The fact that actor Song Joong Ki was a short track skater in the past is being re-examined.

On February 10th, a post titled "The Real Reason Song Joong Ki quit short track speed skating" was posted on the humor page "Entertainment Store."

Before his debut in the entertainment industry, Song Joong Ki lived a life of an athlete by playing as a "short track" player for about 12 years from the first grade of elementary school.

He is known to have been a promising short track speed skater who was recognized for his potential enough to compete in the national sports competition three times as a representative player of Daejeon Metropolitan City.

Earlier, Song Joong Ki appeared on SBS entertainment program "Strong Heart" in 2010 and said, "I did short track speed skating for about 10 years until middle school". He admitted that he was a short track speed skater himself, saying that he also worked as a player for the Daejeon Metropolitan City national team for six years.

Also, when he auditioned for his film debut film "A Frozen Flower", when asked by director Yoo Ha, "Are you good at running?", and answered, "I said that I was a short track skater. I think this answer helped me pass."

However, Song Joong Ki gave up sports altogether after 12 years of short track track record.

In this regard, on Channel A's "Heard It Through the Rumors" in 2018, entertainment reporters and pop culture critics explained why, "Song Joong Ki's ankle injury made it difficult for him to exercise".

They also said, "At that time, there was a bit of 'faction controversy' by school or line in relation to the short track. It was a big social issue, but since the short track is a gold medal event, it seems that there were some bad problems".

After quitting sports, Song Joong Ki concentrated on his studies and, through luck, entered Sungkyunkwan University's business school. After debuting in his entertainment industry, he has grown a lot to this day and has risen to the ranks of top stars.

Song Joong Ki showed off his skating skills by playing the role of Ji Pung Ho, the national short track gold medalist in the 2009 MBC drama "Triple".

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Hyun Bin is finally addressing the long-standing "ddongcha" (poop car) theory surrounding his character from My Name is Kim Sam-soon—and he's not holding back!

In an interview on the 19th with Star News, the beloved actor confessed, "I was wrong," responding to the reevaluation of his iconic role as Hyun Jin-heon from the 2005 hit drama. The "ddongcha" theory has been a subject of online debate for years, with many viewers critiquing Hyun Jin-heon’s character as overly arrogant and entitled.

Hyun Bin, who first rose to fame in My Name is Kim Sam-soon, took the time to reflect on the character that made him a household name. He shared, “I was just following the script; there were no personal opinions added to the character of Hyun Jin-heon. At that time, I knew Hyun Jin-heon was portrayed as a ‘bad boy,’ and the way it was expressed was different from today’s standards.”

With My Name is Kim Sam-soon now being re-released as part of Wavve's "New Classic" project, fans are revisiting the 2005 drama, and the character of Hyun Jin-heon is under fresh scrutiny. Director Kim Yun-cheol even admitted that the "prince on a white horse" and "bad boy" tropes that once worked in 2005 don’t quite match today's sensibilities, leading to edits in the 2024 version.

Hyun Bin humbly acknowledged his gratitude for his successful career and hit works, saying, "It’s wonderful and I am grateful to have so many hit works. I’ve been fortunate to work with amazing writers, directors, and actors. Thanks to them, I’ve received a lot of attention and love." He also shared a sense of humility, noting, “But I never know when that luck will come again."

Despite the dramatic shift in perspective on his character, Hyun Bin’s charm and dedication remain strong. Fans are eager to see him in his upcoming film Harbin (directed by Woo Min-ho), set to be released on the 24th.

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