Ok Taec-yeon

Biography

Ok Taec-yeon (Korean: 옥택연; born December 27, 1988), known mononymously as Taecyeon, is a South Korean rapper, singer, actor, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he debuted as the rapper of the South Korean boy band 2PM. In 2010, Ok debuted as an actor in the Korean drama Cinderella's Stepsister and has since starred in notable television series such as Dream High (2011), Bring It On, Ghost (2016), Vincenzo (2021), and The First Night with the Duke (2025), as well as films such as Hansan: Rising Dragon (2022). As a solo artist, he has released one Japanese studio album titled Taecyeon Special: Winter Hitori in 2017.

== Early life and education == Ok Taecyeon was born in Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea, but emigrated at the age of 10 with his family to Boston, Massachusetts, where he lived for seven years. He attended Bedford High School where he was a member of the Chess Club, Jazz Band, JV Soccer Team, and National Honor Society, before returning to pursue his career in Korea. Ok transferred to Young Dong High School in Seoul, studied Business Administration at Dankook University, and studied International Business at Korea University Graduate School of International Studies. In 2005, Ok's older sister Jihyen persuaded him to participate in a JYP Entertainment audition she had noticed via Internet promotions. After his reluctant agreement, both headed for New York City on his 17th birthday. A week later, he was amongst the final 35 chosen to go further in the competition and received a call to move to South Korea. Ok originally applied to become a model, but the judges suggested he try dancing and singing. Eventually, he was named one of the dozen finalists (including his future members, Lee Jun-ho and Hwang Chan-sung) to compete in the show Superstar Survival, but was the first contestant to leave the show. Despite this, JYP Entertainment still offered him a trainee contract. Ok is fluent in English, Korean, and Japanese. He is also familiar with the Busan dialect, which he has used in the dramas Cinderella's Stepsister, Wonderful Days, and Save Me.

== Career ==

=== 2PM ===

In 2008, he participated in Mnet's Hot Blooded Men, a program that chronicles the rigorous training of thirteen aspiring trainees, all vying for a coveted spot in the boy band One Day. This initiative ultimately led to the formation of two distinct boy bands, namely 2AM and 2PM. Half a year following the televised airing of Hot Blooded Men, the group 2PM made their debut with the release of their inaugural single "10 Out of 10" from their first single album titled Hottest Time of the Day. However, it was their second single album, 2:00PM Time For Change, that propelled them to mainstream success in Korean music, solidifying their meteoric rise. As of 2021, the group has released seven studio albums in Korea and five studio albums in Japan. Taecyeon has written and composed several tracks for the group, including "Promise (I'll Be)", the title track of their sixth Korean studio album, Gentlemen's Game.

=== Solo activities === Ok was featured in Baek Ji-young's hit song "My Ear's Candy" (내 귀에 캔디), released on August 13, 2009. Baek revealed that she asked Ok to feature on the song after listening to his rap on 2PM's single "10 Out of 10". In 2012, Ok teamed up with his fellow Dankook University alumni students to produce a digital single album titled Share (with Taecyeon). The album was performed live at Dankook University for the matriculation ceremony. The title song "Wings" featured penned rap lyrics written by Ok. The album also included a remake of "A Night Like Tonight" (오늘같은 밤) by (Lee Gwang-Jo, with an original rap written by Ok himself. The album went on sale on February 28, 2012, with all proceeds donated back the University. Ok released his debut solo Japanese album Taecyeon Special: Winter Hitori on January 18, 2017. As part of the solo project, he held his first solo concert, Winter Hitori, at the Tokyo Dome City Hall in Japan on January 2–3. Footage from the concert was released as a DVD by Epic Records Japan on December 27, 2017; the DVD peaked at number 13 on the Oricon Weekly DVD Chart. In July 2018, it was announced that Ok had signed an exclusive contract with 51K, an agency founded by actor So Ji-sub, following the end of his contract with JYP Entertainment. His former agency reported that he will remain a member of 2PM despite the move. On February 23, 2023, 51K announced that Ok had signed a contract with WME for his activities in the United States. Since 2013, Ok has regularly held fan meetings in South Korea. From September 16, 2023, to October 21, 2023, Ok held his first solo fan meeting tour titled SpecialTY with stops in five Asian cities: Taipei, Manila, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Jakarta. On March 8, 2025, Ok held a solo fan meeting in Yokohama titled SweeTY. On June 24, 2025, Ok held a joint fan meeting in Taipei with his agency's founder So Ji-sub titled SONICe ParTY.

=== Acting career === In 2010, Ok made his acting debut in the KBS drama series Cinderella's Sister alongside Moon Geun-young and Chun Jung-myung. In 2011, he and his bandmate Wooyoung starred in the high school drama Dream High, which received high domestic ratings as well as international popularity, winning awards abroad. Ok collaborated with his bandmates and other artists on two songs for the show's soundtrack. In September 2011, FujiTV announced that Ok was cast on the Sunday drama Boku to Star no 99 Nichi along with Japanese actor Nishijima Hidetoshi and South Korean actress Kim Tae-hee, his first regular role in a Japanese drama. In 2013, Ok made his film debut in the romantic comedy Marriage Blue. He wrote and composed the opening and ending tracks of the film. Also in 2013, he starred in OCN's police drama Who Are You? as a detective. In 2014, he starred in KBS's weekend drama Wonderful Days, playing a tough-fisted bodyguard. In 2015, Ok was cast in KBS's political drama Assembly, playing an aspiring police officer who studies at the library to pass his entrance exams by day and works as an official's chauffeur by night. In 2016, he starred in tvN's horror-comedy Bring It On, Ghost alongside Kim So-hyun, as well as the web series Touching You alongside Song Ha-yoon. That same year, he also featured in the web drama 7 First Kisses by Lotte Duty Free. In 2017, he starred in the mystery-thriller film House of the Disappeared with Yunjin Kim. He then starred in OCN's thriller drama Save Me alongside Seo Yea-ji later that year. In 2020, he starred in MBC's mystery drama The Game: Towards Zero as a prophet helping the police with their investigation of a serial killer, reuniting with Lee Yeon-hee with whom he starred in the 2013 film Marriage Blue. It was his first acting role since his military discharge. In 2021, he starred in the tvN drama Vincenzo as Jang Jun-woo, his first major antagonistic role since his acting debut. Vincenzo became one of the highest-rated series on South Korean cable television, as well as one of the most internationally-viewed Korean series on Netflix in 2021. In the same year, Ok also starred alongside Kim Hye-yoon in the historical drama Secret Royal Inspector & Joy, which premiered on both tvN and iQiyi in November 2021. In 2022, Ok played the role of Lim Jun-young, a Joseon spy who sneaks into the Japanese army camp, in the war action film Hansan: Rising Dragon, the second installment of Kim Han-min's Yi Sun-sin trilogy. The film became the second highest-grossing Korean film of 2022. In the same year, he starred in tvN's crime drama Blind. In 2023, he played the role of Seon Woo-hyul, a half-human half-vampire who falls in love with a human, in KBS's romantic comedy Heartbeat. Also in 2023, he made a cameo appearance in the first season of the Netflix series XO, Kitty, his first acting credit in an American work. In 2024, Ok made his Japanese film debut with La Grande Maison Paris, playing a Korean-Canadian pastry chef. In 2025, he starred in KBS's isekai romance drama, The First Night with the Duke, as Lee Beon, a prince in a fantasy world. He won an Excellence in Acting Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries and the Best Couple Award with Girls' Generation's Seohyun for his role at the 2025 KBS Drama Awards, the former being his first award won for acting.

== Other activities ==