So Ji-sub - Career

Career

So was chosen as a model for jeans brand STORM in 1995, then made his acting debut in the sitcom Three Guys and Three Girls and drama Model. But whereas fellow STORM model Song Seung-heon quickly rose to stardom, So had difficulty raising his profile. He appeared in small roles on television throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, and started to gain popularity when he was cast as the male second lead in Glass Slippers in 2002.

So began to show his potential to become a true actor in 2004's What Happened in Bali, but was again overshadowed by co-star Zo In-sung. At the time, So thought he would end up being a supporting actor. But later that year, he had his breakout role as the tragic hero in smash hit I'm Sorry, I Love You. It made him a top star in Korea, as well as all over Asia. In a 2009 interview, So said he still considers the two the best television dramas in his filmography.

So enlisted for mandatory military service in 2005 as a public relations officer with the Mapo District Office, and was discharged on April 27, 2007. He made his comeback in Jang Hoon's directorial debut Rough Cut, in which he played a thug who dreams of becoming an actor. Because of the film's low budget, So and costar Kang Ji-hwan decided to invest their fees back into the movie, and were credited as producers. So's performance was well received by audiences and critics, and the film became a surprise box office hit.

In 2009 So attempted to break into the Japanese and Chinese markets. In I am GHOST, an action drama that aired in 24 five-minute episodes on Japan's mobile-exclusive broadcaster BeeTV, he played a mysterious killer on the run with a high school girl. So spoke no lines in the mobile drama, and was "worried whether (their) emotions would be delivered just through (their) motions." The year before, he had appeared in a supporting role as a monster in the Japanese manga live-action adaptation GeGeGe No Kitaro 2: Kitaro and the Millenium Curse.

So starred opposite Zhang Ziyi in the Chinese romantic comedy Sophie's Revenge, saying, "I wanted to do a bright and cheery role because I've played so many sad and gloomy ones." He later signed with a Chinese talent agency. So then returned to Korean television with Cain and Abel, about two doctor brothers with an intense sibling rivalry.

In 2010 So headlined the big-budget Korean War epic Road No. 1, but despite high expectations, the series tanked in the ratings, averaging 6% for its entire run.

So published his photo-essay collection, So Ji-sub's Journey. The volume covers stories and photos over the past 13 years since his debut, using unpretentious language and sensitive photography taken during So's trips to the DMZ and Gangwon province. The usually taciturn and stoic actor revealed his inner thoughts throughout the book, with essays on his favorite number 51 (reflected in the name of his company - it means a 50-50 probability then believing just 1% more; the K stands for Korea), Romeo and Juliet, why he likes rainy days, and stories about his interactions with other celebrities and artists such as Tiger JK. Within ten days of its release, the book hit the bestseller list, and entered its third printing. He was subsequently named the goodwill ambassador of Gangwon-do in an effort to boost tourism there, and a 51 km-long trail in the province was named "So Ji-sub Road", which was unveiled to the public on May 20, 2012. He is the first Korean celebrity to have an entire road named after him.

A professed longtime hip-hop lover, So rapped for two original tracks – Lonely Life and Foolish Love – under the artist pseudonym "G" or "G-Sonic" for the Rough Cut and Cain and Abel soundtracks, respectively. In 2011 he released another digital single Pick Up Line under his own name. Two teaser videos were released, the first one described as a comedic version that featured guest stars Jung Joon-ha (who is a close friend of So's) and Kim Byung-man (whom So named as one of his favorite comedians). The single, along with the music video itself, was released on February 17, 2011, but recorded low sales.

So then played a boxer who falls in love with a blind girl in romantic melodrama Always (Korean title: Only You), directed by auteur Song Il-gon. It was the opening film of the 2011 Busan International Film Festival. He published a second book of photo-essays titled So Ji-sub's Only You featuring photographs, notes and commentary on playing his movie character Jang Chul-min.

On March 14, 2012, he launched a magazine for his fans titled SONICe, inside were So's suggested dating ideas and locations, favorite food and books, and more stories through his eyes. Its name is a combination of "so nice" and "Sonic," which is So's nickname. He also became the owner of the Apgujeong-dong branch of CJ Foodville's A Twosome Place.

So's first mini-album Corona Borealis was released in March 2012. It featured collaborations with songwriter Kim Kun-woo, vocal trainer Mellow, soprano Han Kyung-mi, and singers Huh Gak and Bobby Kim. Bobby Kim complimented So's rapping in their duet track That Day, a Year Ago, saying, "So has a talent in feeling the groove and it's as good as his acting skills." So also starred in a music video of the album's title song Some Kind of Story.

After portraying a workaholic detective in the cyber criminal investigative service in TV procedural Phantom, So starred in the film A Company Man, about a hitman in a killer-for-hire company who, after he falls in love and decides he wants out of his job, finds himself the target of his former colleagues.

In January 2013 So released another rap mini-album titled 6 PM...Ground, and his recording process aired on Music Triangle as part of Mnet's Collabo One project. The four songs of the album were combined together to make a 12-minute music drama starring So, Park Shin-hye and Yoo Seung-ho; which was also re-edited into individual music videos for each track.