Song Joong ki

Early life and education

The second of three siblings, Song was raised in the rural outskirts of Daejeon. He competed in short track speed skating and represented his home city of Daejeon at national level (he would go on to portray a national speed skater in the TV series Triple). Unfortunately 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, 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.

2008–2011: Career 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/GYN Doctors, and animal movie sequel Hearty Paws 2.

Song's breakout role 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 a then-unknown 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 narrator when the series was re-edited and released in theaters as Pengi and Sommi (2012). He later went on a fan-meeting tour called Song Joong-ki Asia Fan Meeting Tour – THRILL & LOVE, holding fan meetings in Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea.

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.

In February 2013, after his contract with entertainment agency Sidus HQ expired, Song announced that he will be joining Blossom Entertainment.

Prior to his enlistment for his mandatory military service, Song held a fan meet on August 17, 2013. 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: Overseas 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 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. He then embarked on a series of sold-out Asian tour spanning 10 different cities, where he met more than 60,000 fans.

Song began filming the period film Battleship Island not long after Descendants aired. 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.

Personal life

On July 5, 2017, Song Joong-ki and Descendants of the Sun co-star Song Hye-kyo announced through their respective agencies that they are engaged, and will marry on October 31, 2017.