Song Seung-heon Photo: CFP

Rising to fame for his role in TV drama Autumn in My Heart back in 2000, South Korean actor Song Seung-heon has been one of Asia's longest-lasting heartthrobs. The gentle and affectionate character he played on the show helped establish Song's status as an "ideal man" among many female fans in China.

South Korean TV series do quite well in the Chinese market. Although many younger actors have risen to heartthrob status in recent years, it seems that none can compare to the staying power of the 39-year-old Song, who hasn't lost his appeal with Chinese fans these past 15 years.

Song's upcoming film The Third Way of Love has caused quite a stir among Chinese and South Korean audiences in recent months because he is starring in it with his current girlfriend - Chinese actress Liu Yifei.

Last week, Song also made an appearance in Beijing as the ambassador for The Second Chinese-Korean Share Your Dream Short Film Festival organized by companies including the CJ Group, the China Korea Friendship Association and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

In an interview with the Global Times on Thursday, Song expressed that he is indeed focusing on expanding his career in China.

"I've always been warmly welcomed every time I've come to China. I appreciate that even after more than a decade's time,  Autumn in My Heart is still well remembered," Song said.

"This [The Third Way of Love] will be the first time I've officially starred in a Chinese work. I should have come here earlier. Sorry for being so late. But from now on I'll be more active in China and appear more often through cooperation activities."

After The Third Way of Love, Song will star in another blockbuster, The Bombing, with a number of A-listers such as Chinese actors Liu Ye and Nicholas Tse, and Hollywood veterans Bruce Willis and Adrien Brody. The film has already finished shooting and is scheduled to release next year. A Chinese film, it is being supported by a production team from Hollywood and has Mel Gibson signed on as an art consultant.

Turning point



Known for his image of romantic and gentle man, Song has shocked a number of fans for his role as a man who finds himself in an immoral love affair in South Koran film Obsessed (2014).

"For me, pursuing a variety of characters helps me transform as an actor. That was a character I never had a chance to experience in my 20s. I want to take on more challenging roles, so I can show people that Song Seung-heon can perform such roles. That film was a turning point for me as an actor," Song said.

Song revealed he was concerned about the nudity and immorality in the film at first, but believes that it was something he had to do as an actor.

"I always feel I'm too uptight. Through that film, however, I feel I'm now able to master everything with more freedom. This is why that film means a lot to me."

Building bridges



Song and many other South Korean celebrities have played a considerable role in spreading the current "Korean Wave" to China over the past decade. Now a number of them have decided to expand their career here as well.

For example, Song Hey-kyo, the South Korean actress who was the leading actress in Autumn in My Heart, has appeared in a number of Chinese films, including parts I and II of The Crossing by John Woo and The Grandmaster by Wong Kar-wai.

Meanwhile Kim Soo-hyu and Gianna Jun brought China's Korean craze to a record high with their 2014 TV drama My Love from the Star.

The cultural exchanges between China and South Korea have been on the rise in recent years as more cast and crew from the critically acclaimed South Korean film industry are focusing on co-productions and film distribution in the Chinese market.

In addition to films and TV shows, variety programs from South Korea have also had an impact as a number of Chinese TV stations have spent copious amounts of money to purchase copyrights so they may produce Chinese versions of hit South Korean shows like Running Man and I am a Singer.

"One reason behind the popularity of South Korean culture in Asia is cultural similarity, while another reason is that South Korean entertainment businesses are masters at anticipating and responding to audience demand," Song said.

Song added that he hopes that increased communication between China and South Korea will result in more outstanding works getting made.

"It's not just a Korean Wave, China has great actors and directors too. Through exchanges like these, Asian culture may no longer be popular in just Asia, but also become popular worldwide. We should make joint efforts to realize this," he said.

As the ambassador for the Share Your Dream Short Film Festival, Song is of the opinion such events will further drive exchanges between the two countries.

It's worth mentioning that this year's festival saw renowned South Korean director Kang Je-gyu join the judges panel.

At the festival Kang told the Global Times that being a judge for the festival totally changed his mind about Chinese films.

"I was concerned there might be great differences in terms of genre and production methods between contestants from the two countries," Kang said, adding that he thought the censorship standards films face in China might lead to contestants taking on more conservative topics. However, it turned out his concerns were in vain.

"I have more faith in the future of the Chinese film industry," Kang said. Meanwhile, he said many works from young South Korean directors were surprising as well and applauded the festival for being a communication platform that can allow directors from both countries to understand each other.