Song Joong-ki

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.

Song is set to star in the science fiction film Space Sweepers alongside Kim Tae-ri, which will be directed by Jo Sung-hee and criminal thriller film Bogota alongside Lee Hee-joon and Kwon Hae-hyo, which will be directed by Kim Seong-je. Song is also expected to reprise his roles (Eun Seom, Saya) for the second season of Arthdal Chronicles, reportedly to begin filming in September or October 2020.

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.

On June 26, 2019, Song Joong-ki filed for a divorce, which was finalized in July 2019.

Song was Gallup Korea's Actor of the Year in 2017. He was first included in the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list in 2013 placing seventh, and subsequently ranking second in 2017, and eighth in 2018. The success of his works internationally established him as a top Hallyu star.

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 considers it his "responsibility" to be aware of his influence on fans that expanded overseas. He said: "I could have never made it to such a position without the help of many others. I think the effort and hard work of my predecessors, staff members, and fans have contributed to such a result. Thus, I do have a sense of responsibility. I want to live up to my reputation as a Korean citizen, actor, and person. I will try my best to be modest but confident at all times." In 2017, when asked about starring in the movie The Battleship Island that shows sensitive subject of Korean-Japanese history, he expressed that it was a small expression of his beliefs.

On July 5, 2017, Song and Descendants of the Sun co-star Song Hye-kyo announced through their respective agencies that they were engaged. They married in a private ceremony on October 31, 2017 at Youngbingwan, Hotel Shilla in Seoul, amid intense media interest across Asia with his closest family and friends.

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 due to his tremendous popularity and that of the drama. 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.

Following the release of the pan-Asian hit drama Descendants of the Sun in 2016, Song became the face of more than 30 international and local products. The Korea Broadcast Advertising Promotion Corporation (KOBACO) "2016 Consumer Behavior Survey" picked Song as the best model to represent South Korean brands. Some of his ad include Baskin Robbins, LG Household & Health Care, KT, Forencos, Jeju Air, Hite Jinro, Cuchen, as well as lucrative Chinese products like Proya with Zhang Ziyi, Tencent, and VIVO. Song also worked with Park Bo-gum as brand models for Domino's Pizza and LINE Pay Card. In February 2017, Song was announced as the brand ambassador of the online market place "11Street" of SK Planet in Thailand. He was paired with Thai actress Mew Nittha on TV, digital, and outdoor ads on the busiest Bangkok Mass Transit System stations in Chit Lom, Siam and Phrom Pong. Cheil Tailand reported that it was a successful campaign as its Facebook page exceeded 1 million views upon its launching. In April 2018, Song was revealed as the new endorser of Hyundai LIVART, a Korea-based lifestyle culture company. They chose Song as its advertising model only 14 years after actress Kim Nam-joo in 2004.

Song also extends support for humanitarian relief. In 2015, during his military service, he donated 100 million won to the UNICEF Korea Committee to help the children and victims of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. In 2016, Song donated all of his proceeds from being featured on the May 13th episode of Hurry Up, Brother, a Chinese version of Running Man, to a Chinese charity organization. Song has also donated a portion of his profits from the 2016 Asian Fan Meeting Tour to a foundation that helps those affected by 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In addition, his revenues from Seoul and Thailand fan meetings were all donated to an unnamed charity. Subsequently, Song donated 20 million won to the House of Sharing in Gwangju, Gyeonggi, a shelter for elderly women who were forced into being comfort women by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. The actor is likely influenced while filming his movie The Battleship Island, a period action film about Korean workers under Japanese rule. Later in July 2017, his fans donated to the same center. In 2019, Song has donated 30 million won for the victims of wildfire in Gangwon Province. In February 2020, Song has donated 100 million won for coronavirus prevention. He contacted directly from Bogotá without notifying his agency.

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 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 meeting 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.

The second child (or middle child) of the 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). 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.

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.

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.

Soon after starring in drama The Innocent Man and film A Werewolf Boy in 2012, Blossom Entertainment reported that Song was on his way to become the next CF King with 10 endorsement deals under his belt. For two years in a row, he was the main model for the global soda brand Sprite.From 2013 to 2016, he was the endorser of the water purifier brand Ruhens. In February 2019, Ruhens selected Song as their endorser again.

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.

Song has been a celebrity advocate for cancer-stricken children since 2011. This was later known in early March 2016 through the announcement made by the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation (KCLF) on their official blog. For the past 5 years, more than 10 children have received treatment secretly donated by him. According to KCLF, he has participated in the "Yellow Ribbon Campaign" to raise awareness about childhood cancers. Furthermore, he has given rice wreaths from press conferences and his pay generated from narrating the documentary Tears of the Antarctic. This has inspired his official fan club Ki Aile to celebrate his birthdays by donating transplant fees to help patients with leukemia and cancer. Song has since made donations to KCLF every year.

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.

Being casted in Running Man in 2010, he earned other nicknames such as "detective Joong-ki," "brainy Joong-ki" and "active/enthusiastic Joong-ki" for his eagerness and optimism in strategizing during the race missions; but often result in failure. His theme song is "Pretty Boy" by M2M. 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 called the "Korea's DiCaprio" after the hit drama The Innocent Man and most watched melodrama movie A Werewolf Boy in 2012. The actor admitted that he is a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio since he was young and wanted to follow his career path. In 2016, two years after his mandatory military service, the "Song Joong-ki Effect" was coined upon his portrayal of the dashing 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 the CF King. However, Song insisted that he never wanted a meteoric rise in popularity. He said: "It's inevitable that popularity fades. That's why I must always be prepared."

In 2010, Song and Park Shin-hye were chosen as PR ambassadors for the 17th Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF). In 2011, Song was chosen as the PR ambassador for the Good Library Project, a talent donation campaign by the Standard Chartered that allows the public to participate in the production of audiobooks for the visually impaired. In 2013, Song and Ha Ji-won were appointed as honorary ambassadors of medical tourism by South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare. They appeared in regional cities on behalf of Medical Korea as they promote greater international co-operation for medical technology and positive medical tourism. In 2016, Song was chosen as the honorary ambassador and promotional model for Korean tourism under South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. From 2017 to 2020, Song is titled the honorary ambassador for Incheon International Airport.

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 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 has had endorsement deals in nearly every industry such as healthcare, cosmetic, clothing, food, travel and tourism, telecom, electronics and retail. He first appeared in a television commercial of Dunkin' Donuts in May 2008. After starring in drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal in 2010, Song became the face of fashion brands EZIO and TBJ,casual clothing brand AD HOC with Min Hyo-rin, sports brand Le Coq Sportif with IU, as well as foods Pizza Etang, a popular pizza in South Korea and Ottogi Snack Ramen. In the digital and technology sector, Song was chosen for the brand Xbox 360 Kinect because of his "child-like, innocent, and healthy" image that matches the new hands-free game controller and LG XNote with Shin Min-a in 2011. Song was also appointed as the official ambassador of the skincare Tony Moly and FUJIFILM polaroid for two consecutive years. Subsequently, he appeared in restaurant brand Sonsoo's advertisement as a prodigy cook alongside Song Seung-heon and Yoon Sang-hyun. Song was also chosen as the new model of the dairy brand Seoul Milk.

When it comes to social media accounts, Song does not have any for he is not "tech-savvy." His fancafe, established in early 2006, becomes his way to communicate with his official fandom named "Ki Aile," which means "Ki's wings." Song said the fans are like his wings for they lift him up, emotionally and financially, by voting for him and buying the products he endorses as well as watch all his movies and TV shows.

Song Joong-ki (Korean: 송중기 ; born September 19, 1985) is a South Korean actor. He rose to fame in the historical coming-of-age drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010) and the variety show Running Man (2010-2011) as one of the original cast members. Since then, he played a diverse spectrum of roles in the television series The Innocent Man (2012), Descendants of the Sun (2016) and Arthdal Chronicles (2019), as well as the box office hits A Werewolf Boy (2012) and The Battleship Island (2017).