'Descendants Of The Sun' Director Lee Eun Bok On How Song Joong Ki Almost Wasn't Cast On The Hit K-Drama

The K-drama "Descendants Of The Sun" may be a rating juggernaut that has turned lead actor Song Joong Ki into a household name in South Korea and China. But according to director Lee Eun Bok, the actor was far off physically from what the show's creators had envisioned for the character Yoo Shi Jin.

"When we had chosen the lead male role at an initial stage, Song Joong Ki was not an ideal choice," Lee told the Seoul bureau of China's Xinhua News Agency on Thursday.

"As we tried to change the original image [of the role], however, he became more appealing."

According to Lee, the "Descendants Of The Sun" writers, producers and directors were imagining a more "muscular and tough-guy" persona for the part of Yoo Shi Jin. But once the showrunners began to consider Song it became clear that there were a lot of reasons to hire him.

"He had just been discharged from his compulsory military service, he was handsome and he loved the script," Lee said.

Speaking on Thursday with KBS News 9, the always modest Song seemed baffled by the reception that his performance on "Descendants Of The Sun" as a special forces captain that falls in love with a doctor, (played by Song Hye Kyom) has received.

"It's a bit strange," said the 30-year-old actor. "I didn't know things would turn out like this, but I'm very happy these days

In an interview earlier this month with South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, Song contemplated whether he could have done a better job on "Descendants Of The Sun," which he called "the best screenplay he's ever seen."

"I've been wondering a lot lately whether I did the script justice," he said.

"Despite having had plenty of time to prepare since the series is entirely pre-produced, I've been seeing a lot of room for improvement in my acting."