Song Joong Ki

Actor Song Joong-ki first rose to fame with a soft and boy-like image, taking the Korean entertainment industry by storm with his looks in works such as "The Innocent Man" (2012) and "A Werewolf Boy" (2012), dominating various advertisements with his brand.

Then, with "Descendants of the Sun" (2016), he transformed his image from a boyish charm to a more charismatic and masculine role. Since then, he has successfully transitioned into a leading actor with roles in "Vincenzo" (2021) and "Reborn Rich" (2022).

What effect did "Descendants of the Sun" have on Song Joong-ki?

"Descendants of the Sun," aired in 2016, was a turning point for Song. He not only raked in 38.3 percent of the domestic viewership with the series and got to work with the likes of Kim Eun-sook, who penned "On Air" (2008), "Secret Garden" (2010), "A Gentlemen's Dignity" (2012) and "The Heirs" (2013), but also met the "love of his life," Song Hye-kyo, or at least that's what it seemed to be at the time.

The two Songs met while filming "Descendants of the Sun" and started dating. They announced a surprise engagement on July 5, 2017, through their respective agencies and married in a private ceremony on Oct. 31 of the same year, amid intense media coverage across not only Korea but also the whole of Asia. Then, less than two years later, the couple announced their intention to divorce, with Song Joong-ki filing the initial paperwork. The divorce was finalized in July 2019.

"Descendants of the Sun" may have left Song Joong-ki with an unhappy memory of divorce, but it was still a big moment in his career – after the project, Song played many leading roles in dramas and films such as "Man to Man" (2017), "Arthdal Chronicles" (2019) and the Netflix sci-fi project "Space Sweepers" (2021) — all breaking from his previous "pretty boy" image.

Did he really go to a prestigious university?

One of the openly known facts about Song Joong-ki is that he went to one of the most prestigious universities in Korea — Sungkyunkwan University. The institution has a long history and ties with traditional Korean academia: its origins trace back to the historic Sungkyunkwan, founded in 1398 and located in central Seoul. The university ranks between third to fifth place among various rankings of universities in Korea.

Song was not just a nerd who studied well, though, playing short track speed skating at the national level and being active in various university clubs during his time at Sungkyunkwan. He majored in the social sciences at the university and excelled in classes, according to reports and those who went to school with him.

Was he really a "campus oppa" when he was in university?

He was! Various accounts of Sungkyunkwan students fawning over Song and following him to classes can be found online in Korea. He was a "sunbae" – a senior or older student – who had a large following, even back in the days when social media wasn't a thing.

While Song was active in the broadcasting club of his university, he was particularly kind and caring to his fellow club members, according to accounts and reports made at the time and afterward. After his debut, fans found his writings for the broadcasting club online, and that also became a source of adulation and praise.

What's with the interest in his sister or brother?

Song Joong-ki is the second child in a line of three siblings, with an older brother and a younger sister. Not much is known about them, but there is certainly a lot of interest — since both the older brother and younger sister seemed to have done very well in school, too. Song's older brother was a student at Beijing University and studied in China for eight years, while his younger sister studied at a university in Canada and then earned a doctorate in medicine from Seoul National University — the top university in Korea — last year.

How long after his divorce from Song Hye-kyo did Song Joong-ki announce his relationship with a new girlfriend?

Naturally, fans are interested in Song Joong-ki's love life after his divorce from Song Hye-kyo. Song Joong-ki's agency announced in December 2022 that Song was dating a British national. The media speculated whether his new girlfriend was also an actor or an influencer on social media. As this was the first official announcement of Song's dating someone after his divorce from Song Hye-kyo in 2019 and the first in three years, many fans are interested in his personal life.