10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT KOREAN HEARTTHROB OK TAECYEON
For enthusiasts of all things Korean, Ok Taecyeon is a beloved face. From his heydays as a K-pop idol to his ongoing success as a K-drama leading man, this heartthrob has firmly situated himself as a fixture in the Hallyu scene. A true measure of this is how he only needs make a brief cameo in order to make a lasting impact. To find out everything you need to know about him, keep scrolling.
1. Ok Taecyeon is a Capricorn.
Taecyeon was born on December 27, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. At 10 years old, he and his family moved to Bedford, Massachusetts in the States.
2. Ok Taecyeon went to the same college as Ji Chang Wook.
After a little convincing from his sister, Taecyeon took part in a JYP Entertainment audition just a couple of days after he turned 17. A week later, he found himself flying to Korea to take part in the training camp, initially as an aspiring model. He continued his studies at Dankook University, which was also attended by the likes of Ji Chang Wook, Rain, and Na In Woo.
3. Ok Taecyeon rose to fame as a member of K-pop group 2PM.
When his career got rolling, Taecyeon took part in Hot Blood Men, a talent search program where 13 trainees went through extreme training to form a K-pop band. Supergroup One Day was born from the show and was divided into 2AM and 2PM. Taecyeon found himself in the latter, and was assigned as the main rapper of the group.
Their second EP 2:00PM Time for Change became their gateway to mainstream success. The band's career has since spawned numerous sold-out concerts, accolades from ceremonies like the MTV Video Music Awards Japan, and hundreds of "Hottest" (That's the name of their fanbase, FYI).
4. Ok Taecyeon is signed under So Ji Sub's talent agency.
Taecyeon delved into some solo projects shortly after debuting with 2PM. In 2017, he released his first solo Japanese album and even held a concert at the Tokyo Dome City Hall that same year. A year later, he officially left JYP Entertainment and signed with 51K, a talent agency founded by veteran actor So Ji Sub. He is still, however, an active member of 2PM despite the management shift.
5. Ok Taecyeon is multilingual.
Given his cross-cultural upbringing, Taecyeon grew to be fluent in a couple of languages, namely Korean, English, Japanese and a native Busan dialect. You can catch him speaking in the latter in his KBS2 Drama Wonderful Days!
6. Ok Taecyeon made his acting debut in Cinderella's Stepsister.
A man of many talents, Taecyeon appeared in his first K-drama in 2010, playing Han Jung-woo in the romance melodrama Cinderella's Stepsister. Acting alongside him were Moon Geun Young, Seo Woo, and Chun Jung Myung.
From there on, his filmography expanded with titles such as Who Are You?, Bring It On, Ghost, and Save Me. Even the most casual Netflix viewers would be able to recognize him as the antagonistic Jang Han-seok in Vincenzo.
7. Ok Taecyeon has three songs with Bae Suzy.
One of Taecyeon's first-ever on-screen projects was Dream High, a coming-of-age TV series set in a high school. In the show, he starred alongside Hallyu heavyweights Kim Soo Hyun, Bae Suzy, and Wooyoung, and the four of them collaborated on the OST together.
That wasn't the last time Taecyeon would share a mic with Suzy. In 2012, they worked together on the song Classic with Park Jin Young. A little later that same year, he provided a verse for Madness, a single by K-girl group Miss A, which Suzy was also a part of.
8. Ok Taecyeon is a Baeksang Arts Awards-nominated actor.
Taecyeon's first acting award came in 2010 when he was recognized for his work on Cinderella's Stepsister at the KBS Drama Awards. This would eventually be followed up by nods from the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards, where he was nominated for his performances in the film Marriage Blue and the TV show Wonderful Days.
9. Ok Taecyeon made a cameo in Netflix's XO, Kitty.
One of Taecyeon's most recent appearances on our screens was in Netflix's XO, Kitty. In the show, he made a cameo as Ocean Park, a heartthrob who allegedly had a relationship with Min Ho's (Sang Heon Lee) mom. Make sure not to miss him on episode 8 of the show!
10. You can follow Ok Taecyeon on Instagram.
To keep yourself updated on all things Ok Taecyeon, make sure to hit follow on his Instagram account.
