1995–2004: Beginnings and Pan-asia stardom Song Seung-heon began his career in 1995 as a model for the jeans brand
292513=STORM, and first became known to viewers in the popular
sitcom Three Guys, Three Girls in 1996. The following year he debuted as an actor. His feature film debut came in 1999 in the film
Calla co-starring
Kim Hee-sun. True stardom came to Song in late 2000, with the broadcast of the hugely popular TV drama
Autumn in My Heart. The romantic melodrama series was a ratings success, pioneering a trend in Korean melodramatic series and launching a fever that is commonly referred to as the "
Korean Wave" and leading to Song becoming a Hallyu star. Since then he has been actively recruited for film roles and advertisements in Japan, Hong Kong and other Asian countries. and also in the Hong Kong film
So Close with actresses
Karen Mok,
Shu Qi and
Zhao Wei. Song further solidified his status as a Hallyu (Korean Wave) star in 2003 with
Summer Scent, co-starring
Son Ye-jin. shot in the
Canadian Rockies, failed to enthuse viewers with its mixture of mountaineering and melodrama, while
He Was Cool, based on an internet novel by
Guiyeoni, was unable to compete with
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and other films from the 2004 summer season. Amidst the press coverage and scandal this aroused, Song agreed to immediately
serve his two-year term in the military. Song was discharged on November 15, 2006, with the rank of corporal, to much fanfare and media attention. For a time he kept a low profile, trying to gauge public opinion on his return to the entertainment world.
2008–2013: Comeback For his comeback, Song took on a tough image, playing aggressive and masculine roles in the 2008 drama
East of Eden, which he won the "Daesang" (Grand Prize) for at the
MBC Drama Awards. He also starred in the action film
Fate, and the 2010 remake
A Better Tomorrow. His popularity in Japan continued, and in 2010 he starred in
Ghost remake
Ghost: In Your Arms Again with
Matsushima Nanako. In 2011, Song starred in
My Princess opposite
Kim Tae-hee, his first romantic comedy. He considers the series a turning point in his career, saying, "Previously, I took on characters living a life full of ups and downs. For me, Hae-young was the first character that was so rich, bright and cheerful. I felt much lighter while acting the character." His 30-minute
short film Lucid Dreaming, helmed by director
Chang of 2008 feature
Death Bell, was shot particularly for his fans in China and Japan and released on DVD in early 2012. Based on the original
comic by
Motoka Murakami and previously
dramatized in Japan, in 2012's
Dr. Jin Song played the titular smart and cold-hearted surgeon who takes a journey back through time to the late 19th century
Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). He then played a cold-hearted loan shark and gangster who morphs into a successful businessman for his love in 2013 melodrama
When a Man Falls in Love.
2014–present: Mature roles In 2014, Song starred in
Kim Dae-woo's erotic period film
Obsessed. Set in 1969 at the end of the
Vietnam War, he played a high-ranking officer suffering from
post-traumatic stress disorder who falls into an obsessive love affair with his subordinate's wife. 2015 In 2015, he starred in the Chinese romantic melodrama
The Third Way of Love, followed by family comedy
Wonderful Nightmare. Song was next cast as a fighter pilot in his second Chinese project,
World War II film
Air Strike. He is also set to star in the film
Man of Will, portraying a cruel and cold-hearted prison director. Back on the Korean screen in 2017, Song starred opposite
Lee Young-ae in period drama
Saimdang, Memoir of Colors, about the Joseon artist and calligrapher
Shin Saimdang; Song played a fictional character, an aristocrat and painter who has loved the heroine since childhood. The same year, he was cast in the
fantasy thriller drama
Black alongside
Go Ara, playing the role of a
grim reaper. Song reunited with
Black director Ko Jae-hyun in another OCN drama
Player in 2018, playing the role of a con-artist. In 2019, Song starred in the political family comedy drama
The Great Show. In April 2019, Song signed with new agency
King Kong by Starship. In 2020, Song starred in the romance drama
Dinner Mate as a psychiatrist. In 2021, Song took the role as the main lead in the fourth season of
Voice. == Other activities ==