Kang Hoon on First Rom-Com Lead in tvN's 'Bitch X Rich' and Fandom Roots

For actor Kang Hoon, the tvN series "My Favorite Employee" was a first in more ways than one. It was his first time leading a romantic comedy, guiding a character's love story from start to finish. Watching his character chase a "favorite" into an unfamiliar world also brought him back to his own younger self, when he first dreamed of becoming an actor.

KPOPIT recently sat down with Kang at a cafe on Samcheong-ro in Seoul's Jongno district, shortly after the show wrapped. "My Favorite Employee" follows Nam Da-reum (played by Kim Hye-jun), who joins the startup Apello in hopes of meeting her idol, and follows her growth and romance from there. Kang plays Kang Ha-gi, the CEO of Apello, opposite Kim Hye-jun. It marks his first lead role in a romantic comedy.

Kang has his own version of that story. As a student, he started acting because he wanted to one day meet his favorite idol, Taeyeon of Girls' Generation, as a fellow professional in the same industry.

"I signed up for an acting academy because I wanted to meet Taeyeon someday," he said. "I didn't want to show up as just a fan. I wanted to introduce myself after I had built something as an actor."

Years of being a fan also helped him understand the script. "I didn't cover my whole room in idol goods the way Da-reum does, but I always had a Girls' Generation CD on my desk," Kang said. One scene in particular hit close to home: the moment Nam Da-reum first sees Lee Chan (played by Cha Woo-min) by an elevator.

"When I first read the script, I thought, 'That's exactly how I met her too,'" Kang said. "My own memories flashed by, and it gave me this strange, happy feeling."

He drew a clear line between being a fan and being in a relationship. "When I met my favorite, it felt like a dream coming true. That emotion was already in the script, so I thought, 'This part, I can express well.'"

"My Favorite Employee" is also the first project where Kang has carried a character's entire romantic arc as the male lead. In earlier roles, he often had to show emotional shifts quickly, within limited screen time. This time, he could build Kang Ha-gi's gradual opening up to Nam Da-reum step by step.

"This was my first drama where I led it all the way through," Kang said. "I got to show all the parts you can only reach when you take your time."

He also enjoyed shaping the character himself. "I could design the character and think about how love slowly moves closer. That's when I realized why actors like being the lead."

As a first-time rom-com lead, the romance scenes with Kim Hye-jun were not always easy. He was especially careful during the kiss scene, not wanting his own nerves to make his co-star uncomfortable.

"It would be a lie to say it was easy," Kang said. "If I said I was nervous, I thought Kim Hye-jun would get nervous in a different way, so I tried to look relaxed instead." He added, "Talking a lot on set usually helps me loosen up. We kept talking and adjusted to each other as we went."

The kiss scene took more than five hours to shoot. "It's such an important moment in a romance drama, so the director really poured himself into it," Kang said. "We shot it for much longer than I expected."

The long shoot was not only about the kiss. "The emotions and lines leading up to the moment they confirm their feelings are all connected, so we shot it from start to finish, over and over," he said. "We stayed focused the whole time and kept saying, 'It would be better if we did it this way.' That's how we finished the scene."

Even after finishing his first rom-com lead, Kang was not quick to praise himself. He said that no matter how hard he works on set, watching the finished product always leaves him with regrets. "If I ever feel completely satisfied, I think that's when I should stop acting."

Because it was a romance, he also put extra care into how he looked on screen. "I wanted both leads to look good, so I paid a lot of attention to my condition," he said. "But I wasn't fully satisfied with the visual side." He added, "I think there's a better version of my face out there. I have to take what I felt this time and use it to grow in the next drama."

He was in no rush to reach a lead role. Even during his early years, Kang believed there was a right time for each actor. "I've asked myself, if I had taken on a big role when I was younger, would I have been able to pull it off?" he said. "I would have gotten through it somehow, but I don't think I would have done it well."

He was more at peace with the path he has walked so far. "I can't say I've done everything perfectly, even now, but I'm doing it without regret," Kang said. "I feel like I'm moving up, slowly and steadily. I think I'm going in the right direction."

What began as a wish to meet someone has become something Kang enjoys on its own terms. The fan who once dreamed of becoming an actor to meet his favorite is now leading a romantic comedy of his own.

"Being an actor is just so much fun," Kang said. "Acting itself makes me happy." He smiled and added, "As long as people keep calling for me, I want to keep working hard."