30 Facts Every Fan Should Know About Song Joong-ki

Nicknamed the Active Young Man, Song Joong-ki, the famous South Korean actor, is also an athlete, MC, and an author. Here are 30 interesting facts about the actor:

1. Song Joong-ki was born on 19th September, 1985 in Daejeon, South Korea and wanted to become athlete, broadcaster, or actor when in elementary school.
2. He was a track speed skater and had represented his hometown, won awards at several meets, and had participated thrice in the National Games.
3. In order to overcome his shyness and to meliorate his social skills his parents had enlisted him in various social activities, one of which was Joong-ki’s favorite, acting class.
4. Joong-ki is the middle kid with an older brother and a sister seven years younger to him. As a kid he disliked being called pretty.
5. His first TV appearance was in KBS’s Quiz Korea, as a contestant, where he was filling in a spot of a sick senior. This short stint garnered enough attention giving him the opportunity to become a university magazine’s cover model.
6. Joong-ki notable acting debut was, in 2008, in “A Frozen Flower,” a period film. He took up hosting “Music Bank,” a KBS music program, from 2009 to 2010, appeared in a variety of roles in TV, and even dabbled in modeling.
7. Though he quit skating due to injury in his high school days, he played the role of a national speed skater for his TV series “Triple” in 2008.
8. One of his notable roles, of an indolent rich playboy, in “Sungkyunkwan Scandal,” a fusion historical TV drama, opened up his career effectively.
9. He was also a part of a variety-reality show, focused on games, “The Running Man,” from 2010 to 2011. The show was shot at particular landmarks with other players.
10. Multi-talented Song Joong-ki co-authored with beauty editor Hwang Min-young to write the book “Beautiful Skin Project For Men” which became No. 1 bestseller in 2010. The book was re-released in 2013 in Japan.
    
11. During his early MCing days Joong-ki used the phrase “WOWW” frequently and would be teased for it. While MCing he was criticized for the “use of informal speech” in the 2010 Melon Music awards, for which he apologized in his official Homepage.
12. He graduated with a Business Administration degree in 2012, from the prestigious Sungkyunkwan University, to which he earned admission by scoring 380 out of 400 in the National College Entrance.
13. ELLE atTV, an offshoot magazine for Fashion, aired in 2 episodes of Joong-ki’s bicycle tour around Sydney, Australia. He was shot riding the bike in Circular Quay, Newtown, The Rocks, and Sydney University.
14. His visit to Japan was also filmed as a show, called “I'm Real: Song Joong-ki,” and aired in two parts. He held a balance with TV shows, MC roles and also the film roles.
15. In an interview to the Vogue, in 2011, regarding his lead role in “Love and Cash (Penny Pinchers),” the young actor expressed his desire to become an actor like Leonardo Di Caprio, who had shed his “pretty boy” image to transcend to more mature character roles.
16. While he was offered a supporting role in “Deep Rooted Tree,” Joong-ki says he was also under talks for another lead role but ultimately opted for the supporting role because he was hooked to the script and the scope to perform.
17. Joong-ki received the SBS Drama Producer’s Award for his role in “Deep Rooted Tree,” in 2011. The critics called it a genius portrayal of performance.
18. The year 2012 saw Song Joong-ki rise to his full glory with his performance in a sleeper hit, as a teenage feral boy in, “A Werewolf Boy,” a romantic fantasy film. In 5 days, the film broke its 1 million mark, 2 million in 9 days and 3.6 in 12 days.
19. About his titular role in the movie “A Werewolf Boy,” he feels that he accepted the role with the thought that he has to say good-bye to the young himself and that it’s time for him to become a man.
20. He donated the entire money he earned as a narrator for a documentary for MBC “Tears of the Antarctic,” for all its six parts, to the Tears of the Earth charity.
    
21. Joong-ki’s “The Song Joong-ki Asia Fan Meeting Tour – THRILL & LOVE,” fan meeting tour, covered China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, Taiwan, and Thailand, where he met and interacted with his fans.
22. In a MWave interview, in 2012, Joong-ki said that he does not want to be two-faced in public eye and is always stressful thinking if he is acting so. He further added “I don′t try to hide who I am when I appear in public places, act or attend interviews.”
23. He was once appointed “one-day honorary civil servant” as a part of various events organized by the Yongsan District Tax Office to mark the 46th Taxpayers' Day.
24. In “The Innocent Man/Nice Guy,” a television series based on romance and betrayal, his portrayal of a suave antihero received critical acclamation.
25. To enlist for his mandatory military service, for 21 months and to undergo his 5 week basic combat training before being deployed Joon-ki reported at an army draft camp, 102 Replacement Center in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, in 2013.
26. He bid farewell to his fans who had been gathered to witness his enlistment. He thanked them and said “I’ll stay healthy so don’t worry.” He was discharged from his military services in 2015.
27. His comeback to TV with, “Descendants of the Sun,” a military romance, with Song Hye-kyo, has become a major hit rapidly gaining popularity in Asia.
28. The Korea Tourism Organization, due to Joong-ki’s ever increasing international fan base, made him the Honorary Ambassador for the Korean Tourism.
29. In 2016, Korean Consumer Forum awarded him the "Brand of the Year" award. Several companies who are looking to expand the Asian market have rushed in to sign him as the face of their brand.
30. Joong-ki’s sexual orientation has been under heavy speculation for quite some time now. Adding to it is his surprise visit to the fan meeting tour, his Pizza commercial and the Valentine’s Day Instagram pictures with Park Bo Gum have increased the talks about alleged bromance.