Song Il-kook (; born 1 October 1971) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his role in the 2006 hit drama series ''

Jumong Chumo (Hangul: 추모, Hanja: 鄒牟), posthumously Chumo the Holy (Hangul: 추모성왕, Hanja: 鄒牟聖王), was the founding monarch of the kingdom of Goguryeo, and was worshipped as a god-king by the people of Goguryeo and Goryeo. ''Chumo ...

'' as the titular character.

Early life and education

Song is the grandson of politician

Kim Du-han Kim Du-han (May 15, 1918 – November 21, 1972), also spelled Kim Doo-han, was a South Korean mobster, anti-communist activist, politician and the son of Kim Chwa-chin. His pen name ('' ho'') was Uisong. He was notorious for right-wing terror ...

, great grandson of

Kim Jwa-jin Kim Chwa-jin or Kim Jwa-jin (December 16, 1889 – January 24, 1930), sometimes called by his pen name Baegya, was a Korean general, independence activist, and anarchist who played an important role in the early attempts at development of anarch ...

, the famous

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...

and

Korean independence movement The Korean independence movement was a military and diplomatic campaign to achieve the independence of Korea from Japan. After the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910, Korea's domestic resistance peaked in the March 1st Movement of 1919, which ...

general during the early 1900s. Song is the son of politician and former actress Kim Eul-dong. He graduated from

Cheongju University Cheongju University is a private university located in Cheongju City, the capital of North Chungcheong province, South Korea. Academics Undergraduate studies at the university are divided among eight colleges: Economics & Business Administration ...

, majoring in

Performing Arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perform ...

, and later obtained a master's degree from Chung-Ang University.

Career

Song is the vice-president of the Korean

Triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the t ...

Confederation and participated in the 2008 Seoul International Triathlon Competition. In April 2008, Song carried the Olympic torch through Seoul. Song Il Gook

According to Reuters the most popular episodes of

attracted over 90% of Iranian audience (compared to 40% in South Korea), propelling Song Il-gook to superstar status in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. Song is also an amateur sketch artist. He has also modelled professionally, both on the runway and in print. In 2008, he was one of the subjects of the Kolon Christmas Photo Shoot. In 2009, the state of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

designated March 21 as Song Il-kook day. In April 2010, he was invited to the

Blue House Cheong Wa Dae ( ko, 청와대; Hanja: ; ), also known as the Blue House, is a public park that formerly served as the executive office and official residence of the president of South Korea from 1948 to 2022. It is located in the Jongno distri ...

to dine with Heads of State, including the president of

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

, as ''

'' garnered immense popularity in the central Asian country. In October 2015, Song signed an exclusive contract with management agency

C-JeS Entertainment C-JeS Entertainment is a South Korean entertainment company established in 2009, handling the management of various artists. Its roster includes popular boy band JYJ; singer Gummy; actors Sol Kyung-gu, Ryu Jun-yeol, and Lee Jae-wook; and actres ...

Personal life

On 15 March 2008, Song was wed to High Court

Judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

Jung Seung-yeon in a private, traditional

Korean wedding Marriage in Korea mirrors many of the practices and expectations of marriages in other societies. Modern practices are a combination of millennia-old traditions and global influences. Marriage in Pre-Modern Korea Marriage During the Koryo Per ...

at the Sheraton Walkerhill Hotel in

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

. Song and Jung became parents to fraternal triplet sons at a hospital in Seoul on 16 March 2012. Their sons are named Dae-han, Min-guk and Man-se which, when said together mean "Long Live the Republic of Korea". Song and his sons starred in the variety show '' The Return of Superman'' from 6 July 2014 to 7 February 2016. The triplets also made a cameo appearance in Song's television series ''

Jang Yeong-sil Jang Yeong-sil (; ; 1390 – after 1442) was a Korean mechanical engineer, scientist, and inventor during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897). Although Jang was born as a peasant, King Sejong allowed Jang to work at the royal palace. Jang's inven ...

'' (2016). Song adheres to a

pescetarian Pescetarianism (; sometimes spelled pescatarianism) is the practice of incorporating seafood into an otherwise vegetarian diet. Pescetarians may or may not consume other animal products such as eggs and dairy products. Approximately 3% of adults ...

diet for both health and ethical reasons.Lee, Seo-hyun
'송일국-이하늬-윤진서-김효진-배종옥' 공통점은!

ong Il-kook, Lee Ha-nui, Yun Jin-seo, Kim Hyo-jin and Bae Jong-ok have something in common Ong or ONG may refer to: Arts and media * Ong's Hat, a collaborative work of fiction * “Ong Ong”, a song by Blur from the album The Magic Whip Places * Ong, Nebraska, US, city * Ong's Hat, New Jersey, US, ghost town * Ong River, Odisha, India ...

(2012-01-04) (in Korean), Shinmoongo, Retrieved 2012-05-11
Archive
(2012-05-11)

(2012-05-11)

Filmography

TV series

Film

Variety show

Theater

Awards

State honors

Notes

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Song, Il-kook South Korean male film actors South Korean male television actors Living people 1971 births Male actors from Seoul Cheongju University alumni