Ok Taec-yeon

Ok Taecyeon was born in Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea, but emigrated at the age of 10, with his parents and older sister Jihyen to Boston, Massachusetts,. His sister Jihyen persuaded him to participate in a JYP Entertainment audition, whose promotion she had noticed on the Internet. After his reluctant agreement to participate, both headed for New York City on his 17th birthday. A week later he was chosen for the final 35 and got the call to go to South Korea to go further in the competition. At first Ok 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 Junho and Hwang Chan-sung) to compete in the show Superstar Survival but was the first contestant to leave the show.

Ok lived in Massachusetts for seven years, attending 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 and then studied Business Administration at Dankook University and attended Korea University Graduate School of International Studies.

He is fluent in English, Korean, and Japanese. Ok is also familiar with the use of the Busan dialect, which he used in the KBS2 drama Wonderful Days.He formerly hosted SBS' music show Inkigayo with Wooyoung and was a permanent cast member on Family Outing 2 before it was cancelled.

In 2010 he made his acting debut in KBS drama series Cinderella's Sister alongside Moon Geun-young and Chun Jung-myung. He then starred in high school drama Dream High, which received high domestic ratings as well as international popularity.

In September 2011, FujiTV announced that Ok was going to become a regular on their Sunday drama Boku to Star no 99 Nichi, along with Japanese actor Nishijima Hidetoshi and South Korean actress Kim Tae-hee. This is his first regular role in a Japanese drama.

In February 2013, it was announced that Ok would form an on-screen couple with Taiwanese actress Emma Wu, in the Global Edition of the reality show We Got Married. The same year, he made his film debut in romantic comedy Marriage Blue. He composed two songs for the soundtrack of the film.

In 2014, he starred in KBS' weekend drama Wonderful Days, playing a tough-fisted bodyguard. The same year, he joined tvN's cooking variety show Three Meals a Day directed by Na PD. He later rejoined for a second season in 2015. Ok was praised for his hardworking image and easygoing personality on the show.

In 2015, Ok was cast in KBS' political drama Assembly. He plays 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 horror comedy Hey Ghost, Let's Fight with Kim So-hyun, and featured in web-drama 7 First Kisses by Lotte Duty Free.

In 2017, he starred in mystery thriller House of the Disappeared with veteran actress Kim Yunjin. He then starred in OCN's thriller drama Save Me alongside Seo Ye-ji.

In 2020, he starred in the mystery drama The Game: Towards Zero, 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 the main antagonist. It was his first major antagonistic role since his debut in acting.

In the same year, Ok also starred in the historical drama Secret Royal Inspector & Joy, which premiered on both tvN and iQiyi in November 2021.

In 2022, he 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 instalment of Kim Han-min's Yi Sun-sin trilogy.