Actor Song Joong-ki said Wednesday the novelty of the soldier-doctor couple in the TV series "Descendants of the Sun" is probably what catapulted him to the center of attention lately.

"I think people like the idea of a doctor dating a soldier because it's different," he told reporters at Hyundai Motorstudio in southern Seoul. "Doctors have appeared in many dramas, but a soldier is a relatively uncommon occupation on TV. I think people appreciate that."

Song plays the Army captain Yoo Si-jin who falls in love with doctor Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo) in the KBS 2TV series, which has caused a huge sensation in both South Korea and China where the show is broadcast simultaneously.

New episodes of "Descendants of the Sun" air every Wednesday and Thursday at 10 p.m. (Yonhap)