Song Joong-ki is what we call a K-Pop explosion— his name sends seismic waves of lust in girls and those puppy dog eyes can melt glaciers. BAZAAR gets up close and personal with this Korean sensation from Descendants of the Sun.
Song Joong-ki is what we call a K-Pop explosion— his name sends seismic waves of lust in girls and those puppy dog eyes can melt glaciers. BAZAAR gets up close and personal with this Korean sensation from Descendants of the Sun.
Styled by Choi Moon Sun
On episode 13 of Descendants of the Sun, Doctor Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye-kyo) rushes to an ambulance arriving with wounded patients. The doors swing open to reveal Captain Yoo Shi Jin (Song Joong-ki), her boyfriend, lying unconscious and covered in blood. It’s a dramatic cliff hanger, but the boyish-looking 32-year-old said, “I was actually asleep during that scene. I had to shoot through the night before, so it was a delicious little nap.”
Song may have made light of the situation, but he’s serious about his craft. Despite the show’s record ratings and extensive distribution in 32 countries, Song still took the time to watch the telecast of the entire series from start till end. Not one to rest on his laurels, Song’s success comes from sheer hard work. Song’s journey with the popular show started about a year ago, on the day he was discharged from military service. He read the script for Descendants two days later and started shooting 10 days after that, carrying his military persona from real life to the small screen. “I received the script only for the first four episodes, but it was still exciting. Truly a page turner. No matter what I shoot, the script is the most important part.” The whirlwind shoot schedule took him to a range of locations, from Zakynthos, Greece, to Taebaek, Gangwon Province.
Song is adamant on riding this wave of global stardom with humility. “I have been even busier than this before, but I can’t remember what I did. I made money, but I didn’t really feel it, nor did I truly enjoy [the] work. That’s why I am not going to be smug about this new cycle,” says Song. “Descendants has thankfully been a great success, and I won’t forget all the valuable lessons I’ve learnt through the process. Do I sound old?” says the Korean sensation, whose teenage aspirations were to be a skater. Ironically, his television “debut” was completely unplanned; he entered as a substitute for a contestant on a television quiz show. The fact that his cameo appearance led to the creation of an internet fan club is proof enough that Song was destined for super stardom from the get-go. He made his acting debut in 2008 with A Frozen Flower followed by hits like Deep Rooted Tree and A Werewolf Boy—which premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival—and now, Descendants of the Sun.
When asked if there was a character from a yet-to-be adapted story that he would love to play, Song confesses his love for shinpa novels (a genre usually involving melodramatic stories). “I love the shinpa genre. It’s the same reason I did A Werewolf Boy—it really touched me. When I first read the script, I was curious why the male lead had no lines, but then I read it again, and it really moved me,” he says. With Descendants he admits to have been a lot less cautious and chose to evolve with the character. When Kim Eun Sook joined in as a co-writer to develop the story (it was originally adapted from Doctors Without Borders, written by Kim Won Seok), Yu’s character evolved from a doctor to a special ops captain, and what had been conceived as a disaster drama ended up with elements of melodrama. “When I first read the script, I didn’t analyse it in such a way. I felt confident about it because it was fun, easy to read, and suitable for me. I’m not sure if that was the writer’s intention. Perhaps it’s something that people discovered as the drama became more successful,” says Song.
The chemistry between the two leads is surely one of the reasons behind the success of the show. On what he learnt working with Song Hye-kyo, Song shares, “Actors often say this: there are actors who only want [to do] their own thing, and there are actors who want to give to others. When we started, Song told me that I give a lot, and I responded that it’s my personality. But looking back, I think I benefitted more from her. So I feel lucky. No matter how good you may be, there is always anxiety. For a relatively inexperienced actor like me, it makes me fearless when my colleagues and I take care of one another. If you don’t have the joy of collaboration, it can be very lonely.” Off -set, surrounded by friends and paparazzi, he no longer feels “lonely.”
Song’s career has grown by leaps and bounds but look beyond the glossy patina and designer threads, and you still see those puppy dog eyes that captured the audience in AWerewolf Boy. But more than that, he has matured into a dashing leading man like Captain Yu. Isn’t it great how life can imitate art?
Beauty Editor: Hye Soo Park
Makeup: Kim Ji Hyun Hair: Lee Hye Young Fashion
Editor: Mirim Lee
Production: Michelle NG (R Production)
Shot on location at The Peninsula Hong Kong, China Club, Bibo, The Pawn
