Tall, lean, and loaded with unmistakable appeal, Song Kang — rightfully dubbed the "Son of Netflix" — has had an impressive career trajectory in K-dramaland. But what's more amazing is that this 29-year-old Konkuk film major is just getting started.
Song Kang was born on April 23, 1994, in Suwon, South Korea. His career began with more minor roles in South Korean television dramas. His early parts, though minor, (in 2018's The Liar and His Lover as well as 2019's Touch Your Heart), were crucial in laying the foundation for his future success.
His breakthrough role came with the drama Love Alarm (2019), an original Netflix series. This was a significant turning point in his career, marking his transition from a relatively unknown actor to a rising star. He played the lead role of Hwang Sun-oh. The series, based on a popular webtoon of the same name, revolves around a futuristic dating app that notifies people when someone with romantic feelings for them is within a 10-meter radius.
In 2020, Song Kang played the lead role of Cha Hyun-su in the South Korean Netflix series Sweet Home. Sweet Home is a horror-thriller series based on a popular webtoon of the same name by Kim Kan-bi and Hwang Young-chan. The series revolves around a group of residents in an apartment complex who must band together to survive when monstrous creatures begin to threaten humanity. This role in this horror-thriller series showcased his versatility as an actor, diverging significantly from his previous romantic roles. As Cha Hyun-su, Song plays a troubled teenager grappling with a traumatic incident in his past that makes him withdrawn and emotionally distant. But when the terrifying monsters take over his apartment complex, Hyun-su evolves from a vulnerable and isolated individual into a courageous and resourceful survivor who takes on a leadership role in the group.
In yet another 180-degree turn from horror, Song Kang puts his physicality and emotional range to the test in Navillera (2021). Here, Song plays Lee Chae-rok, a ballet dancer who meets Shim Deok-chul (Park In-hwan), an elderly mailman whose lifelong dream is to become a ballet dancer himself. The two form an unlikely mentorship, with Chae-rok becoming Deok-chul's ballet instructor. Through this relationship, Chae-rok not only teaches ballet but also learns valuable life lessons and gains a deeper understanding of himself.
In the same year, Song returned to tsundere-romance territory with Nevertheless,. As Park Jae-eon, Song plays an art student at Hongseo University’s Sculpture Department who thinks relationships are a bother but likes to flirt. He meets Na-bi (Han So-hee), a heartbroken woman who no longer believes in love but wants to go out on dates. The two of them start a friends-with-benefits relationship but soon develop deeper feelings for each other. However, with so much skepticism from both ends, can real love flourish for people like them?
Then, in 2022, Song Kang entered his "noona romance" phase in Forecasting Love and Weather, where he played Lee Shi-woo, a special reporter who works at the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). A free-spirited and adventurous person who loves to chase storms, the young reporter nurses a crush on Jin Ha-kyung (Park Min-young), a diligent forecaster. The only problem is she is engaged to another man. He also has a complicated relationship with Chae Yoo-jin, a weather reporter for a newspaper who used to date him. Throughout the show, Lee faces many challenges and conflicts as he pursues his love and career in the weather service.
This year, Song Kang dives into the fantasy arena as he blesses his fans with a contract marriage story — with a twist. My Demon is going to tell the story of a demon-like chaebol heiress, Do Do-hee (Kim Yoo-jung) and an actual demon, Jung Gu-won (Song Kang), who loses his powers but not his devastating charms.
Song Kang's career trajectory demonstrates a blend of strategic role selection and natural talent. How he has evolved as an actor over the years, the diversity of his roles, and his approach to embodying different characters have all been essential in earning the monicker "Son of Netflix." With more hits scheduled for this young actor, can "King of Netflix" be his next title?
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