Rising Star Kang You-seok Talks About His Journey and Recent Success

Actor Kang You-seok recently shared updates about his life and career.

On the 26th, at a café in Gangnam, Seoul, Kang You-seok, who stars in the tvN weekend drama 'Resident Playbook' (created by Shin Won-ho and Lee Woo-jung, directed by Lee Min-soo, written by Kim Song-hee, planned by CJ ENM Studios, produced by Egg is Coming), discussed his experiences.

'Resident Playbook' is a drama that follows the journey of residents aspiring to become wise doctors, depicting their growth through various challenges. In the series, Kang You-seok plays the role of Um Jae-il, a first-year obstetrics and gynecology resident at Yulje Hospital, who was formerly a member of an idol group.

Previously, Kang You-seok gained recognition for his role as Yang Eun-myung, the brother of Yang Geum-myung (played by IU), in the Netflix series 'When Life Gives You Tangerines'. With the success of 'Resident Playbook', he has solidified his status as a trending actor.

When asked if he is recognized more often now, Kang You-seok laughed and said, "I don't get recognized while walking around. (laughs) But my parents and relatives are very happy, which makes me glad. My relatives used to ask if I was still acting and when I would appear on screen, but they don't ask anymore. They were worried about me, so I'm satisfied with just that."

Kang You-seok mentioned that he still uses public transportation frequently. "I walk quite a bit," he said. "Recently, I took the subway home after meeting a friend, and no one recognized me, which was a bit disappointing. At first, I kept my head down, thinking someone might recognize me, but even when I looked up, no one did, so I realized I need to work harder."

He added with a smile, "These days, I'm filming with (Lee) Jong-seok, and people recognize him and follow him around, talking to him. It seems like no one recognizes me, so I feel like I need to work even harder."

Kim Se-ah, TenAsia Reporter haesmik@tenasia.co.kr