea’s first lawyer with autism, you can’t possibly miss the Internet’s most searched Korean actor online, too!</p><div><br/></div><p><strong>Kang Tae-oh</strong>, born Kim Yoon-hwan, plays Lee Jun-ho in <strong>Extraordinary Attorney Woo</strong>. He’s a member of the litigation team at Hanbada Law Firm who’s won everyone’s hearts as the other half of the series’ beloved “Whale Couple.” The role may be the 28-year-old’s biggest breakthrough to date, but he’s no lightweight either. A quick look at his filmography reveals almost 10 years’ worth of television dramas, web series, and films—and many have begun to dig through his past work while patiently waiting for the next episodes of Attorney Woo to drop. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/364ca4c7-0e04-4dd6-b3a2-041d971aaa56_2022_extraordinary attorney woo-2.jpeg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Kang Tae-oh as Lee Junho in Extraordinary Attorney Woo<span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><em> ZAPZEE  </em></span></span></span></span></div><p>Unfortunately for all of us, he’ll be taking a break from his acting career to enlist in the military either by the end of August or in September. So if you’re just as heartbroken to see him go, you have a lot to look back on as we go through his on-screen evolution below. As usual, minor spoilers ahead for some of the shows if you haven’t seen them!</p><div><br/></div><div class="article-content" itemProp="articleBody"><div class="media-content"><div class="slider-for"><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/b0e2b15f-c602-475b-af46-0bc1c16251b0_gallerykangtaeoh.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/c2a3a54c-e24f-4f0a-9b91-eb93b4e1c356_5urprise-1.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/3370e541-e270-420c-a020-25b43e369d0a_5urprise-2.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/30c8d992-8963-4868-b649-10cee48598b8_2013_after school lucky or not-2.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/3bc29dd6-8cb0-4bfe-99e0-8d6d3ea75258_2013_miss korea.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/dcb49a91-56cc-4ee1-9720-25bd5c49d066_2015_flower of queen.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/c81670f0-be0f-45fa-94e4-c3fb5312ecc3_2015_the dearest lady.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/69160b53-c95a-4ca4-aee2-a285ffefead3_2015_to be continued.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/66343d0c-66d5-4c47-bb9e-4b8197220ac0_2016_forever young.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/573d5e2e-9d8b-4422-a845-b8debf83f1c7_2017_you_re too much-1.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/c651c1ef-c8ed-46af-ac6b-e5b1638d4786_2017_law of the jungle.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/17a60364-ef73-4084-b9bb-033863bc40d6_2018_short.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/37d90d5a-8a77-486f-857a-1ba229a1d90c_2018_evergreen.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/3fee4ad0-5b45-4378-9877-e4907f9c53b5_2018_busted.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/f496a851-29a8-4e5b-a41f-4666b8260599_2019_my first first love 1.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/27ccc164-cfb8-482e-b1a6-20997bb04ee5_2019_tale of nokdu-1.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/10d48ca3-1287-4542-94db-ea9c4dc44122_2019_tale of nokdu-2.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/ebd0ba86-ac69-47ed-8558-3f064e9621a5_2019_tale of nokdu-3.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/e34b94f7-6cf2-4afb-91e1-5bc9f919b141_2019_love with flaws.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/32bbd34f-e992-49c2-9bf9-8f47d961ce03_2020_run on-1.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/55d2f6fe-ab7e-4f5c-b234-e55cce6cb53f_2020_run on-2.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/e9d79a94-51c1-4f5a-941b-2ecf3d69eb8b_2020_run on-3.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/24a508b5-24da-4ea7-954f-ee6b4c15bd84_2021_doom at your service-1.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/d8694f07-c448-412e-b162-b201b91d9ac6_2021_doom at your service-2.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/619afda7-67f5-49a3-95cc-35f9b1f40c75_2021_doom at your service-3.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/a9912ef0-db26-48d5-bd09-3a413b0a920d_2021_kbs drama special.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/a2e4787e-fd5e-444d-9bf8-9133b044fc5c_2022_thirty nine.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/b1101695-7f0a-4cb8-9360-fc8f9a97dbde_2022_extraordinary attorney woo-2.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/adf9bc5e-7a39-4f2c-b882-513661965254_2022_extraordinary attorney woo-1.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/7070fd8d-0907-46cd-a222-27bb4868d6e6_2022_extraordinary attorney woo.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/b2a0ff2b-7383-4b74-9744-bbf0554c8ebb_2022_singles.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div><div><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/b6c33d68-81ea-4653-a279-af09b8823646_2022_@kto940620.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii"/></div></div><div class="media-content slider-desc"><div class="item-desc"><div></div></div><div class="item-desc"><p>5urprise (2013-2020) - (1/2) We’ve all heard of idols debuting as actors, but Kang Tae-oh was actually a member of South Korea’s first actor group 5urprise. He debuted in 2013 after two years of training under his management Fantagio, sporting the hairstyle du jour of that era: a shaggy two-block cut styled in long spikes for the ultimate actor-idol look!<cite>Alchetron</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>5urprise (2013-2020) - (2/2) Favoring a cleaner style this time, he also pulled off the disheveled quiff quite well.<cite>Alchetron</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>After School: Lucky or Not (2013-2014) - In his first project with 5urprise, he starred in the school drama as Kang Tae-poong where we see him take a stab at the familiar pineapple hairstyle (complete with the headband!) we’ve all loved since ‘Meteor Garden.’<cite>MyDramaList</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Miss Korea (2013-2014) - He then appeared in the romantic drama ‘Miss Korea,’ playing the son of Ma Ae-ri—one of the series’ lead characters. The layered cut and bangs were so 2013!<cite>welove5urprise</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Flower of the Queen (2015) - Giving in to a sleeker, straighter neat fringe, Kang Tae-oh charms as Heo Dong-gu in this melodrama.<cite>MBCdrama</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>The Dearest Lady (2015) - As Choi Young-kwang, one of the supporting roles in this family-oriented mini-series, the budding actor sported a clean side part befitting of his fashion-savvy character.<cite>MBCdrama</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>To Be Continued (2015) - He then made a brief appearance in the web series ‘To Be Continued,’ where he played a young thug with a penchant for messy, slicked-back hair.<cite>Kang Tae Oh</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Forever Young (2014-2015) - Kang Tae-oh earned his nickname “Prince of Vietnam” through his work as Lee Jun-su in this two-part series produced between Vietnam and South Korea. He plays a character who’s a trainee in one of the country’s top entertainment companies, so it makes sense he looks TV-worthy with that side-swept fringe! <cite>Newsnpr</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>You&#x27;re Too Much (2017) - Next, he took on the challenge of portraying a blind cafe owner in the family drama ‘You’re Too Much’ where you can also see him flex his vocal pipes as the son of a pop singer. This role even earned him the Rising Star Award in the 2017 Asia Artist Awards. Are we feeling this textured, colored shag? Yes, we are!<cite>IMDb</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Law of the Jungle (2017) - Kang Tae-oh also became a cast member in ‘Law of the Jungle’ for a few episodes—and we know his hairstyle isn’t anything new, but him packing those abs makes us go “Whoa, whoa.”<cite>@allkpop</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Short (2018) - He then moved on to play Kang Ho-yeong, a short-track speed skater from the countryside, in the four-episode series ‘Short.’ If you think he effortlessly pulled off this favorite two-block haircut with a slight part, he absolutely did!<cite>Naver</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Evergreen (2018) - How cute is Kang Tae-oh as Kim Jin-woo in this fantasy rom-com? The textured bowl cut definitely suits him!<cite>DramaPanda</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Busted! (2018) - The same year, he also made a special appearance with the rest of the 5urprise members in an episode of Netflix’s ‘Busted!’ Taking on the role of a high school student, Kang Tae-oh looked every bit the part with those curtain bangs.<cite>@jensejeong</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>My First First Love (2019) - Kang Tae-oh then took on the role of aspiring theater actor Choi Hoon for two seasons of this popular Netflix web series. No wonder he wore that textured bowl cut with so much confidence!<cite>Kpopmap</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Tale of Nokdu (2019) - (1/3) As Cha Yool-moo in ‘Tale of Nokdu,’ Kang Tae-oh was a charming Joseon-era royal who wore the sangtu (a top knot worn with a headband) like it’s nobody’s business.<cite>Hancinema</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Tale of Nokdu (2019) - (2/3) Worn by noblemen and scholars, he carried the traditional hairstyle so well. He mentioned in an interview that it was his mother’s dream to see him play a king…<cite>Hancinema</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Tale of Nokdu (2019) - (3/3) …And in the series, he stages a successful coup and eventually becomes the next ruler of Joseon. Just like Park Eun-bin in all of her sageuk dramas, Kang Tae-oh definitely served looks as a royal. He also won Best New Actor at the 2019 KBS Drama Awards for this role!<cite>Hancinema</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Love With Flaws (2019) - Just before his string of upcoming hit dramas, he also made a brief cameo in the romantic comedy ‘Love with Flaws’ as the dapper Oh Jung-tae—the lead star’s ex-boyfriend. How can you not stare back when he’s got the perfect hair, the sparkly smile, and those bright eyes?<cite>Hancinema</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Run On (2020-2021) - (1/3) As the second lead in the romantic sports drama ‘Run On,’ Kang Tae-oh was charming and cheeky as a college student named Lee Yeong-hwa. At 26, he’s still playing a haksaeng in uni and still looks the part!<cite>Hancinema</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Run On (2020-2021) - (2/3) This textured two-block cut is becoming a bit of a signature at this point, and those glasses just add that extra oomph to the look.<cite>Hancinema</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Run On (2020-2021) - (3/3) At one point in the drama, you would also spot him sporting this slicked-back hairstyle!<cite>Hancinema</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Doom At Your Service (2021) - (1/3) Last year, Kang Tae-oh brought to life cafe owner Lee Hyun-kyu in ‘Doom at Your Service’ looking all crush-worthy with the curtain bangs to top off his textured two-block cut.<cite>Hancinema</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Doom At Your Service (2021) - (2/3) The perfect visuals, you say? Kang Tae-oh’s got you covered. You’d recognize that smile from a mile away!<cite>Hancinema</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Doom At Your Service (2021) - (3/3) Lee Hyun-kyu also let it be known that Kang Tae-oh can pull off a mean wet look when he wants to!<cite>Hancinema</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>KBS Drama Special (2021) - He then went back to a classic bowl cut for his role as Cha Min-jae in an episode of KBS Drama Special titled ‘The Effect of a Finger Flick on a Breakup.’<cite>@kbsdramaspecial</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Thirty-Nine (2022) - Before officially becoming Lee Jun-ho, he also made a special appearance on ‘Thirty Nine’ looking casual and cool as a part-timer at a restaurant.<cite>@kdramatreats</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022) - (1/3) At present, Kang Tae-oh is about to wrap up his stint as Lee Jun-ho in this ongoing critically acclaimed drama. As the charming love interest of the show’s titular Woo Young-woo, you can tell the male lead glow-up is real!<cite>ZAPZEE</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022) - (2/3) Kang Tae-oh perfectly portrays the kind, compassionate Lee Jun-ho who made us fall in love with those expressive eyes.<cite>ZAPZEE</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022) - (3/3) He falls in love with Young-woo and enjoys going out on ‘extraordinary’ dates with her, including protesting with her to free dolphins from the aquarium—which gives us a few minutes of Kang Tae-oh bringing the cute as he confidently dons a stuffed whale headband.<cite>Koran Memo</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Singles (2022) - Kang Tae-oh is no stranger to photo shoots either, having graced ‘Singles’ several times throughout his career. We’re really digging the tousled hair in his latest one, though!<cite>@kto940620</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>KBO League 2022 - Undoubtedly a new “Golden Boy” in K-Drama, Kang Tae-oh also brought out the smize when he suited up to throw the first pitch to open the baseball league in early August. Visuals? Check. Personality? Check. Talent? Check, check, check!<cite>@kto940620</cite></p></div></div></div></div><div><em><br/></em></div><div><em><small>Banner photos via <strong>@kto940620, Alchetron, Newsnpr, Hancinema, and ZAPZEE</strong></small><strong> </strong></em></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Related Story: </strong><a href="/beauty/makeup/park-eun-bin-evolution-then-and-now/33396" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Then And Now: Park Eun-Bin’s Extraordinary Beauty Evolution</a></div>