7 things to know about Netflix's new K-drama darling Song Kang of Love Alarm and Sweet Home fame

Aspiring South Korean actors come and go, and few become stars even for a brief moment. But for those who do, they ascend to such dizzying heights of fame that you can't help but be left smitten.

Song Kang is currently the hottest rising star of the season, starring as the lead in a string of Netflix hits like Love Alarm and Sweet Home, as well as new dramas Love Alarm 2, and Navillera.

Here are seven things to know about the 26-year-old.

1. He was a music video model

Before he found fame in Love Alarm in 2019, he appeared in a few music videos. Here are a couple from 2017.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcP5bSb9ko0[/embed]

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDM5c5ImW_Y[/embed]

2. He believes love is shown through the eyes

AsiaOne met Song Kang earlier this month during the virtual media conference for Love Alarm 2. In the romantic drama series based on a web-toon, a mobile app notifies users when someone within a 10-metre radius has romantic feelings for them.

Season 2 continues four years from where the first season left off, where the complicated love tangle between Jo-jo (played by Kim So-hyun), Sun-oh (Song Kang), and Hye-yeong (Jung Ga-ram) continues.

We asked Song Kang how he expresses love, and either something was lost in translation or he's subtly evading our question, because he told us: "Like my character Sun-oh, I like to look people in the eye to see and understand what they hope to express."

We assume that's how he shows love, too.

3. He needs to confess his love

In a video interview done with The Swoon in 2019 for Love Alarm, Song Kang admitted he "can't stand" keeping his feelings hidden. Recalling an incident, he said: "One day, I drank a lot and confessed to her. I was wasted, I drank so much." Unfortunately, he didn't elaborate on whether his affections were reciprocated.

In another interview with The Swoon, he was asked to choose between loving someone and being loved. He replied: "I'm not good at expressing my feelings well, so if someone can express her feelings for me, I think I will be moved and be equally nice to her."

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O78_vsaJcCQ[/embed]

4. He finds mystery novels relaxing and reads them before bedtime

In an interview with Marie Claire and reported in Soompi in November last year, Song Kang revealed how he got into the habit of reading before turning in for the night.

"When I first started living on my own in Seoul, I'd leave the television on when I slept because I hated the loneliness and emptiness. It became a habit, and then I'd always wake up in the morning with a headache," he told the magazine.

"So instead of the television, I started leaving a meditation app on or reading before I go to sleep, and it made me feel light and happy the next day. That's how I ended up getting into the habit of reading."

5. He needs his me-time

While he hated the loneliness he felt when he began living on his own, he also said in the same interview with Marie Claire that he values his quiet time alone.

"Being an actor is not the most stable job out there. I think that's why I imagine a life that is stable and peaceful. There's also a side of me that likes spending quiet time alone," he explained.

"That's why I've been putting my phone on silent so I don't get distracted. It's become a habit now. Without alone time, I get very stressed."

ALSO READ: Busy Song Kang courted for another series

6. His social media followers increased 30 times

Before he shot to fame in Love Alarm in 2019, it was reported that he had less than 200,000 followers on Instagram. Now, he has 6 million — a 30-fold increase, with each post getting at least 1 million likes.

When asked during the Love Alarm 2 press conference on how he feels about the huge increase in fans, Song Kang said: "The following day after Love Alarm season 1 was released, my following grew exponentially, and I was surprised and quite shaken to see that. I couldn't believe it, and I still can't believe it. It doesn't feel real now, and I'm really grateful."

7. He learnt ballet for five months for a role

If you've finished binge-watching all six episodes of Love Alarm 2, you'd have to wait only a few days for Song Kang's next drama Navillera.

He plays 23-year-old Chae-rok, a gifted ballerino who discovered his talent late, and becomes mentor to a 70-year-old retired postman (played by Park In-hwan) aspiring to fulfil his lifelong dream of dancing ballet as he nears the end of his life.

In a virtual regional media conference held earlier this week, Song Kang said he learnt ballet for five to six months prior to filming and watched a lot of videos to learn how to move his body to portray the elegant and graceful physique that ballerinos have.

"The moves were very technical and tricky, so I thought, rather than to focus on the professional aspect, I should try to make my body look beautiful and display emotional facial expressions," he said.

Navillera premieres March 22 on Netflix, with new episodes released every Monday and Tuesday.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyMxjKQE_Mg[/embed]

kwokkarpeng@asiaone.com