Descendants of the Sun was the gateway to Korean dramas for many fans and helped birth the iconic K-drama pairing; Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo aka the Song-Song couple. The romance action melodrama chronicles the complex love story between the flamboyant Captain Yoo Si Jin (Song Joong Ki) and the assertive Dr. Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo), a cardiothoracic surgeon.
A second lead romance between Master Sergeant Seo Dae Young (Jin Goo) and First Lieutenant Yoon Myung Ju (Kim Ji Won) makes for another integral trope in the globally popular K-drama. Amidst a war-torn Uruk, the two couples navigate their complicated relationships, courtesy their dangerous professional lives.
Descendants of the Sun marked Song Joong Ki’s acting comeback after completing his mandatory military service. But did you know the Hallyu actor wasn’t the first choice to play his now iconic character Captain Yoo Si Jin? Descendants of the Sun director Lee Eung Bok admitted in an interview that the makers were looking for someone who was more “muscular and tough” to play the lead role, according to International Business Times.
However, they eventually went ahead with casting Song Joong Ki as Captain Yoo Si Jin in Descendants of the Sun: “He had just been discharged from his compulsory military service, he was handsome and he loved the script. You can tell now what is attractive to the viewers is not the brawny tough guy style, but the straightforward personality and his quick and nimble actions.” The rest, as they say, is history!
In an episode of tvN’s The List 2016, it was revealed that four Hallyu actors rejected the role of Captain Yoo Si Jin in Descendants of the Sun before Song Joong Ki was chosen. They reportedly said no because of three reasons; discomfort in playing a soldier on-screen, skepticism towards sporting the military style short hair and hesitancy towards the K-drama’s pre-production format, a departure from the trademark live-shoot production format. Scroll down to know who these four popular celebrities are, who passed on the offer to star in Descendants of the Sun.
Here are the 4 Hallyu actors who rejected Descendants of the Sun:
1. Gong Yoo
