The year he turned 19, he began his entertainment career as a model for a clothing brand.
The breakthrough yearIn 1996, the year he turned 20, he appeared in the MBC sitcom Three Guys and Three Girls. TopStarNews says he became known through this series.
In 1997, he appeared in the MBC weekend drama You and I, and late that year he was named the most popular actor in a poll of users of the PC online service Chollian. Two years later, he played prosecutor Seo Ji-seok in SBS’s Happy Together.
The year he turned 24, he played Yoon Joon-seo in KBS2’s Autumn in My Heart. In 2001, he was reported to have come first in a Taiwanese website’s vote on Korean and Japanese entertainers. In 2002, he was named one of C.E TV’s Asia’s top 10 stars. In 2003, he starred opposite Son Ye-jin in KBS2’s Summer Scent.
In November 2004, he enlisted as an active-duty soldier. In November 2006, he was discharged, and in December he attended a Fuji TV event in Japan.
In 2008, he returned with the film Fate and then appeared in MBC’s East of Eden. In 2011, he starred opposite Kim Tae-hee in MBC’s My Princess. In 2012, he appeared in MBC’s Dr. Jin. In 2013, he played Han Tae-sang in MBC’s When a Man Falls in Love.
The film Obsessed was released in 2014. In 2015, he starred opposite Uhm Jung-hwa in the film Wonderful Nightmare. In 2017, he appeared in SBS’s Saimdang, Memoir of Colors, OCN’s Black and the film Man of Will in succession. In 2018, he began starring in OCN’s Player.
In 2021, he appeared in tvN’s Voice 4. In 2022, he hosted the first episode of SNL Korea season 3. The year he turned 47, he played Ryu Seok in the Netflix series Black Knight.
The film Hidden Face was released in 2024. In 2025, he starred opposite Uhm Jung-hwa in ENA’s My Troublesome Star. In 2026, he finished shooting the film The Gardeners.
Song Seung-heon (born Oct 5, 1976) debuted in 1995, the year he turned 19, as a clothing brand model, and became known when he appeared in the MBC sitcom Three Guys and Three Girls on Oct 21, 1996, the year he turned 20. In 2000, the year he turned 24, he appeared in KBS2’s Autumn in My Heart.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Began his entertainment career as a model for a clothing brand.
Source 02 · TopStarNews (Korean) · Song Seung-heon update · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Black Knight interview · opens in a new tab The articles give the year only.Played a male university student alongside Shin Dong-yup and Hong Kyung-in. TopStarNews says he became known through this series.
Played the third younger brother, Min-gyu, in a weekend drama scheduled for 50 episodes.
Source 04 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · MBC weekend drama You and I · opens in a new tab The start date is the scheduled date from a pre-broadcast article.In a poll of users of the PC online service Chollian, 10% of respondents named him the most popular among actors.
Source 05 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · PC online service popularity poll · opens in a new tab The article gives no survey date; only the report date (Dec. 19) is confirmed.Played prosecutor Seo Ji-seok in a story about five half-siblings. Cho Min-su, Lee Byung-hun, Kang Sung-yeon and Jun Ji-hyun also appeared.
Source 06 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Kim Ha-neul’s first TV drama · opens in a new tabSource 07 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · SBS Happy Together · opens in a new tabAppeared with Song Hye-kyo and Won Bin in a 16-episode Monday-Tuesday miniseries. While it was airing, Dong-A Ilbo reported ratings of 36.7% in late October. News1 writes that the series took him into the ranks of Hallyu (Korean Wave) stars.
Source 08 · Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · New Monday-Tuesday drama Autumn in My Heart · opens in a new tabSource 09 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · Autumn in My Heart finale · opens in a new tabSource 43 · News1 (Korean) · Song Seung-heon fan meeting · opens in a new tabSource 02 · TopStarNews (Korean) · Song Seung-heon update · opens in a new tabDong-A Ilbo reports he came first in a vote on Korean and Japanese entertainers held by a Taiwanese website, with Song Hye-kyo second and Jang Dong-gun third.
Source 10 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · Hong Kong media chase Song Seung-heon · opens in a new tab The article dates the vote only as a short time earlier, so the month of the report is given.Was on the list of Asia’s top 10 stars chosen by C.E TV, which broadcasts in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, along with Song Hye-kyo, Won Bin, Jang Dong-gun and Ahn Jae-wook.
Source 11 · OhmyNews (Korean) · Autumn in My Heart fever in China · opens in a new tab OhmyNews says only that the selection came earlier in the year, so the year is given.Starred opposite Son Ye-jin. Yonhap reports that episode 7 drew 18.2%, up from 9.6% a week earlier.
Source 12 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · The meaning of Summer Scent footage · opens in a new tabSource 13 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Summer Scent ratings · opens in a new tabEntered the 102nd Replacement Battalion in Chuncheon and served as an artilleryman in the Army’s 15th Division. Munhwa Ilbo wrote that he had illegally received a military exemption before enlisting as an active-duty soldier.
Source 14 · Munhwa Ilbo (Korean) · Song Seung-heon artillery, Jang Hyuk infantry · opens in a new tabSource 15 · Lady Kyunghyang (Korean) · Song Seung-heon discharged · opens in a new tabLady Kyunghyang reports that he apologized on his discharge.
Source 15 · Lady Kyunghyang (Korean) · Song Seung-heon discharged · opens in a new tabInvited as a guest to Fuji TV’s large-scale event Hot Fantasy Odaiba 2006-2007 in Japan and held an official press conference.
Source 16 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Fuji TV event in Japan · opens in a new tabHis comeback film after his discharge, co-starring Kwon Sang-woo.
Source 17 · The Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Film Fate · opens in a new tabSource 18 · Newsen (Korean) · Film Fate · opens in a new tabA drama about the lives of two families from the 1960s to the 2000s. Star News reports ratings passed 20% by the sixth episode.
Source 19 · Edaily (Korean) · East of Eden shoot · opens in a new tabSource 20 · Star News (Korean) · East of Eden 20% at episode 6 · opens in a new tabSource 21 · Joynews24 (Korean) · East of Eden love line · opens in a new tab The first broadcast date is the scheduled date from a pre-broadcast article.Starred opposite Kim Tae-hee. It began the same day as SBS’s Sign, and the first episode drew 13.0%.
Source 22 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · Sign and My Princess · opens in a new tabThe first episode aired the same day as SBS’s A Gentleman’s Dignity.
Source 23 · Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · A Gentleman’s Dignity and Dr. Jin · opens in a new tabSource 24 · MyDaily (Korean) · Dr. Jin · opens in a new tabPlayed Han Tae-sang. Edaily’s Apr. 23 article reports the drama had led its Wednesday-Thursday slot for four straight episodes.
Source 25 · Edaily (Korean) · When a Man Falls in Love · opens in a new tabStarred opposite Im Ji-yeon. The cumulative audience through May 30 was 1,315,889.
Source 26 · MBN (Korean) · Obsessed · opens in a new tabSource 27 · Asia Economy (Korean) · Obsessed passes 1.3 million · opens in a new tabStarred opposite Uhm Jung-hwa. The cumulative audience through Aug. 30 was 849,053.
Source 28 · MyDaily (Korean) · Wonderful Nightmare · opens in a new tabStarred opposite Lee Young-ae. SBS scheduled episodes 1 and 2 back to back from the first night.
Source 29 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Saimdang to air two episodes back to back · opens in a new tabSource 30 · TenAsia (Korean) · Saimdang, act three on set · opens in a new tabPlayed detective Han Moo-gang in an OCN original drama. Episode 2, aired on the 15th, drew 3.9% (Nielsen Korea, nationwide), up from 2.1% for episode 1.
Source 31 · Joynews24 (Korean) · Black ratings · opens in a new tabStarred opposite Jo Jin-woong.
Source 32 · Joynews24 (Korean) · Man of Will release date · opens in a new tabSource 33 · Kyeongin Ilbo (Korean) · Man of Will director interview · opens in a new tabSports Kyunghyang reports the first episode averaged 4.5%, above the 3.9% of Voice 2, the previous record for an OCN premiere.
Source 34 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Player premiere · opens in a new tabPlayed Derek Jo of the LAPD team in a tvN Friday-Saturday drama.
Source 35 · Newsis (Korean) · Voice 4 · opens in a new tabSource 36 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Voice 4, Derek Jo · opens in a new tab An article says episode 2 aired June 19, which confirms a June start; the first broadcast date is not given.Appeared as host of the first episode of season 3 of the Coupang Play variety show SNL Korea.
Source 37 · OSEN (Korean) · SNL Korea season 3 · opens in a new tab The date of the first broadcast could not be confirmed in news reports.Played the villain Ryu Seok, heir to the Cheonmyeong Group. Newsen reports the series ranked No. 1 in Netflix’s global Top 10 TV (Non-English) category three days after release.
Source 03 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Black Knight interview · opens in a new tabSource 38 · Newsen (Korean) · Black Knight interview · opens in a new tabStarred opposite Uhm Jung-hwa. The first episode drew 1.3% (Nielsen Korea, nationwide).
Source 40 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · My Troublesome Star premiere · opens in a new tabSource 41 · Edaily (Korean) · My Troublesome Star · opens in a new tabAnnounced in a post that filming had wrapped on the film, in which he plays Han Cheong-yong.
Source 42 · TopStarNews (Korean) · The Gardeners wraps filming · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1995–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
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Film & TV · South Korea
Oct 5, 1976 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1976: the year of the event minus 1976, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.10.03 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.