[SINGAPORE] Song Joong Ki would hate to be ‘Reborn Rich’

Song Joong Ki may have been in the entertainment industry for over 14 years now, but he shows no signs of slowing down. 

The actor was in Singapore on December 7 to promote his latest drama, the Viu Original series Reborn Rich (2022). Despite the sweltering heat, the actor was all smiles as he greeted the press and over 300 fans at Resorts World Sentosa. He also responded to all press questions in English. 

Song Joong Ki’s last public appearance in Singapore was in 2017, and he expressed his excitement in being able to return to the country. 

“I love Singapore, [and] this is my seventh or eighth time here,” he said. “Because of [Reborn Rich], I’m able to come back to Singapore today.”

Reborn Rich tells the story of an employee who works for the conglomerate Soonyang Group. Despite his unwavering loyalty, he was betrayed and murdered by an unknown member of the Soonyang family. When he wakes up to find himself in the body of the youngest grandson of the Soonyang family, he decides to take revenge on the family. 

The drama stars Song Joong Ki and Shin Hyun Been alongside veteran actor Lee Sung Min. It received rave reviews from its first episode, and its ratings in Korea reached a new all-time high for its 11th episode, according to Nielsen Korea. 

Given the complexity of playing two characters, it wasn’t an easy role, said Song Joong Ki. He added that he was thankful for how well-received the drama was. 

“This is not a romantic comedy drama, [and] I heard that Asian audiences love romantic comedies, so I never expected it to do so well,” he commented with a smile. 

The actor gained widespread international fame through the romance drama Descendants of the Sun (2016), but has recently focused on revenge-themed series such as Vincenzo (2021) and Reborn Rich. 

Song Joong Ki revealed that he decided to take on Reborn Rich for two reasons. Firstly, he wanted to work with Lee Sung Min, who he described as the “Korean Al Pacino”. 

“I always wanted to work with Mr Lee. We almost worked together 10 years ago but it didn’t happen. But this time, thankfully, I met him,” he added.

The second reason was his respect and trust in screenwriter Kim Tae Hee, who he previously worked with for his breakthrough drama, Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010).

When asked how he would react if he was ever reborn into a rich family like his character Yoon Hyun Woo, Song Joong Ki said that he would hate to actually be in his character’s shoes. 

“Frankly, I don’t want it. Because when I shot this drama, it’s all about the money and family conflict. I hate it,” he said. “I like me as myself.” 

The actor shared that he was happy with his performance, and how excited he was for the rest of the series. 

“I think Viu doesn’t want me to spoil too much,” he joked. 

Still, Song Joong Ki hinted that in the second half of the drama, his character will encounter more issues with the Soonyang family, especially with his grandfather. 

He also asked everyone to look forward to his next project, where he will reunite with actor Jo Han Chul, who also starred in Reborn Rich and Vincenzo.

Reborn Rich is available to stream on Viu.

Thank you to Viu Singapore for the media invite! 

Written by: Nicole Descalsota

Photos by: The Seoul Story/Nicole Descalsota

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