Biography of Song Joong-ki
Song Joong-ki is one of the most versatile and high-paid actors in South Korea. His debut in the industry was made in 2010 in a historical coming-of-age drama ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal’. He appeared in the South Korean TV program ‘Running Man’ from 2010-2011.
The box-office hit television series ‘The Innocent Man’ (2012), ‘Descendants of the Sun’ (2016), ‘Arthdal Chronicles’ (2019), ‘Vincenzo’ (2021), and ‘Reborn Rich’ (2022). Particularly, ‘Descendants of the Sun‘ is a milestone in his career, not only because the television series is a global hit but because it further uplifts his popularity. He has been admired as a top Hallyu star in the Korean entertainment industry.
Early Life & Education
Song Joong-ki was born on 19 September 1985 in Dong District, Deaden, South Korea. He was raised on the rural outskirts of Daejeon as the second eldest of three siblings. Growing up he participated in short-track speed skating and represented his birthplace Daejeon at the National Sports Festival on various occasions. However, an accident during high school time compelled him to give up sports.
His entry into the entertainment industry began when he was scouted on the subway by an agent. Joong-ki’s father Mr Song Joong-gak was initially against him becoming an actor. Joong-ki enrolled in part-time business studies at Sungkyunkwan University, the top business school in Seoul while pursuing his career in the industry.
Career
Song Joong-ki made his acting debut playing the role of a soldier in the historical film ‘A Frozen Flower’ in 2008. Next year he appeared in a South Korean omnibus film ‘Five Senses of Eros’ followed by small yet notable roles in the South Korean television series ‘Will It Snow for Christmas?’ and ‘Triple’ (2009) in which he played the role of the former athlete and a gold-medalist skater Ji Poong-ho.
Between 2009 to 2010 he appeared as a show host of the KBS Friday music program ‘Music Bank’. Later in the same year, he acted in a medical drama ‘OB & GY’ and an animal movie sequel ‘Hearty Paws 2’.
His breakthrough came when he played the role of an 18th-century Joseon-era rich, indolent playboy in a fusion historical drama ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal’ in 2010. Joong-ki was occupied in a South Korean variety show ‘Running Man’ from 2010 to 2011.
He went on to play a wide variety of roles in South Korean films and television series. In 2011, Joong-ki’s stunning performance in the romantic comedy film ‘Penny Pinchers’ and in the historical drama ‘Tree with Deep Roots’ received applause from the critics.
2012 was a phenomenal year in Joong-ki’s career as he played the main character in the fantasy romance film ‘A Werewolf Boy’. In the same year, he took on his first leading drama role through ‘The Innocent Man’.
After completing his mandatory military service, he gained international fame with the massively popular TV drama series ‘Descendants of the Sun’ (2016) playing the role of a military officer.
Joong-ki was then cast in the period action film ‘The Battleship Island’ in 2017 alongside So Ji-sub and Hwang Jung-min. In 2019 he made a comeback through a historical fantasy drama ‘Arthdal Chronicles’ which premiered on tvN.
In 2021, he starred in the science fiction film ‘Space Sweepers’ along with Kim Tae-ri and the film ranked as No. 1 on Netflix. Later he starred as the leading character in the South Korean television series ‘Vincenzo‘ on 20 February 2021 and it became the 6th highest-rated drama in tvN history.
In November 2022 he appeared in a fantasy revenge series ‘Reborn Rich’ directed by Jeong Dae-yoon and he is set to appear in the criminal thriller film ‘Bogota: City of the Lost’ (2023) in Kim Seong-je’s direction.
Achievements
He is a gifted talent within the Korean film industry. He has been campaigning for brands like LG, Jeju Air, and Proya. Throughout his career, his stunning performance has received various awards and nominations, including the Best Actor award at the 2016 KBS Drama Awards.
Endorsements
- On 26 October 2021, he received the Presidential Commendation Award for his unselfish contributions.
- In 2010, Song Joong-ki and Park Shin-hye were selected as PR ambassadors for the 17th Jeonju International Film Festival.
- In 2013, South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare selected Song Joong-ki and Ha Ji-won as honorary ambassadors of medical tourism.
- He has been honoured as the promotional model and ambassador for Korean tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, South Korea.
- Joong-ki is titled as the ambassador of South Korea’s largest airport, Incheon International Airport(2017-2021).
Military Life
In 2012 Joong-ki completed his graduation in business administration and then took a one-year break from the industry to fulfil his mandatory military life. He enlisted in the military service on 27 August 2013 at the 102nd draft camp in Chuncheon. He works for the infantry unit assigned to patrol along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and was discharged from his two years of mandatory military service on 26 May 2015.
Personal Life
After being released from his military service, he joined the popular South Korean television series ‘Descendants Of The Sun’ where Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo met for the first time. Everyone was in awe of the love story of the Song-Song couple.
On 5 July 2017, the duo got engaged and on 31 October 2017, they tied the knot in a private ceremony held at Hotel Shilla in Seoul with the presence of their close ones and the media.
Not every relationship survives the test of time. On 26 June 2019, the couple announced their separation and officially went apart in July 2019. After their beautiful love story and the unfortunate separation, he married his non-celebrity British girlfriend Katy Louise Saunders. On 14 June 2023, fans received the news of his baby boy’s arrival.
Networth & Lifestyle
Joong-ki’s extensive filmography made a name in the entertainment industry. A career marked by consistency, versatility, and solid acting ability led to a huge cult following. He earned impressive assets being the face of many brands along with acting. Being one of the highest-paid actors in South Korea, his net worth is $25 million. With his talent and fame, it is no surprise that he has accumulated such a significant net worth which is expected to rise in the future.
Philanthropy
His charitable nature towards childhood cancer survivors is remarkable. He has been a secret celebrity advocate for cancer-stricken children since 2011 until the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation (KCLF) made it public through their official blog. Joong-ki participated in the Yellow Ribbon Campaign to make people aware of childhood cancers and he treated more than more than 10 children from the past 5 years.
He donated his pay for the documentary ‘Tears of the Antarctic’ and influenced his fan club to help with the transplant fees of patients with leukaemia and cancer. He also handed out to help the victims and children of the Nepal and Sichuan earthquakes in April 2015. During his military service, he donated 100 million won to UNICEF Korea Committee towards the post-earthquake efforts.
Joong-ki donated his entire proceeds from the Chinese shows ‘Hurry Up, Brother’ and ‘Running Man’, to a Chinese charity organization. He also appeared as a helping hand for the people who were affected by the Sichuan earthquake of 2008 as he donated his profits from the Asian Fan Meeting Tour of 2016. Entire revenues from Seoul and Thailand fan meetings are spent on charity work.
He donated 20 million won to the nursing home of comfort women, House of Sharing located in Gwangju, Gyeonggi province. In 2019, he donated 30 million won to the victims of a wildfire in Gangwon Province, South Korea.
Most recently, he made donations to help control Covid-19 prevention (2020-2021).
Awards
- Asia Model Awards – 2011
BBF Fashionista Award
- SBS Drama Awards – 2011
Producer’s Award, ‘Deep Rooted Tree’ - APAN Star Awards – 2012
Top Excellence Award, Actor, ‘The Innocent Man’
- KBS Drama Awards – 2012
Top Excellence Award, Actor
Netizens’ Award
Best Couple Award with Moon Chae-won - Korea Culture & Entertainment Awards – 2012
Top Excellence Award, Actor - Style Icon Asia – 2012
Style Icon - Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards – 2013
Favourite Actor, ‘A Werewolf Boy’ - APAN Star Awards – 2016
Grand Prize (Daesang)
Best APAN Star Award
Best Couple Award with Song Hye-kyo - Baeksang Arts Awards – 2016
Most Popular Actor (TV), ‘Descendants of the Sun’
iQiyi Global Star Award - Brand of the Year Awards – 2016
Actor of the Year - KBS Drama Awards – 2016
Grand Prize (Daesang) - Seoul International Drama Awards – 2016
Outstanding Korean Actor
- Style Icon Asia – 2016
Style Icon
- Korean Producer Awards – 2017
Best Performer Award - Blue Dragon Film Awards – 2021
Popular Star Award, ‘Space Sweepers’ - Brand Customer Loyalty Award – 2021
Best Actor – Film - Brand of the Year Awards – 2021
Actor of the year - Chunsa Film Art Awards – 2021
Best Actor, ‘Space Sweepers’ - Kinolights Awards – 2021
Actor of the Year for ‘Vincenzo’ & ‘Space Sweepers’ - Seoul International Drama Awards – 2021
Outstanding Korean Actor, ‘Vincenzo’
Interesting Facts about Song Joong-ki
- He has the rarest Extraverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging (ENTJ) personality traits that make him a decisive, energetic, and career-focused social personality.
- He was a bright and hard-working student who received an award for perfect attendance.
- Joong-ki was in the leadership position of the student council in high school.
- For now, he is one of the highest-paid actors as his estimated fee is over 200 million won (S$228k) per episode of ‘Vincenzo’.
- He made his acting debut in 2008 in an erotic historical film ‘A Frozen Flower’.
- Song Joong-ki and Hwang Min-young co-authored a skincare book for men titled ‘Beautiful Skin Project For Men’ in 2010 which reached the bestseller list in a month.
- Joong-ki was a short-track speed skater and even won awards during his schooling years.
- He fulfilled his fan girl’s wish to get face time with Song Joong-ki during her pregnancy time.
FAQs
- How old is Song Joong-ki?
37 years old. - Who was Song Joong-ki’s first wife?
Joong-ki married Song Hye-kyo in 2017. - How tall is Song Joong-ki?
He is 178 cm tall. - When is Song Joong-ki’s birthday?
His birthday bash is on 19 September 1985. - What is the Zodiac sign of Song Joong-ki?
Virgo - What is Song Joong-ki’s Instagram ID?
His official Instagram ID is hi_songjoongki with 12M followers.
