Song Kang-ho (born 25 February 1967) is a South Korean actor who made his debut as a movie actor in The Day a Pig Fell into the Well in 1996, and came to national prominence with a series of critically acclaimed performances, including No. 3, Joint Security Area, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Memories of Murder, The Host, and A Taxi Driver. Song rose to international prominence for his performances in Snowpiercer (2013) and Parasite (2019), the latter of which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Picture. In 2020, The New York Times ranked him #6 on its list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century.
Early life
Song Kang-ho was born in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. He had wanted to be an actor since eighth grade.
Career
Early career
Song joined Kee Kuk-seo’s theatre company, which emphasized instinctive acting and improvisation. He made his stage premiere in 1991 in a play called A Little Monk and spent the next decade as a stage actor. Although he was regularly approached to act in films, he always turned down the opportunity until taking a role as an extra in Hong Sang-soo’s 1996 film The Day a Pig Fell into the Well at age 30.
The following year, after portraying one of the homeless in Jang Sun-woo’s documentary-style Bad Movie, he gained cult notoriety for his performance in Song Neung-han’s No. 3as a gangster training a group of young recruits, winning his first acting award at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. Following this, Song was cast in several supporting roles before his high-profile appearance as Han Suk-kyu’s secret agent partner in Kang Je-gyu’s blockbuster thriller Shiri. In early 2000, Song’s popularity increased with his first leading role in the box office smash The Foul King, for which he did most of his own stunts.
It was his award-winning 2000 performance in Joint Security Area as a North Korean sergeant that established him as one of South Korea’s leading actors. Song also starred in Park Chan-wook’s acclaimed followup, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, which centers on 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.
Prominence
In 2003, he played a leading role as an incompetent rural detective in another critically acclaimed hit, Memories of Murder, from young director Bong Joon-ho. It was the first of several critically acclaimed movies they would make together, with commentators describing Bong’s relationship with Song as a “great actor-director collaboration”.
In 2004, Song starred in The President’s Barber by debut director Im Chan-sang, which 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 Yim Pil-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 in March 2007 he was named Best Actor at the inaugural Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong.
More high-profile projects followed: The Show Must Go On about an aging gangster, Lee Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine, Kim Jee-woon’s western set in Manchuria The Good, the Bad, the Weird, Park Chan-wook’s vampire film Thirst in which he notably appeared full frontally nude, the North–South spy thriller Secret Reunion,the gangster love story Hindsight, the suspense film Howling, the English-language dystopian blockbuster Snowpiercer, the period drama The Face Reader, and The Attorney which was inspired by Roh Moo-hyun’s early days as a human rights lawyer.
Song has continued to star in a number of critically acclaimed films, including The Throne, a period film that presents a new spin on the relationship between King Yeongjo and Prince Sado; period action film The Age of Shadows, and A Taxi Driver, a film that depicts the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement.
More recently, he had a starring role in the critically acclaimed film Parasite, also directed by his frequent collaborator Bong Joon-ho, which became the first South Korean film to win the Palme d’Or, as well as the first to be nominated for and win Best Picture at the 2020 Academy Awards.
Personal life
Song married Hwang Jang-suk (황장숙) in 1995, with whom he has two children. Their son, Song Jun-pyoung, born in 1996, is a former football player for Suwon Samsung Bluewings, despite Song’s opposition. Their daughter is named Ju-yeon (주연).
Filmography
Film
| Year | English title | Korean title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | The Day a Pig Fell into the Well | 돼지가 우물에 빠진 날 | Dong-seok | |
| 1997 | Green Fish | 초록 물고기 | Pan-su | |
| No. 3 | 넘버3 | Jo-pil | ||
| Bad Movie | 나쁜 영화 | Homeless man (cameo) | ||
| 1998 | The Quiet Family | 조용한 가족 | Kang Yeong-min (son) | |
| 1999 | Shiri | 쉬리 | Lee Jang-gil | |
| 2000 | The Foul King | 반칙왕 | Dae-ho | |
| Joint Security Area | 공동경비구역JSA | Sgt. Oh Kyeong-pil | ||
| 2002 | Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance | 복수는 나의 것 | Park Dong-jin | |
| YMCA Baseball Team | YMCA 야구단 | Lee Ho-chang | ||
| 2003 | Memories of Murder | 살인의 추억 | Detective Park Doo-man | |
| 2004 | The President’s Barber | 효자동 이발사 | Seong Han-mo | |
| 2005 | Antarctic Journal | 남극일기 | Choi Do-hyung | |
| Sympathy for Lady Vengeance | 친절한 금자씨 | Hired Assassin #1 (cameo) | ||
| Madagascar | 마다가스카 | Alex (Korean version) | ||
| 2006 | The Host | 괴물 | Park Gang-du | |
| 2007 | The Show Must Go On | 우아한 세계 | Kang In-goo | |
| Secret Sunshine | 밀양 | Jong-chan | ||
| 2008 | The Good, the Bad, the Weird | 좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈 | Yun Tae-goo/The Weird | |
| 2009 | Thirst | 박쥐 | Sang-hyun | |
| 2010 | Secret Reunion | 의형제 | Agent Lee Han-gyu | |
| A Little Pond | 작은 연못 | Police officer (cameo) | ||
| 2011 | Hindsight | 푸른소금 | Doo-hun | |
| 2012 | Howling | 하울링 | Sang-gil | |
| Day Trip | 청출어람 | Master | Short film | |
| 2013 | Snowpiercer | 설국열차 | Namgoong Minsu | |
| The Face Reader | 관상 | Nae-gyeong | ||
| The Attorney | 변호인 | Song U-seok | ||
| 2015 | The Throne | 사도 | King Yeongjo | |
| 2016 | The Age of Shadows | 밀정 | Lee Jung-chool | |
| 2017 | A Taxi Driver | 택시운전사 | Man-seob | |
| 2018 | The Drug King | 마약왕 | Lee Doo-sam | |
| 2019 | Parasite | 기생충 | Kim Ki-taek | |
| The King’s Letters | 나랏말싸미 | King Sejong | ||
| TBA | Fifth Column | 제5열 | Kang Jong-deok | |
| Emergency Declaration | 비상선언 | |||
| Broker | 브로커 | |||
| One Victory | 1승 | Kim Woo-jin |
Theatre
| Year | Production | Role | Theater | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English title | Korean title | |||
| 1990 | Teacher Choi | 최선생 | Extra | Yeonwoo Theater |
| 1991 | A Little Monk | 동승 | Old man | Yeonwoo Theater |
| Park Cheomji | 박첨지 | Yeonwoo Theater | ||
| 1992 | Fly birds | 날아라 새들아 | Yeonwoo Theater | |
| I have soup | 국물 있사옵니다 | Yeonwoo Theater | ||
| Kooni, Nara | 쿠니, 나라 | Yeonwoo Theater | ||
| 1993 | Women’s rebellion | 여성반란 | Mayor | Sanwoolim Theater |
| 1994 | Giselle | 지젤 | Hilarion | Batanggol Theater |
| 1995 | Playland | 플레이랜드 | Hakchon Blue Performance Hall | |
| I’ll be a star | 스타가 될거야 | President | Towol Theater | |
| 1996 | BE-AN-SO | 비언소 | Dongsoong Studio Theater | |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | No. 3 | Won | |
| Best New Actor | Nominated | ||||
| Grand Bell Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |||
| Best New Actor | Won | ||||
| 1998 | Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | The Quiet Family | Won | |
| 1999 | Grand Bell Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Shiri | Nominated | |
| 2000 | Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actor | Joint Security Area | Nominated | |
| Busan Film Critics Awards | Won | ||||
| Director’s Cut Awards | Won | ||||
| Cine 21 Awards | The Foul King, Joint Security Area | Won | |||
| Women Viewers Film Awards | The Foul King | Won | |||
| 2001 | Deauville Asian Film Festival | Joint Security Area | Won | ||
| Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (Film) | Nominated | |||
| Most Popular Actor (Film) | Won | ||||
| Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | Won | |||
| 2002 | Blue Dragon Film Awards | Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance | Nominated | ||
| Korean Film Awards | Nominated | ||||
| 2003 | Blue Dragon Film Awards | Memories of Murder | Nominated | ||
| Grand Bell Awards | Won | ||||
| Netizen Popularity Award | Won | ||||
| Korean Film Awards | Best Actor | Won | |||
| Chunsa Film Art Awards | Won | ||||
| Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Won | ||||
| Director’s Cut Awards | Won | ||||
| Cine 21 Awards | Won | ||||
| CGV Audience Choice of the Year Awards | Won | ||||
| 2004 | Max Movie Awards | Nominated | |||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | The President’s Barber | Nominated | |||
| Taxpayers’ Day | Presidential Commendation | N/A | Won | ||
| 2006 | Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actor | The Host | Nominated | |
| Director’s Cut Awards | Won | ||||
| Cine 21 Awards | Won | ||||
| 2007 | Asian Film Awards | Won | |||
| Golden Cinematography Awards | Acting Grand Prize (Daesang) | Won | |||
| Max Movie Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| Grand Bell Awards | Nominated | ||||
| Fantasia Festival | The Show Must Go On | Won | |||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | Won | ||||
| Korean Film Awards | Nominated | ||||
| Secret Sunshine | Won | ||||
| Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | The Show Must Go On | Won | |||
| Busan Film Critics Awards | Won | ||||
| Director’s Cut Awards | Secret Sunshine | Won | |||
| Korea University Film Festival | Won | ||||
| Cine 21 Awards | The Show Must Go On, Secret Sunshine | Won | |||
| 2008 | Palm Springs International Film Festival | FIPRESCI Best Actor Award | Secret Sunshine | Won | |
| Asian Film Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (Film) | The Show Must Go On | Nominated | ||
| Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | Secret Sunshine | Nominated | ||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | The Good, the Bad, the Weird | Nominated | |||
| Korean Film Awards | Nominated | ||||
| Max Movie Awards | Secret Sunshine | Nominated | |||
| 2009 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (Film) | The Good, the Bad, the Weird | Nominated | |
| Asian Film Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| Chunsa Film Art Awards | Thirst | Won | |||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | Nominated | ||||
| Director’s Cut Awards | Won | ||||
| Cine 21 Awards | Won | ||||
| 2010 | KOFRA Film Awards | Won | |||
| Asian Film Awards | Nominated | ||||
| Max Movie Awards | Nominated | ||||
| Grand Bell Awards | Secret Reunion | Nominated | |||
| 2011 | Max Movie Awards | Nominated | |||
| 2013 | Asia-Pacific Film Festival | Best Supporting Actor | Snowpiercer | Nominated | |
| Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | The Face Reader | Won | ||
| Korean Association of Film Critics Awards | Won | ||||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | Nominated | ||||
| Cine 21 Awards | Snowpiercer, The Face Reader, The Attorney | Won | |||
| Korea Film Actor’s Association Awards | Movie Top Star Award | Snowpiercer, The Face Reader | Won | ||
| 2014 | KOFRA Film Awards | Best Actor | The Attorney | Won | |
| Chunsa Film Art Awards | Won | ||||
| Asian Film Awards | Nominated | ||||
| Baeksang Arts Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) for Film | Won | |||
| Best Actor (Film) | Nominated | ||||
| Buil Film Awards | Best Actor | Won | |||
| Grand Bell Awards | Nominated | ||||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | Won | ||||
| Director’s Cut Awards | Won | ||||
| Max Movie Awards | Won | ||||
| Korea Film Actor’s Association Awards | Korea Top Star Award | Won | |||
| 2015 | Busan International Film Festival | Asia Casting Market Curtain Call Award | N/A | Won | |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actor | The Throne | Nominated | ||
| 2016 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (Film) | Nominated | ||
| Asia Pacific Screen Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| Shin Young-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation | Top Cultural Award | N/A | Won | ||
| SACF Artists of the Year Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | The Age of Shadows | Won | ||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| Grand Bell Awards | Nominated | ||||
| 2017 | KOFRA Film Awards | Won | |||
| Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (Film) | Won | |||
| Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| Fantasia Festival | A Taxi Driver | Won | |||
| Buil Film Awards | Won | ||||
| Korea World Youth Film Festival | Favorite Middle-Aged Actor | Won | |||
| The Seoul Awards | Best Actor (Film) | Won | |||
| Grand Bell Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | Won | ||||
| Korean Film Producers Association Awards | Won | ||||
| Asian World Film Festival | Special Mention Award | Won | |||
| 2018 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) for Film | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor (Film) | Nominated | ||||
| 2019 | Locarno International Film Festival | Excellence Award | Parasite | Won | |
| Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | Nominated | ||||
| Cine 21 Awards | Won | ||||
| Director’s Cut Awards | Won | ||||
| Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit | Won | |||
| 2020 | Phoenix Critics Circle Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Won | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Won | |||
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Won | |||
| AACTA International Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |||
| Critics’ Choice Awards | Best Acting Ensemble | Nominated | |||
| Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Actor | The King’s Letters | Nominated | ||
| Grand Bell Awards | Parasite | Nominated | |||
| Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (Film) | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | Golden Cinema Film Festival | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Won |