Actor Song Joong-ki has opened up about the difficulties he used to experience in his early years and why he currently makes an effort to ensure a positive environment on set.
The comments were made while on the Aug. 30 episode of "Yubari Talk Bari," a Weekend Drama YouTube channel segment, where Song was joined by co-star Chun Woo-hee for the promotion of JTBC's new drama 'My Youth'.
When questioned by co-star Yoo Yeon-seok regarding collaborating on set for the first time, Song responded, "I've seen you guys before, but this is our first project."
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Chun Woo-hee complimented his considerate attitude on set. "What I liked about working with him was that he has a personality that tries to create a comfortable environment. It's not easy to say, 'I'll take responsibility, trust me,'" she said.
She further mentioned, "It can be busy and burdensome just doing his own work, but he tries to take on all that himself. Seeing that makes me so grateful."
Song brushed off the compliment. "That's not true. We have to finish quickly so we can have a company dinner," he laughed.
He then shared about the troubles he went through in previous productions. "To be honest, not all sets were happy," Song said.
"I've been on a few sets that were so emotionally difficult, so when I think about a certain project or when I think about how old I was at that time, those difficult memories come flooding back, and it's so sad."
The actor described how those experiences influenced his present frame of mind. "I didn't want negative energy to come up or control me," he said.
"It's not like I have a great will to make everyone happy or anything grandiose, I just wanted to be happy. I wanted to have fun."
Song, born in 1985, married British actress Katie Louise Saunders in 2023. The couple has a son and a daughter. He debuted in 2008 and has since become one of South Korea's most prominent actors.
He is now preparing for the release of 'My Youth,' scheduled to premiere on JTBC on Sept. 5, where he stars opposite Chun Woo-hee.
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