Actor Kang Tae Oh Debuts Shaved Head, And Fans Wish Him Well As He Enlists
5urprise‘s Kang Tae Oh is officially enlisting to fulfill his mandatory military service.
Though he shot to stardom with his role as Lee Jun Ho in ENA‘s K-Drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Kang Tae Oh must enlist this year due to his age.
Every able-bodied South Korean male is required to serve in the mandatory military service for about 1.5 years unless you have an exemption that the nation has cleared. They must enlist by the time they reach 28 years old (Korean age). So, even if they are currently at the height of their career, they must enlist anyway.
Previously, Kang Tae Oh’s agency, Man of Creation, announced Kang Tae Oh’s enlistment. On July 29, Man of Creation shared via TENASIA details regarding plans for enlistment.
He must enlist to complete his military service sometime this year. The draft notice has not been issued yet, though. Kang Tae Oh has a masculine personality, and he loves to work out. So he wanted to complete his military service as part of the ROKN UDT or the ROK Marines. But it is more likely that he’ll be a part of the ROK Army. He’s planning on enlisting as early as the end of August to mid-September.
— Man of Creation
In August, Kang Tae Oh himself revealed his enlistment date during his TikTok Stage Connect: SweeTaeOh. He thanked fans for all the memories.
The message arrived for me. I was called to fulfill my duty to my country. I will enlist in the military on September 20. For my fans who will wait for me, I will sing Kim Dong Ryul’s song ‘Thank You’ as a token of my appreciation.
Thank you for making such good memories with me. I will return with a healthy mindset.
— Kang Tae Oh
강태오 9/20일 입대 전 마지막 노래 pic.twitter.com/46gjXMkufs
— 유 (@KDLE_H) August 31, 2022
Now, Kang Tae Oh is officially enlisting.
Ahead of his departure, Kang Tae Oh shared photos on Instagram, debuting his shaved head. He proved that he can rock any hairstyle!
Additionally, Kang Tae Oh thanked his fans once again for their support. He promised to see them soon.
Thank you for your support and excessive love. I’ll be strong and come back well. See you soon.
— Kang Tae Oh
Fans are saddened to see him go but wish him well. So, they are trending “#WhaleWaitForYouKangTaeOh2024,” a pun referencing Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
wait this hashtag is saur cute 😭 pic.twitter.com/JuidvEWubR
— tin 🐳 (@yvnhwan) September 19, 2022
smile in 2022 😁#kangtaeoh #강태오 #คังแทโอ #따뜻한_봄에_다시만나_태오야 #AlwaysBeWithKangTaeOh #WhaleWaitForYouKangTaeOh2024 pic.twitter.com/QHBwU2hTLZ
— ขอโทษที่ร้องเพี้ยน แต่ฉันไม่ผิด (@Thylerr2) September 19, 2022
can't believe the time has come, take care of your health, we will wait for you until you are discharged from the military
love from meteor/naniz 💕#WhaleWaitForYouKangTaeOh2024 pic.twitter.com/DoFTYyqTXB
— 국민 섭섭남 🦊 (@cirrocumulu5) September 19, 2022
this warm boy is gonna leave in a warm autumn afternoon and will come back in a warm spring day LIKE I WANNA CRY??????
#WhaleWaitForYouKangTaeOh2024 pic.twitter.com/9Ps35dt6DE
— elle (@4yunivrse) September 19, 2022
The hashtag is trending on Twitter, with over 4,000 tweets at the time of writing.
We wish Kang Tae Oh a safe trip. See you in 2024!
Previously, fans “volunteered” to enlist in place of Kang Tae Oh. Read more below.
