Song Kang-ho Wiki, Age, Wife, Family, Children, Biography & More

Song Kang-ho is a South Korean actor who is considered to be one of the most prolific South Korean Actors. He is internationally famous for his performance in South Korean films like Snowpiercer (2013) and Parasite (2019). He is often referred to as Kang-ho Song.

Wiki/Biography

Song Kang-ho was born on Tuesday, 17 January 1967 (age 53 years; as in 2020) in the Gimhae City of South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. His zodiac sign is Capricorn. Since his middle school, he dreamt of becoming an actor. After graduating from Gimhae High School, he joined a social theatre group in his locality. At the time that he had joined theatres, there were only five theatres in the country. He did his major in Broadcasting and Entertainment from Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province.

Physical Appearance

Height: 5′ 11″ [1]

Eye Colour: Black

Hair Colour: Black

Family, Ethnicity & Wife

Song Kang-ho follows Christianity. [2] His father’s name is Song In-dae (passed away in 2018). He got married to Hwang Jang-suk in 1995. The couple has a daughter and a son. His son, Song Jun-pyoung (born in 1996) is a football player for Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

His daughter’s name is Song Ju-yeon.

Career

Agency: Hodu & U Entertainment

In Theatre

In 1990, he joined a theatre group in a company in Busan called “Yeonwoo Mudae.” With his theatre troupe, he performed in memorable plays such as ‘Dongseung,’ ‘Pak Cheom-Ji,’ ‘Gukmul Issajiman,’ ‘Yo-jong Ban-ran,’ and ‘Bionso;’ the first one being ‘Chui Sonsaeng.’ He worked in theatre for almost a decade. He also worked in the theatre groups ‘Saebyeog’ and ‘Chaimu.’

In Films

He was approached several times for film but he always refused the roles; until he took up the role of ‘Dong-suk’ in the 1996 film “The Day a Pig Fell into the Well.” He was 30 years old, at the time of his film debut.

Director Lee Chang-dong, who had spotted him during the play “Bionso,” cast Kang ho, in his film “Green Fish” (1997) as ‘Pan-su.’

He went on to appear in pivotal roles in the films like No. 3 (1997), Bad Movie (1997), The Quiet Family (1998), and Shiri (1999). His first role as a lead actor came with the 2000 film “The Foul King,” where he played the role of ‘Dae-ho.’

He is famous for acting in prominent films like Joint Security Area (2000), Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), Memories of Murder (2003), The President’s Barber (2004), The Host (2006), The Show Must Go On (2007), Secret Sunshine (2007), The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008), Thirst (2009), Secret Reunion (2010), Snowpiercer (2013), The Throne (2015), A Taxi Driver (2017), The Drug King (2018), and Parasite (2019).

Awards & Nominations

• Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit (the fourth-highest class of national cultural medals) by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (South Korea) in 2019
  

  Song Kang-ho Receiving Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit

• • Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards for the film “Parasite” in 2019
    

    The cast of Paradise (2019) with Guild Awards

• Excellence Award at 72nd Locarno International Film Festival for the film “Parasite” in 2019
  

  Song Kang-ho with his Excellence Award at 72nd Locarno International Film Festival

• Shin Young-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation Top Cultural Award in 2016

• Busan International Film Festival Asia Casting Market Curtain Call Award in 2015

• Fantasia Film Festival- Awarded for the film “The Show Must Go On” in 2007

• Golden Cinematography Awards (presented by Korean Film Producers Association)- won Daesang in Acting for the film “The Host” in 2006

• Asian Film Awards for the film “The Host” in 2006

• Taxpayers’ Day Presidential Commendation in 2004

• Deauville Asian Film Festival- Awarded for the film “Joint Security Area” in 2000

Grand Bell Awards

• Best New Actor for the film “No.23” in 1997

• Best Actor for the film “Joint Security Area” in 2000

• Best Actor for the film “Memories of murder” in 2003

• Netizens Popularity Award for the film “Memories of murder” in 2003

• Best Actor for the film “The Face Reader” in 2013

Blue Dragon Film Awards

• Best Supporting Actor for the film “No.23” in 1997
  

  Song Kang-ho with his Blue Dragon Film Award

• Best Actor for the film “The Show Must Go On” in 2007

• Best Actor for the film “The Attorney” in 2013

• Best Actor for the film “A Taxi Driver” in 2017

Korean Association of Film Critics Awards

• Best Actor for the film “The Quiet Family” in 1998

• Best Actor for the film “Memories of Murder” in 2003

• Best Actor for the film “The Show Must Go On” in 2007

• Best Actor for the film “The Face Reader” in 2013

Buil Film Awards

• Best Actor for the film “The Attorney” in 2013

• Best Actor for the film “A Taxi Driver” in 2017

Signature

Net Worth

He has an estimated net worth of Rs. 537 crores (as in 2020). [3]

Facts/Trivia

• During his free time, he likes to go mountain climbing near him home, watch movies or watch sports matches.

• Song earned a new nickname ‘Award Fairy’ after his film “Parasite” won at Cannes Film Festival. [4]

• Song Kang-ho’s blood group is type A. [5]

• He has never taken any professional training of acting and has been working in theatre, ever since his graduation from Gimhae High School. In an interview, he confessed that he went to an acting school for a short period.

• In an interview, Kang-ho confessed that he used to do manual labour at construction sites when he was young. He worked at construction sites because his pay for a day was very high.

• He won international acclaim for his performance in the film Parasite (2019). He played the role of ‘Kim Ki-taek’ in the film. The film won Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2019.
  

  Song Kang-ho and Bong Joon-ho with Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival

• His film “Parasite” (2019) also became the first Korean film to receive a Golden Globe Award in 2020.
  

  Song Kang-ho, Lee Jeong-eun, and Bong Joon-ho with the Trophy Golden Globe Award

• The director, Bong Joon-ho and Kang-ho are very good friends. When Bong Joon-ho’s was considered an incompetent director, Kang-ho agreed to do a film with him. They both met for the first time when Kang-ho was a struggling actor in the industry, and he was giving auditions for a film where Joon-ho was an assistant director. Kang-ho failed at the auditions but he received a message from Joon-ho, saying,
  

  I’d like to work on a movie with you one day.

  As a result, when Joon-ho offered him a film, Kang-ho accepted his offer, and they both worked for the first time in “Memories of Murder.”Since then, they have worked on many projects together.

  

  Song Kang-ho with Bong Joon-ho

• In 2020, he joined the top 30 brand reputation rankings for film actors by Korean Business Research Institute.

• When asked about what is good advice that he follows in acting, he said that there was a senior actor who he used to work with, on stage,
  

  Do not become a technical actor. Do not act in a typical, predictable way.

• Reportedly, Kang-ho’s son, Joon Pyung taught him how to dribble a ball for a scene in the film A Taxi Driver (2017).
  
  

• According to Song, five of his favourite films are, László Nemes’s “Son of Saul” (2015), Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” (2019), Lee Chang-dong’s “Secret Sunshine” (2010), Park Chan-wook’s “Oldboy” (2003), Franklin J. Schaffner’s “Papillon” (1973). [6]