Ok Taec-yeon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ok Taec-yeon
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Taec-yeon in July 2023
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| Born | December 27, 1988 Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea
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| Education | Dankook University (BS) Korea University Graduate School of International Studies (MS) |
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| Years active | 2008–present |
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| Musical career | |
| Also known as | TY |
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| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
옥택연
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| Hanja |
玉澤演
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| Revised Romanization | Ok Taekyeon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ok T'aegyŏn |
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Ok Taec-yeon (Hangul: 옥택연; born December 27, 1988), known simply as Taecyeon, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and businessman. He is the rapper of the famous South Korean boy band 2PM.
In 2010, Ok Taec-yeon started his acting career in the Korean drama Cinderella's Stepsister. Since then, he has starred in many popular TV shows like Dream High (2011), Let's Fight, Ghost (2016), Save Me (2017), and Vincenzo (2021). He has also appeared in movies such as Marriage Blue (2013) and Hansan: Rising Dragon (2022).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ok Taec-yeon was born in Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea. When he was 10, he moved to Boston, Massachusetts, USA, with his parents and older sister, Jihyen. His sister encouraged him to try out for JYP Entertainment, a big entertainment company.
Even though he wasn't sure, he went to New York City for the audition when he was 17. A week later, he was chosen to go to South Korea for the next round. He first wanted to be a model, but the judges suggested he try dancing and singing. He became one of the finalists in a show called Superstar Survival.
Ok Taec-yeon lived in Massachusetts for seven years. He went to Bedford High School. There, he was part of the Chess Club, Jazz Band, and the National Honor Society. He later returned to Korea to start his career. He studied Business Administration at Dankook University and attended Korea University Graduate School of International Studies.
He can speak English, Korean, and Japanese very well. He also knows the Busan dialect, which he used in the drama Wonderful Days.
Music Career
Starting with 2PM
In 2008, Ok Taec-yeon took part in a show called Hot Blood Men. This show followed 13 trainees as they trained to become part of a boy band. This training led to the creation of two boy bands: 2AM and 2PM. Ok Taec-yeon became a member of 2PM.
Six months after Hot Blood aired, 2PM released their first song, "10 Points out of 10 Points." However, they became very successful in the Korean music industry with their second album, 2:00PM Time For Change.
Solo Music Projects
Ok Taec-yeon was featured in Baek Ji-young's popular song "My Ear's Candy" in 2009. Baek Ji-young said she asked him to join the song after hearing his rap in 2PM's "10 Points out of 10 Points."
In 2012, he worked with other students from Dankook University to create a digital album called Blue Bears with Taecyeon. He wrote the rap lyrics for the main song, "Wings." All the money from the album sales was given back to the university.
In 2017, Ok Taec-yeon released his first solo Japanese album, Taecyeon Special: Winter Hitori. He also held his first solo concert in Japan, called "Taecyeon (From 2PM) Premium Concert."
In July 2018, Ok Taec-yeon signed a contract with 51K, an agency started by actor So Ji-sub. This happened after his contract with JYP Entertainment ended. His old agency confirmed that he would still be a member of 2PM.
Acting and Hosting Career
Ok Taec-yeon used to host SBS' music show Inkigayo. He was also a regular cast member on Family Outing 2.
In 2010, he made his acting debut in the KBS drama Cinderella's Sister. He then starred in the high school drama Dream High, which was very popular in Korea and other countries.
In 2011, FujiTV announced that Ok Taec-yeon would be a regular on their Japanese drama Boku to Star no 99 Nichi. This was his first regular role in a Japanese drama.
In 2013, he appeared in the reality show We Got Married (Global Edition) with Taiwanese actress Emma Wu. The same year, he made his first movie appearance in the romantic comedy Marriage Blue. He even wrote two songs for the movie's soundtrack.
In 2014, he played a tough bodyguard in the KBS drama Wonderful Days. He also joined tvN's cooking show Three Meals a Day. He was praised for being hardworking and friendly on the show.
In 2016, he starred in the horror comedy Hey Ghost, Let's Fight and the web-drama 7 First Kisses. In 2017, he appeared in the mystery thriller House of the Disappeared and the OCN thriller drama Save Me.
After finishing his military service, he starred in the mystery drama The Game: Towards Zero in 2020. In 2021, he played a villain in the popular tvN drama Vincenzo. This was his first major role as a bad guy. In the same year, he also starred in the historical drama Secret Royal Inspector & Joy.
In 2022, he played a spy in the war action film Hansan: Rising Dragon.
Military Service
On December 9, 2010, Ok Taec-yeon decided to give up his American permanent residence visa. He wanted to serve in the South Korean military as an active-duty soldier.
At first, he was only cleared for public service because of poor vision and a dislocated shoulder. However, he had surgeries in 2012 and 2013 to fix these issues. He was then cleared for active duty in December 2013, but he delayed joining due to his busy work schedule.
On September 4, 2017, Ok Taec-yeon officially started his mandatory military service. He completed his basic training and became a military instruction assistant.
In February 2018, he volunteered at the 2018 Winter Olympics. He hosted cultural shows and performed with 2PM at the Olympic Headliner Show.
On October 1, 2018, Ok Taec-yeon led a demonstration of new combat gear at the 70th Armed Forces Day Celebration. Officials praised him for giving up his American residency and choosing active duty. He also led the final salute to President Moon Jae-in.
In February 2019, he was promoted early to Sergeant because of his excellent behavior. He was named a 'Special Class Warrior' and a 'Model Soldier'. People online even gave him the nickname "Captain Korea" because of his strong physique, like the Marvel superhero. He finished his military service on May 16, 2019.
Other Activities
OKCAT Character
In 2013, Ok Taec-yeon introduced a green cat character called "Okcat" to the public. He had created this character himself. Okcat emoticons were already available on the chat app KakaoTalk. During a press conference, he shared how he developed the character and showed his original sketches. An "Okcat" shop opened the same day, selling products with the Okcat image.
Filmography
Ok Taec-yeon has appeared in many films and television shows. Here are some of his notable works:
Films
- Marriage Blue (2013) as Won-chul
- House of the Disappeared (2017) as Priest Choi
- Hansan: Rising Dragon (2022) as Im Joon-young
Television Series
- Cinderella's Stepsister (2010) as Han Jung-woo
- Dream High (2011) as Jin Gook / Hyun Shi-hyuk
- Who Are You? (2013) as Cha Gun-woo
- Wonderful Days (2014) as Kang Dong-hee
- Hey Ghost, Let's Fight (2016) as Park Bong-pal
- Save Me (2017) as Han Sang-hwan
- The Game: Towards Zero (2020) as Kim Tae-pyung
- Vincenzo (2021) as Jang Jun-woo / Jang Han-seok
- Secret Royal Inspector & Joy (2021) as Ra Yi-eon
- Heartbeat (2023) as Seon Woo-hyul
Discography
Ok Taec-yeon has released solo music and contributed to soundtracks.
Solo Album
- Taecyeon Special: Winter Hitori (2017)
Featured Songs
- "My Ear's Candy" (with Baek Ji-young) (2009)
- "Wings" (with Blue Bears) (2012)
Soundtrack Songs
- "Dream High" (with other Dream High cast members) (2011)
- "My Valentine" (with Nichkhun) (2011)
Awards and Recognition
Ok Taec-yeon has received several awards and nominations for his work in music and acting.
- In 2011, he won the OST of the Year award at the Bugs Music Awards for "My Valentine."
- In 2017, he received the Popularity Award at the Korean Film Shining Star Awards for his role in House of the Disappeared.
See also
In Spanish: Ok Taec-yeon para niños
