Handsome actor still haunted by one nickname after 12 years—now he wants answers

Actor Shin Sung Dress is still dealing with a moniker he never asked for, more than a decade after it first appeared.

During a recent appearance on the SBS show Uh, but like seriouslythe veteran actor opened up about the unexpected label that followed him throughout his career.

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The story dates back to his breakout role as a cold sociopathic villain in the hit K-Drama, My Love of the Star. At the height of the show’s popularity, a single online comment compared his appearance to a “KakaoTalk dog,” referring to a cartoon-style dog character emoticon used in the messaging app.

What may have been a one-off joke quickly spiraled into something much bigger. According to Shin Sung Rok, the moniker stuck almost immediately, with edited images and screenshots of his scenes repeatedly accompanying the comparison. Over time, it’s become something that fans—and even casual viewers—keep bringing up.

More than 12 years later, the actor revealed that the nickname still pops up to this day. “I’m still called that,” he said laughing.

I really want to find the person who started this. I just want to talk.

— Shin Sung Dress

Although clearly said in jest, his comment struck a chord with viewers and highlighted how a single viral moment can follow a celebrity for years, long after the original joke was made.