Song Kang (Korean: 송강; born April 23, 1994) is a South Korean actor. His notable lead roles in television series include Love Alarm (2019–21), Sweet Home (2020), Navillera (2021), Nevertheless (2021), and Forecasting Love and Weather (2022). He is popularly known as the "Son of Netflix" because most of his series are aired on the platform.[2]
Song Kang | |
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![]() Song Kang for Marie Claire Korea in 2021 | |
Born | (1994-04-23) April 23, 1994 (age 28) |
Education | Konkuk University – Department of Film Arts[1] |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 2017–present |
Agent | Namoo Actors |
Korean name | |
Hangul | |
Hanja | 宋江 |
Revised Romanization | Song Gang |
McCune–Reischauer | Song Kang |
Kang made his acting debut with a supporting role in the 2017 romantic comedy television series The Liar and His Lover.[3] The same year, he was cast in the family drama Man in the Kitchen.[4] He also appeared in two music videos: "Sweet Summer Night" by acoustic duo The Ade and "Love Story" by Suran.[5][6] On July 8, 2017, his agency Namoo Actors organised a fan meeting – "Introduction to Rookies" for Kang alongside Oh Seung-hoon and Lee Yoo-jin.[7]
Kang hosted the SBS music program Inkigayo from February to October 2018 along with Seventeen's Mingyu and DIA's Jung Chae-yeon.[8] He also joined as a fixed cast member on the variety show Village Survival, the Eight.[9] For the two works, he was nominated for the "Rookie Award" at the 2018 SBS Entertainment Awards.[10] In July 2018, Song marked his big-screen debut with the fantasy film Beautiful Vampire.[11]
In 2019, Kang played the supporting role of Jung Kyung-ho's assistant in tvN fantasy melodrama When the Devil Calls Your Name.[12] He next starred in the Netflix original romantic series Love Alarm, based on the popular webtoon of the same name.[13] Kang was cast in his first main role through auditions out of 900 people;[14] he played the role of a handsome high-school student who falls in love with a girl (Kim So-hyun) who was his best friend's secret crush.[15] Love Alarm was ranked as one of Netflix's top releases of the year and was renewed for a second season.[16] His final appearance that year was in the music video of Vibe's "Call Me Back".[17]
Kang was propelled to stardom in 2020 when he starred in apocalyptic horror Netflix original Sweet Home, based on the eponymous webtoon.[18] He was auditioned for the cast on the recommendation of Love Alarm's director to the director of Sweet Home, Lee Eung-bok.[18] His role was Cha Hyun-su, a suicidal high school boy who, along with a group of fellow apartment residents, tries to survive a "monsterization" apocalypse.[19] Critical responses of the series were mixed,[20] but gathered a wide international audience.[21] One month after the release of the series, Variety revealed that it had been viewed by 22 million member households of Netflix.[22] At the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards Kang received a nomination for Best New Actor – Television.[23]
In 2021, reprised his role as Hwang Sun-oh in the second season of Love Alarm which was released on Netflix on March 12.[16] He next appeared in the tvN series Navillera, adapted from the eponymous webtoon.[24] He played a ballet student who struggles due to unresolved issues about his father and tries to support himself by working as a part-timer. Kang took ballet lessons for six months in order to portray his character.[25] Later the same year, Kang starred in another webtoon adaption Nevertheless, JTBC's romance drama, alongside Han So-hee.[26]
In terms of viewership record, the year 2021 is considered a success for Kang as Sweet Home, Love Alarm and Nevertheless managed to rank as 5th, 6th, and 8th most watched K-dramas in Netflix worldwide, respectively.[27]
In 2022, Kang starred in another JTBC drama, Forecasting Love and Weather, alongside Park Min-young.[28] On March 4, 2022, Kang held a fan meeting to communicate with fans around the world in real time via 'The Swoon', a YouTube channel dedicated to South Korea.[29] In May, it was reported that Kang will hold a fan meeting on June 12, 2022 at the YES24 Live Hall.[30]
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Beautiful Vampire | Lee So-nyeon | [11] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | The Liar and His Lover | Baek Jin-woo | [3] | |
2017–2018 | Man in the Kitchen | Kim Woo-joo | [4] | |
2019 | Touch Your Heart | Deliveryman | Cameo (Ep. 13) | [31] |
When the Devil Calls Your Name | Luka | [12] | ||
2021 | Navillera | Lee Chae-rok | Lead role | [24] |
Nevertheless | Park Jae-eon | [26] | ||
2022 | Forecasting Love and Weather | Lee Shi-woo | [28] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019–2021 | Love Alarm | Hwang Sun-oh | Season 1–2 | [13] |
2020–present | Sweet Home | Cha Hyun-soo | Season 1–3 | [19][32] |
Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Inkigayo | Host | Ep. 945–979 | [8] |
2018–2019 | Village Survival, the Eight | Cast member | [9] | |
Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | I Oppa Don't Know | Cast Member | Studio Lulu Lala | [33] |
Title | Year | Artist(s) | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|
"Sweet Summer Night" (달콤한 여름밤) | 2017 | The Ade | [5] |
"Love Story" (러브스토리) | Suran | [6] | |
"Call Me Back" (이 번호로 전화해줘) | 2019 | Vibe | [17] |
Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee(s)/work(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Asia Contents Awards | 2021 | Newcomer Actor | Navillera | Nominated | [34][35] |
ACA Excellence Award | Sweet Home | Won | [36] | ||
Baeksang Arts Awards | 2021 | Best New Actor – Television | Nominated | [23] | |
Brand Customer Loyalty Award | 2021 | Male actor - Rising Star | Song Kang | Won | [37] |
Brand of the Year Awards | 2021 | Rising Star Actor | Nominated | ||
Newsis Hallyu Expo | 2021 | Seoul Tourism Foundation CEO Award | Won | [38] | |
SBS Entertainment Awards | 2018 | Male Rookie Award | Village Survival, the Eight, Inkigayo | Nominated | [10] |
Seoul International Drama Awards | 2021 | Outstanding Korean Actor | Sweet Home | Nominated | [39][40] |
Character of the Year | Won | [41] |
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