Song Joong Ki: How he rose to stardom and other interesting facts to know about him

Song Joong Ki is a Hallyu superstar today but reaching this level was not instant for him. This means that he worked his way up until he became one of the most recognizable South Korean actors in the world.

The actor has a clean image and did not have any scandals before. But sadly, his first-ever and hopefully the last scandal involved a divorce. He married his “Descendants of the Sun” co-star Song Hye Kyo in October 2017 but they broke up just 20 months of marriage. This made news all over the world as many fans expressed their disappointment but he and Hye Kyo are moving on well with their lives now.

Pre-debut life

Song Joong Ki was born on Sept. 19, 1985, in Daejeon, South Korea. He is the middle child in the family of five. He has an older brother and younger sister who is seven years younger than him. In his elementary and high school days, he excelled in academics and sports and he was a former representative of his town in track speed skating competitions.

The 34-year-old actor was shy and his parents enrolled him in acting school so he can get over his shyness and gain confidence. Until college, he was a good student and high grades earned him a spot to study at the prestigious Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. In 2012, he graduated with a degree in Business Administration.

His beginnings in showbusiness

Song Joong Ki did not audition to be an actor but he was scouted on the subway. He ultimately decided to give it a try and entered the entertainment business full time when he was in his third year in college. His father was against it but he still went on to become an actor while studying part-time until he graduated.

He debuted via the 2008 film that stars Song Ji Hyo and Jo In Sung, a movie called “Frozen Flower.” He had three more movies before becoming an emcee on KBS’ “Music Bank” then he entered the variety show genre in 2010 and became one of the fixed members of SBS’ “Running Man.”

Song Joong Ki’s breakthrough came in 2011 after starring as a playboy in the Joseon era in the drama “Sungkyunkwan Scandal.” After leaving “Running Man,” he focused on acting until he started to be cast as the lead actor.

When he left for a while to serve in the army in 2013, his comeback drama was “Descendants of the Sun” which launched his career to full stardom and cemented his Hallyu wave status. And as they say, the rest is history.