Song Joong-ki was once adored for his youthful looks and iconic roles in dramas like “Descendants of the Sun”, “Sungkyunkwan Scandal”, and “Arthdal Chronicles”. He was also known for his beautiful relationship with Song Hye-kyo.
However, his public image has plummeted, often receiving criticisms from netizens nowadays. Why is this the case?
1. Behavior After Divorce
There’s a saying, “To know if a man is good, observe how he behaves during a breakup.” Indeed, Song Joong-ki’s actions during his tumultuous divorce from Song Hye-kyo have significantly damaged his public image. The couple from “Descendants of the Sun” lived together for only two years, from 2017 to 2019.
In the entertainment industry, couples usually try to maintain each other’s dignity after a breakup because they continue to work in the field. In Kbiz, it’s common for couples to finalize their divorce or breakup privately before announcing it publicly, often citing reasons like “busy schedules” or “differences in lifestyle” while wishing each other well, even if the truth is less amicable.
However, Song Joong-ki’s handling of the situation left many dissatisfied. In June 2019, Korean media reported that Song Joong-ki unilaterally filed for divorce from Song Hye-kyo without prior notice. At the time, Song Hye-kyo was abroad, and she and her management only learned about the divorce through the media, with no prior preparation. This led many to believe that Song Hye-kyo was at fault, resulting in her receiving severe backlash even though it was a mutual divorce.
Subsequently, the media portrayed Song Joong-ki as the “victim,” and rumors spread that Song Hye-kyo had an affair with Park Bo-gum, a close junior of Song Joong-ki, during the filming of “Encounter”. Although there was no evidence, these rumors heavily tarnished the reputations of both actors.
Despite Park Bo-gum publicly denying the rumors and threatening legal action, Song Joong-ki remained silent. Given his decade-long experience in showbiz, Song Joong-ki likely knew his actions and words would become hot topics, yet he chose to remain silent, allowing his junior to be misunderstood.
As a result, Park Bo-gum allegedly “cut ties” with Song Joong-ki. Netizens also suspect that Song Joong-ki’s close friends, including actors Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Woo-bin, Jo In-sung, D.O. (EXO), Kim Ki-bang, and Lee Ki-hoon, have all distanced themselves from him. The actor has been absent from their gatherings, and the group now avoids mentioning Song Joong-ki in the media.
Throughout this, Song Hye-kyo only stated that the divorce was due to personality differences, while Song Joong-ki’s family continuously made disparaging remarks about her. After the divorce, Song Joong-ki’s brother immediately unfollowed his ex-sister-in-law and deleted supportive posts about her projects.
Particularly, Song Joong-ki’s brother posted a cryptic message, “Covering the sky with one hand” after the divorce, and also liked numerous posts criticizing Song Hye-kyo and posted photos of the family happily without her.
2. “Couple Media-play” with Co-stars While Dating Katy Louise Saunders
Song Joong-ki publicly announced his relationship with Katy Louise Saunders at the end of 2022. However, he had actually met his new partner only 5-6 months after divorcing Song Hye-kyo. According to journalist Lee Jin-ho, after making his relationship with Katy public on December 26, 2022, Song Joong-ki had a dinner with colleagues from his new film “Ro Ki Wan”. There, he confirmed that he had been dating Katy for almost three years (from the end of 2019 to early 2020).
During 2020-2022, Song Joong-ki was frequently rumored to be dating his co-stars from “Vincenzo” and “Space Sweepers”, Jeon Yeo-bin and Kim Tae-ri. He was often seen being affectionate with Jeon Yeo-bin behind the scenes and continued to support her even after the show ended, creating “romantic scenes” at the Blue Dragon Film Awards.
With Kim Tae Ri, Song Joong-ki was even more “ambiguous”, openly supporting her vlog on his personal account. This was the first time he publicly posted about a female co-star, causing a social media frenzy and leading netizens to speculate about their relationship.
In hindsight, netizens believe Song Joong-ki was deliberately using “couple media play” with co-stars to boost the popularity of his projects and himself, while already dating someone else.
3. Controversial Remarks
Song Joong-ki has been criticized for repeatedly promising “forever” in his marriages.
His first “forever” lasted only two years, but when he remarried, he made the same promise again, saying, “I promised to spend the rest of my life with Katy Louise Saunders, the woman who has always supported me.” As a result, though some fans defend Song Joong-ki as it’s normal to wish for “forever” in marriage, many netizens mock him for making too many promises without being sure he can keep them.
After remarrying and becoming a father, Song Joong-ki made even more controversial remarks. Particularly, in an interview with Sina, the actor said he missed many career opportunities due to getting married and having a child.
“Sometimes being a father and a husband means losing work in this field (film). Being a father, having a child, and marrying a woman in the industry seem to have made me less employable”, the actor said at the time.
This statement sparked a heated debate on Korean social media. According to Knet, Song Joong-ki’s career was not affected at all after announcing his marriage and having a child. His words were also seen as insensitive, considering his wife endured pain and fatigue during pregnancy and childbirth, but inadvertently made him “lose work.” It was also mentioned that actresses often suffer way more in the industry in the event of marriage and childbirth, so a man like Song Joong-ki has no right to complain.
Song Joong-ki also allegedly showed a condescending attitude towards journalists. In one interview, when asked, “Have you decided on a name for your son yet?” he rudely replied, “Why should I tell you that?”
At Baeksang 2024, his demeanor during his encounter with ex-wife Song Hye-kyo also became a topic of debate. When his ex-wife appeared on stage, Song Joong-ki showed an awkward expression in the audience.
Source: K14
