On May 20, several Korean online communities began resharing a popular post titled: “Kang Dong won the college exposure of classmates.“
The post included old college photos of the actor along with a funny comment from someone claiming to be his former schoolmate.
According to the viral comment, Kang Dong Won worked at the mechanical engineering department’s food and drink stall during a university festival while attending ERICA Campus of Hanyang University.
The anonymous poster jokingly wrote:
“During the school festival, Kang Dong Won was preparing side dishes and serving customers at the mechanical engineering booth. Because of this, all the other departments’ booths failed. He is a very bad person.”
The playful “allegation” immediately made Korean netizens burst out laughing, many of whom said the story was completely believable considering Kang Dong Won’s legendary images even during his college years.
The actor entered the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Hanyang University in 1999, and stories about his overwhelming popularity on campus have been circulating online for years.
The resurfaced anecdote gained even more attention because Kang Dong Won himself had previously addressed the viral story during a YouTube appearance.
Laughing off the rumours, the actor clarified:
“I also saw that post online. It wasn’t just our department’s booth that did well.”
He went on to explain that he was mainly responsible for serving food and carrying drinks because freshmen were typically responsible for these tasks during festivals.
Kang Dong Won added:
“I don’t remember everything clearly, but I worked hard. After the end, I drank with the elders.”
When asked if he had indeed caused damage to other cabins because of his appearance, the actor jokingly replied:
“Was I really causing trouble? I don’t think so.”
Online reactions exploded once again after the story resurfaced, with many netizens leaving hilarious comments such as:
“I admit it. It’s really evil.”
“If Kang Dong Won personally served customers, every other booth would be doomed to fail.”
“It’s basically a tactical nuclear weapon for use in a college festival.”
Meanwhile, Kang Dong Won is currently preparing for the release of his next comedy film Wild thing.
The film tells the story of a once famous mixed dance group called Triangle, which reunites 20 years after suddenly disbanding due to an unexpected accident. Kang Dong Won stars alongside Uhm Tae Goo and Park Ji Hyun, as Hyun Woo, the leader and “dancing machine” of the legendary trio.
Even before the film’s release, Kang Dong Won’s retro images and resurfaced college stories once again remind fans why he has long been considered one of Korea’s most iconic images.
Sources: Daum | News 1
