Song Joong-ki (; born September 19, 1985) is a South Korean actor who primarily works in television. He rose to fame in the historical coming-of-age drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010) and the variety show Running Man (2010–2011). Since then, he has played diverse roles in the television series The Innocent Man (2012), Descendants of the Sun (2016), Vincenzo (2021), and Reborn Rich (2022); as well as the films A Werewolf Boy (2012), The Battleship Island (2017), and Space Sweepers (2021).
Success of his television dramas have established him as one of the top hallyu stars. His accolades include two Baeksang Arts Awards, one Buil Film Award and two Blue Dragon Film Awards. Since 2012, he has appeared in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40 six times, being in the top ten four times. He was named Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year in 2012 and 2017.
Early life and education Song was born in Dong District, Daejeon, South Korea as the middle child of three siblings. He was raised in a rural outskirts of the city. He competed in short track speed skating and represented his home city at a national level; his skating background would prove useful for his role as a national team skater in the TV series Triple. An injury forced him to give up the sport during his first year of high school. He excelled in his studies all through high school and scored 380 points out of 400 on his national college entrance test, gaining admission to Sungkyunkwan University. While in Seoul preparing for the entrance test, he was scouted on the subway by an agent but did not immediately enter the entertainment industry as he was still ambivalent about his career path,Star Date — The Star of 2012, Actor 'Song Joong-ki' (송중기) . KBS World (YouTube). January 1, 2013. and because his father had initially been against him becoming an actor. He continued to study part-time after deciding to enter the entertainment industry full-time during his third year of university, eventually graduating with a degree in Business Administration (minor in broadcasting) in 2012.
Song first appeared in a TV show as a contestant on KBS's Quiz Korea, substituting for a senior who was sick. Song eventually won second place. This brought him significant attention, and he became a cover model for the university magazine College.
Career 2008–2011: Beginnings and breakthrough
Song made his acting debut in the 2008 period film A Frozen Flower. The following year, he appeared in the couple-swapping segment "Believe in the Moment" of omnibus Five Senses of Eros and continued to take on small but notable roles in Triple and Will It Snow for Christmas?. Song also became a regular host of KBS Friday music program Music Bank from 2009 to 2010. He then appeared in the 2010 medical drama OB & GY, and animal movie sequel Hearty Paws 2.
Song's breakthrough came in the fusion historical drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal where he played the role of an 18th-century Joseon-era rich, indolent playboy. Despite stable but unspectacular ratings, the drama became a cult hit and his on-screen "bromance" with actor Yoo Ah-in was popular with viewers. Song also joined the cast of variety program Running Man from 2010 to 2011.
Song later released the book Beautiful Skin Project, a bestselling health and beauty guide for men (which was re-released in Japan in 2013). In late 2010, he went on a bicycling tour around Sydney, which aired two episodes on TV via ELLE, an offshoot of the eponymous fashion magazine. Moreover, a TV special of the actor's trip to Japan entitled I'm Real: Song Joong-ki aired two parts in early 2011. Song later became an MC for jTBC audition program Made in U.
In 2011, Song starred as a jobless deadbeat in the romantic comedy Penny Pinchers. His acting performance was praised by critics, declaring him a "charismatic, swoon-worthy leading man with a viable presence." Song took on the role of the young king Sejong in Deep Rooted Tree (2011). Critics praised Song's performance, calling it a portrayal of a genius who "realizes the futility of power early in life" and hides in his books to cope with growing up under the rule of his tyrannical father Taejong. Song received the PD Award at the 2011 SBS Drama Awards for the role.
He later narrated the six-part documentary Tears of the Antarctic for MBC program Tears of the Earth (2012), which focuses on pressing environmental issues on the planet and donated his entire salary to charity. He reprised his role as the narrator when the series was re-edited and released in theaters as Pengi and Sommi (2012). The Korea Times highlighted his talking baritone when addressing his narration role.
2012–2015: Leading roles and military enlistment Song described 2012 as a "phenomenal year" for his career. He played the titular character in fantasy romance film A Werewolf Boy, which premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. In preparation for his role, Song watched nature documentaries and observed stray dogs on the streets to learn how to mime and imitate the body movements of an animal. He also repeatedly watched Tim Burton's 1990 romantic fantasy Edward Scissorhands, Matt Reeves' 2010 vampire flick Let Me In, and Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. The film was screened at the Busan International Film Festival, and became the most successful Korean melodrama of all time, with more than 7 million tickets sold.
The same year, he took on his first leading drama role in television, The Innocent Man. His assured and nuanced portrayal of an antihero received praise from critics and audience. The drama attracted high ratings, which along with the impressive box office run of A Werewolf Boy, cemented Song's image in the press as the "savior" of the melodrama genre both on the big and small screen. Song won Top Excellence Award (Actor) at the 20th Korean Culture and Entertainment Awards, 1st K-Drama Star Awards and the 2012 KBS Drama Awards.
In February 2013, after his contract with entertainment agency Sidus HQ expired, Song announced that he would be joining Blossom Entertainment. He then enlisted on August 27 at the 102nd draft camp in Chuncheon. He served in an infantry unit assigned to patrol and conduct reconnaissance missions along the DMZ and was discharged on May 26, 2015.
2016–present: International popularity Song made his small screen comeback in Descendants of the Sun alongside actress Song Hye-kyo, playing a military officer. The drama was incredibly popular in Korea with a peak viewership rating of 41.6% and in Asia, where it was viewed 2.5 billion times on iQiyi. The drama reestablished Song as a leader of the hallyu, and he topped popularity polls in Asia.
Song was made the Korean Tourism Honorary Ambassador by the Korea Tourism Organization to actively promote Korean tourism worldwide. He was the first actor to be invited to the nationwide live prime-time news show KBS News 9. He was also listed as one of the Top 100 Future Generation of Leaders, at #34. He became the face of over 30 brands in 2016 alone and was one of the recipients of Korea's "Brand of the Year" award. Song won the Daesang (or "Grand Prize"), the highest award for television, at the 30th KBS Drama Awards and the 5th APAN Star Awards as well as the Best Actor (TV) award at the 11th Seoul International Drama Awards and the 29th Korean Producer Awards for his acting performance.
Song was then cast in the period action film The Battleship Island (2017). He stars alongside actors So Ji-sub and Hwang Jung-min and portrays a member of the Korean independence movement, who sneaks onto Hashima Island to rescue a fellow member. Song made his small screen comeback in the historical fantasy drama Arthdal Chronicles, which premiered on tvN in 2019. The drama was a reunion project with his Descendants of the Sun co-star Kim Ji won. In January 2020, Song left Blossom Entertainment and signed with History D&C, a newly launched talent management and content production company founded by former SidusHQ executive Hwang Ki-yong.
In 2021, Song starred in the science fiction film Space Sweepers alongside Kim Tae-ri, directed by Jo Sung-hee, released exclusively on Netflix on February 5, 2021. The movie debuted at No. 1 on Netflix, dominated daily top 10 rankings in 80 countries and gathered more than 26 millions household viewers during the first 28 days of its release. He also starred as the titular character in the series Vincenzo alongside Jeon Yeo-been, which was released on February 20, 2021, on Netflix and tvN. It became the 6th highest-rated drama in tvN history after its finale, and is currently the 9th highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history. The series was also vastly popular on Netflix, ranking 4th on Forbes most-viewed Korean series on Netflix in 2021.
Song was then cast in the fantasy revenge series Reborn Rich directed by Jeong Dae-Yoon, adapted from the popular web novel of the same name. It premiered on JTBC in November 2022, and Song played the role of an employee who was killed by a conglomerate family and reincarnated as the youngest member of the same family. The series became the highest rated series aired in 2022 and the second highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history in both viewership ratings and number of viewers, with its final episode recording 26.9% nationwide ratings.
In 2023, Song played the character of Chi-Gun, a middle boss of a local gang, in the neo-noir thriller Hopeless, for which he won the best supporting actor at the Buil Film Awards. It premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. In 2024, Song played the titular character Loh Kiwan, a North Korean defector in the drama film My Name Is Loh Kiwan alongside Choi Sung-eun, written and directed by Kim Hee-jin, released exclusively on Netflix on March 1, 2024. He starred in the criminal thriller film Bogota: City of the Lost alongside Lee Hee-joon and Kwon Hae-hyo, which was directed by Kim Seong-je.
Public image
Song has primarily been known for his "flower boy" or "pretty boy" image, with his theme song being "Pretty Boy" by M2M. He majored in business administration at Korea's Sungkyunkwan University and worked as an active anchor of the campus broadcaster. He was called the school's (best face) and or "mom's friend's son" (perfect son). Dr. Jun Sung, author of Korean Masculinities and Transcultural Consumption, cited Song as the embodiment of "soft masculinity."
In 2011, after effectively playing the younger version of King Sejong in Deep Rooted Tree that made him trend in web portals, he earned the title "good actor Song Joong-ki." Song has been hailed as "the savior of melodrama" in his home country and called "Korea's DiCaprio" after the hit drama The Innocent Man and most watched melodrama movie A Werewolf Boy in 2012. In 2016, after portraying Army Captain Yoo Shi-jin in Descendants of the Sun, he was made the Korea Tourism Organization's Honorary Ambassador, topped popularity polls in Asia, and became a CF King. In China, the public safety Weibo page and the Chinese government has had to issue statements cautioning against overindulgence of the actor and the drama, citing cases of plastic surgery, domestic violence and divorce as a direct result. However, Song insisted that he never wanted a meteoric rise in popularity, saying "It's inevitable that popularity fades. That's why I must always be prepared."