The year he turned 23, he joined a theater troupe in Busan and began acting. That winter, Yeonwoo Theater Company’s “Teacher Choi,” performed in Busan, changed his direction. In 1991 he became a Yeonwoo member and played the old man in the one-act “Dongseung” in an omnibus show. Around 1992 he was in the play Bieonso, and the director Lee Chang-dong saw it and called him to film. In 1993 he appeared in a bit part in the musical “Busan Galmaegi.”
In November 1995 he married a former stage actress. In 1996 he made his film debut in Hong Sang-soo’s The Day a Pig Fell into the Well, on Yeonwoo senior Kim Eui-sung’s recommendation.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 30, he became known as the gangster Jo-pil in No. 3, after playing the gangster Pan-su in Green Fish. That year he won best new actor at the Grand Bell Awards and best supporting actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.
In 1998 he appeared in The Quiet Family, directed by Kim Jee-woon. In 1999 he played the special agent Lee Jang-gil in Shiri. In 2000 he took his first lead in The Foul King and also appeared in Joint Security Area. In 2001 he won best actor at the 38th Grand Bell Awards.
In 2003 Memories of Murder, his first film with Bong Joon-ho, was released. In 2005 he appeared in Antarctic Journal and Lady Vengeance. In 2006 The Host was released and passed 10 million admissions. In 2007 he walked the Cannes red carpet for the first time with Secret Sunshine.
In 2009 Thirst was invited to the Cannes competition. In 2010 he appeared in Secret Reunion and A Little Pond. In 2013 he had three films released in one year: Snowpiercer, The Face Reader and The Attorney. In January 2014 The Attorney passed 10 million admissions in 33 days.
In 2016 The Age of Shadows opened, and the combined audience for his lead films passed 100 million. In 2017 A Taxi Driver passed 10 million admissions in 19 days. In 2019 Parasite won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and he received the Ok-gwan Order of Cultural Merit that year.
The year he turned 55, he won Best Actor at Cannes for Broker, the first time a Korean male actor won an acting prize there. In 2024 he appeared in a drama for the first time in Uncle Samsik, and One Win opened in December. In 2026 he was confirmed for the film The Gardeners.
Song Kang-ho (born Feb 25, 1967) debuted in 1991, the year he turned 24, on the stage in “Dongseung,” and became known on Aug 1997, the year he turned 30, as Jo-pil in the film No. 3. In 2022, the year he turned 55, he won Best Actor at Cannes for Broker.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
02 / QUICK ANSWERS
Q & AFrequently asked
- How old was Song Kang-ho when he debuted?
- On the stage, 1991, the year he turned 24, when he joined Yeonwoo Theater Company and played the old man in the one-act “Dongseung.” His film debut was The Day a Pig Fell into the Well in 1996, the year he turned 29. Some outlets count the start of his stage career as his debut and others count his film debut.
- How old was Song Kang-ho when he became famous?
- In 1997, the year he turned 30, as Jo-pil in No. 3. That was six years after his stage debut and the year after his film debut. He drew attention earlier that year for Green Fish, and in 2000, the year he turned 33, he took his first lead in The Foul King.
- How old was Song Kang-ho when he won Best Actor at Cannes?
- In 2022, the year he turned 55. He won on May 28, 2022, local time, at the 75th Cannes Film Festival for Broker. It was the first time a Korean male actor won an acting prize at Cannes, and his seventh Cannes selection.
- How many 10-million-admission films has Song Kang-ho been in?
- The Segye Ilbo lists four: The Host, The Attorney, A Taxi Driver and Parasite. The earliest, The Host, came in 2006, the year he turned 39, and the latest, Parasite, in 2019, the year he turned 52. When The Age of Shadows opened in 2016, the combined audience for his lead films passed 100 million.
- How old is Song Kang-ho?
- Born in 1967, he turns 59 in 2026 (59 as of Sep 21, 2026).