Is that really him!? He looks younger too.... He lost a lot of chubs in his face. Also, it's good to remember that with the lighting, and that there's a lot of shadows in the picture, it makes him look a bit different.

I think him looking "scary" aint too bad. He's the leader of a criminal organization... he's got to look badass :D

Even if he's a guy who wants revenge on a "bad guy" who did something to his family, he is still a "bad guy" himself. To get to the ranks as a leader of an organization, I don't think a "sweet, charming" image would fit well. His creepiness just makes everything better, no? I hate the "good, self-righteous, all for justice" male heros. Just because a guy wants to seek revenge on a bad guy, it doesn't mean it will make him a man of justice.

Annyeong,

Hem...looking from side view, he does look hot but looking at the front he seems too musculine....wow I like it... and its not easy to get that figure / look...lets wait how he portray this musculine in the drama...can't wait...keep fighting.... Hwaiting...

that picture showing his back view - he looks like a lizard - creepy!!!!

The first thought that came to my mind when I saw SIK's picture was that he sort of resembled Champion from the excellent animated film "Les Triplettes de Belleville." It's a disturbing image, to be honest, but stark and fascinating.

the third photo is really frightening. O.o *shivers*

Lol - so much for Rain and his 0% fat. This body goes into the negatives lols

hot!

He does indeed look creepy. Check out that X on his back :(

I'm impressed with the dedication and discipline he invested in achieving that kind of body. Just imagine what kind of pain he went through in order to achieve it; and for that i commend him. It's for a role, he's not gonna stay that way forever! i love gangster and revenge dramas so I'm definitely looking forward on this one. I just hope that the badass character is portrait all through out the drama. I just don't like it when all of the sudden they go all gooody on the end.

Look at his wrists. Vampire??.

The back shot looks really creepy. For some reasons, his image reminds me of Smeagol of The Lord of the Rings or of some mummified bodies or the infamous skinless Robbie William in the song Rock DJ. The lighting isn't very good, making his wrists look smaller, giving off the feeling of deformation.

very creepy and his nose is quite different from before.....

scary he looks he undergo surgery..... yaiksss!!!!

Is this the Jumong that I liked?

He's scary indeed!!!

Song Il Gook doesn't look healthy. I think that this is rather extreme. His normally healthy good looks are not present. Please try to persuade him to put a little more weight on. He doesn't look well.

@ snoopyvkd
“OMG?? I prefer the normal Song Il Kook…”

@ doozy
I completely agree with you. What happened to the Song Il Kook from “Terms of Endearment?”

Yes, I also agree with you. I prefer him in Jumong or Lobbyist. The picture is very dark that make him looks so more scary and weird....

dont like his hairstyle. but the bod is fine, so lean and mean

@51 nuff said....

i can't wait to see this drama and I hope the character does not go goodie2shoes in the end in order to continue the drama later on perhaps if a success....the conflicted avenger. yeah!

Doesn't it arouse your curiousity of his next drama? Why don't we watch it and see the new SIK. He actually looks much fit, young, and healthy if you see his Hawaii arrival pictures.
http://kr.news.yahoo.com/service/news/shellview.htm?articleid=20100218121739171b6&linkid=4&newssetid=1352

@ 28 kellie:
wow you sound like a child who never ever heard about actors who work hard to change their image so that it can suit their next project!
What desperation you're talking about? He looks exactly like the main hero in the manhwa! He's very thin, muscular and his face is very sharp and defined! That's the point of all of SIG's training! To look like the man in the manhwa!
grow up please!

WOW, and here I though Lee Byung Hun was muscular. He ain't got nothing on SOng Il-kook! It is too much!!! It really doesn't not look good.

I really don't mind muscles, but his frame is just too ... "lean". He would look a lot healthier if he had more mass. These pics make his skin look too taughtly-pulled over his bones.

Sorry ... it's just MHO. I really like the 'old' Song Il Kook and hope that he'll revert to how he was prior to his prep for this role.

His ass is beautiful...LOL

Oh my goodness, what did he do to himself. He look like some psycho killer on the loose. No matter how those abs looks stunningly shape up, I still prefer his old self. I wish he could add a little weight to make him look younger and fresh.

Hard to believe this is the same guy who had about only 2 seconds of screentime as one of Jang Hyuk's thugs in Into The Sunlight.
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/2871/15intothesunshinewmv002.jpg

Wow! Song Il gook. At last I get to see him on screen again.
I like him in Terms of Endearment, The art of seduction, Jumong & Kingdom of the winds.

He's truly a dedicated actor. I read that he prepared well for Kingdom of the winds too. He's athletic. He loves cycling. Superb with bow & arrow.

I dont think he looks creepy. He looks different in black & white photography that emphasizes his muscles with a sinister look which is a publicity in preparation for his role in this drama. A tough guy with serious vengeance on his mind.

I'm sure that all those muscles & sinister look in these black & white pictures would not be the same as when we watch him on screen in this drama. So I'm really looking forward to SIG & all his muscles.

Why not! Most of us seem to enjoy all those muscles in Jang Hyuk & Oh Ji ho in Chuno. Song Il Gook would look just as good if not better. Maybe not as bare & as often as we se Jang hyuks choco abs! I should not compare. They all look good & muscle healthy for their roles. Song Il gook...yeah!

i'm sad here.why ever1 talking bad about his body now. he is tottaly great actor. it doesnt matter how he losses his weight for his suitable performance as bad ass in underground org.every actor who really care about his act and his character would't mind about that. dont talking bad about him. he's not scary at all. aza song il gook! hwiting!

i thought it is Rain!!.. omg

@80 not every1 is hatin' on him.

I think he looks hot and will blow us away in this new drama that I hope has a sequel or two or three...heeheehee!

Go SIG, you da man!

well, first thought that came to mind was "OMG GANGSTER!!" But now i see how much weight he lost, and yes I'm hell of envious, but wow to go that far for a role *blinks* i can't wait for the show to start and to see his acting along with it ^^

Opps, forgot to add this - he seems too lean at some angles but others he looks totally fine in ^^ i was drooling for once too *blush* n my mind said RIPPED plently of times as i kept comparing the new and old Song Il-kook. o.o kept popping in too ^^. i think even if his new look his acting will show us all, or so i hope

I want handsome Song Il Gook back. The above pictures are freaky. Pls, no more extremes! We want Song Il Good not Lon Chaney.

Oh hai there Michael Jackson, glad you came back from the dead!

you guys, just wait to watch his new drama and promise you will be totally loving him
FIGHTING Song Il Kook

His back is "WOW" but his fingers photo like that looks like frog legs. Looks weird and awkward. Please we don't need anorexia men - he lost his handsome, intelligent looking looks. He looks like he's hungry!

Talk about gross (human) anatomy... nothing gross there by my view.

Superman SIG.

I started watching A man called god because I could not get enough of Song Il Kuk, but he looks so different, I had to stop and relapse :-) into Jumong and Kingdom of the Wind. I love his previous look, which had a sweet countenance. His face is too angular now. BTW, anyone interested in checking A man called god, it's on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWBFuiCzOU0&feature=player_embedded

He still looks better on the show, though, especially with the hair falling on his forehead, these pictures are weird. Well, and even though I like the previous look better, the new SIK is still a god. And I would not mind at all to train with him and lose some weight, lol.

Wow, I fell in love with Song Il Gook coz he looked like my love before. The weird thing is life imitating art. My love is doing strenuous exercise and his face same with Song is too skinny. They now are twins in my book...

But, i love the old Song he was truly beautiful and handsome and charming

I am impressed as several other people are with the absolute dedication and discipline it took for Song Il Guk to change his body in less then a year. Actors gain or lose weight for rolls all the time. Since the show was trying to capture the feel of the original manhwa ( let's face it the people in the manhwas are not average looking people) he wanted, needed to transform his body to fit the feel of the character (he gives the feel of a predator).

As far as the pictures, personally I think they are pretty impressive, hot, let's face it, running your hand down a chest like that is a lot more fun then running it down a chest that's flabby.

As other people have said, these are publicity photos, they exaggerated. He has flexed the muscles to show the definition, this is a typical body builder type pose. When he's relaxed he looks like a guy who is athletic.

I guess it's true Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Obviously changed for "roles" not "rolls" , otherwise he would have been the Pillsbury Dough Boy

Unfortunately, I never saw Song Il Kook in his previous roles, but I think he looks amazing and I can't stop watching this drama over and over. He is the most gorgeous man ever, and as soon as it comes out on DVD, I am buying it! Absolutely love SIK and the drama.

i cant bleive is he SIG???? Thats awful ..... I offer all of his lovers to dont watch this movie at all . & watch his last movies...

I LOVE YOU SONG IL GOOK.
VERY VERY HOT ME.

hi im feram iran
song il gook is my love he is very nice and very very greyt
song il gook i love you ..............................
song is nice man \
song in jomong and a man called god and jomong2 is very good
DERY SONG I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUU...........@$%100

SANAZ SAHRAIE
BEY MY DERY.........................

Come onnnn guys,I find it quite normal for an actor who wants to have a general record!

WHO EVER THOUGHT TO MAKE HIM LOOK LIKE
THIS IN" A MAN CALLED GOD", NOT SO-O SMART.
HE LOOKS REALLY TERRIBLE. WHO ARE THE
MAKEUP ARTISTS ANYWAY? LONG NO STYLE HAIRDO.
ANYWAY, IT WAS A TERRIBLE DRAMA TO BEGIN
WITH.
GET THE DIRECTOR FOR JUMONG TO MAKE
ANOTHER FILM FOR SONG IL KOOK