Song Kang-ho (born January 17, 1967) is a South Korean actor, considered one of the most important and influential figures in contemporary Korean cinema. After beginning his career in theater, he achieved international fame through a series of collaborations with acclaimed directors. He is best known for his partnership with Bong Joon-ho, with whom he has made iconic films such as *Memories of Murder* (2003), *The Host* (2006), and the Academy Award-winning *Parasite* (2019). His filmography also includes key works such as Park Chan-wook's *Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance* (2002) and the box-office hit *A Taxi Driver* (2017). Praised for his extraordinary versatility and his ability to embody the common man with depth and realism, he has won numerous awards. His international prestige was cemented in 2022, when he became the first South Korean male actor to win the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in Hirokazu Kore-eda's film *Broker*.