this aroused, Song agreed to immediately serve his two-year term in the military. Song was discharged on November 15, 2006, with the rank of corporal, to much fanfare and media attention. For a time he kept a low profile, trying to gauge public opinion on his return to the entertainment world. 2008–2013: Comeback For his comeback, Song took on a tough image, playing aggressive and masculine roles in the 2008 drama East of Eden, which he won the "Daesang" (Grand Prize) for at the MBC Drama Awards. He also starred in the action film Fate, and the 2010 remake A Better Tomorrow. His popularity in Japan continued, and in 2010 he starred in Ghost remake Ghost: In Your Arms Again with Matsushima Nanako. In 2011, Song starred in My Princess opposite Kim Tae-hee, his first romantic comedy. He considers the series a turning point in his career, saying, "Previously, I took on characters living a life full of ups and downs. For me, Hae-young was the first character that was so rich, bright and cheerful. I felt much lighter while acting the character." His 30-minute short film Lucid Dreaming, helmed by director Chang of 2008 feature Death Bell, was shot particularly for his fans in China and Japan and released on DVD in early 2012. Based on the original comic by Motoka Murakami and previously dramatized in Japan, in 2012's Dr. Jin Song played the titular smart and cold-hearted surgeon who takes a journey back through time to the late 19th century Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). He then played a cold-hearted loan shark and gangster who morphs into a successful businessman for his love in 2013 melodrama When a Man Falls in Love. 2014–present: Mature roles In 2014, Song starred in Kim Dae-woo's erotic period film Obsessed. Set in 1969 at the end of the Vietnam War, he played a high-ranking officer suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who falls into an obsessive love affair with his subordinate's wife. In 2015, he starred in the Chinese romantic melodrama The Third Way of Love, followed by family comedy Wonderful Nightmare. Song was next cast as a fighter pilot in his second Chinese project, World War II film Air Strike. He is also set to star in the film Man of Will, portraying a cruel and cold-hearted prison director. Back on the Korean screen in 2017, Song starred opposite Lee Young-ae in period drama