[Sportschosun Jiyoung Cho] Actor Ok Taec-yeon, who gave up his U.S. permanent residency to enlist on active duty and earned the nickname "Captain Korea" for his exceptional physique in the military, is drawing praise from viewers for his standout presence in "Mr. Kim."
In episode 4 of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama "Mr. Kim," which aired on the 4th, Ok Taec-yeon appeared as Park Young-gwang, a secret agent who trained with Mr. Kim (So Ji-sub) in the past, immediately catching viewers' attention. He played a character who grew up with Mr. Kim at North Korea's Kanggam Nursery and underwent life-or-death training every day to become a member of the social sports unit. With his outstanding skills, he initially clashed with Mr. Kim as a rival, but the two came to rely on each other in harsh conditions and built a bond of friendship stronger than anyone else's.
However, he fell into a trap during a mission and met a tragic end, leaving viewers deeply saddened. Despite his brief appearance, Ok Taec-yeon added depth to the backstory by showing the close friendship between Park Young-gwang and Mr. Kim. In particular, he delivered realistic action, natural North Korean dialect, and a surprising charm that revealed warmth and humanity in front of Mr. Kim, even while carrying out cold, disciplined missions and training. He convincingly completed the friendship between Park Young-gwang and Mr. Kim, leaving an impact that went beyond a special appearance.
Earlier, Ok Taec-yeon received positive reviews for his intense emotional performance as boxer Yohan, a man living with deep wounds, in the Japanese Netflix series "Soulmate," released in May. More recently, he also continued his music career by successfully wrapping up 2PM's 15th anniversary concert in Japan at Tokyo Dome. He further solidified his reputation as a "hexagonal entertainer" by unveiling a stylish photo shoot in the May issue of GQ Korea.
As he continues to show limitless potential through a wide range of activities, attention is also turning to what Ok Taec-yeon will do next.
Jiyoung Cho soulhn1220@sportschosun.com
