» Song Kang-ho

Biography

Song Kang-ho (b. January 17, 1967) never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theatre groups after graduating from Kimhae High School. Later he joined Kee Kuk-seo's influential theatre company with its emphasis on instinctive acting and improvisation which proved Song's training ground. Although regularly approached to act in films, he always turned down the opportunity until taking a role as an extra in Hong Sang-soo's The Day a Pig Fell into the Well (1996).

In the following year, after portraying one of the homeless in Jang Sun-woo's docu-style Bad Movie, he gained cult notoriety for his show-stealing performance in Song Neung-han's No. 3 as a gangster training a group of young recruits, winning his first Best Actor award. Since that time he's been cast in several supporting roles before before his high-profile appearance as Han Suk-kyu's secret agent partner in Kang Jae-gyu's blockbuster thriller Shiri.

In early 2000, Song became a star with his first leading role in the box office smash The Foul King, for which he reputedly did most of his own stunts. But it is with his award-winning role as a North Korean sergeant in Joint Security Area that Song came to the forefront as one of Korea's leading actors. Song also starred in Park Chan-wook's acclaimed followup, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, which centers around a father's pursuit of his daughter's kidnappers.

In 2002 Song starred in another major production by Myung Films, YMCA Baseball Team, about Korea's first baseball team which formed in the early 20th century. The following year he played a leading role in yet another critically-acclaimed smash hit, Memories of Murder from young director Bong Joon-ho.

In 2004 Song starred in a film by debut director Im Chan-sang that imagines the life of South Korean president Park Chung-hee's personal barber. The following year he also took the lead in Antarctic Journal, a big-budget project by debut director Im Phil-sung, about an expedition in Antarctica that performed weakly at the box-office.

In 2006 Song was thrust back in the spotlight, however, with a leading role in Bong Joon-ho's record-breaking creature movie The Host. The film helped to broaden international awareness of Song's talent, and indeed he beat out several of Asia's best known stars to be named Best Actor at the inaugural Asian Film Awards held in Hong Kong in March 2007.

Upcoming projects for Song include a gangster film from the director of Rules of Dating, Secret Sunshine, the next feature by the acclaimed Lee Chang-dong, and a Western set in Manchuria by Kim Jee-woon.

Song Kang-ho Korean Movies

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  Thirst(박쥐)

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  The Good, the Bad, the Weird (좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈)

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  Secret Sunshine(밀양)

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  The Show Must Go on(우아한 세계)

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  The Host(괴물)

Song Kang-ho Photos

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