“Who liked this comment?”: Kang Tae-oh shares honest reactions behind reading hate comments online

Rising actor Kang Tae-oh recently opened up about his honest reactions to hate comments he tries hard not to read. The 28-year-old flaunted his physique in a recent pictorial with GQ Korea and spoke about a scene from Extraordinary Attorney Woo that worried him the most, enlistment, and malicious comments, among other things.

Despite being in the industry since 2013, Kang Tae-oh rose to mainstream fame with Netflix’s 2022 drama, Extraordinary Attorney Woo. He talked about negative comments, a core part of stardom, and shared that he did not think he would get offended reading such comments about him. However, the hate stuck with him for a longer period.

“I thought I wouldn’t [get offended]. Before, I was thinking, ‘Why do people get offended by comments?’ But when I confronted the bad comments about me, the damage was huge. Even when I am praised 100 times, it hurts if I get hated even just once.”

The actor recalled the time he read a hate comment and commented on what he did next.

“One day I saw a comment saying, ‘Why does an actor like him get cast as a male lead?’ When I see such a comment, I click on the dislike button for starters. I’m like, ‘Who liked this comment?’ with anger.”

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Kang Tae-oh gives a BTS story about his popular dialogue and talks about enlistment

Malicious comments and hate in the entertainment industry, especially in South Korea, are at their peak. It might also be one of the reasons that Extraordinary Attorney Woo's lead actor was apprehensive of one of the scenes in episode 7.

A clip of Kang Tae-oh’s Lee Jun-ho frustratingly saying “I’m disappointed” soon went viral as soon as the drama aired episode 7. He talked about the scene in detail, and how he was concerned that that one dialogue could seem like a misfit for the generally-nicest-guy-on-earth Jun-ho.

“I was very worried about that scene. Jun-ho would always wait for Young-woo to take action, but it is the first scene where he approaches her first while taking action. There was a concern that it might look out of character from the Jun-ho I had portrayed before.”

He added the meaning behind that particular line, saying,

“His (Jun-ho) words, ‘That’s disappointing,’ doesn’t mean that he was just literally disappointed. He must have felt happy, shy, and embarrassed at the same time. There were so many thoughts and abstract emotions that couldn’t be explained in words. That’s why I tried several takes. I tried once with a smile, and I tried once like I’m really sad.”

The final take included in the show was one where he tried to convey Jun-ho’s emotions in a sad manner.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo propelled Kang Tae-ho to the forefront as he neared his conscription. The drama’s success was a surprise to many, including the cast and crew of the show. As the actor is already 28, he will have to serve his country by enlisting in the military before December 2022.

Experiencing his career peak has given Kang Tae-oh a newfound motivation to do better.

“I feel like it has given me a warning before I enlist in the military, saying, ‘Do better from now on.’ Of course, I had a similar mindset before, but it feels like it’s giving me the advice one more time.”

In other news, Kang Tae-oh is confirmed to join Shin Hye-sun for a crime thriller movie titled Open the Door. It will mark the actor’s return to the big screen in three years.