Journalist Lisa Ling was 26 when she first rose to fame on "The View," and it has been fascinating to watch the way that Ling's career has evolved in the years since she left the show in 2002. She has made a series of interesting choices professionally, including co-hosting a show for National Geographic and developing documentary series' for Oxygen, HBO Max, and most notably CNN. We are happy to report that Ling's amazing judgment seems to extend to her personal life as well — or at least, to her choice in partners.
Ling's husband Paul Song is a trained doctor, a brilliant businessman, a hands-on father, and a tireless champion of social justice. We totally get the appeal.
The veteran journalist met her future hubby through mutual friends in 2006, not long after she called off an engagement to someone else. Ling and Song had their dream wedding in May 2007, and eventually welcomed two children. While it would be easy for Ling — an eight-time Emmy nominee who is currently working as a CBS News contributor — to overshadow a partner, that is not the case here. Song's many accomplishments and incredible drive have made him a fantastic partner for the equally ambitious Ling, and together they make a truly enviable (and gorgeous) pair. Here is everything you need to know about Lisa Ling's dreamy husband, Dr. Paul Song.
Read more: Celebs Who Can't Stand CNN's Anderson Cooper
Paul Song Proposed To Lisa Ling In Front Of Both Their Families
Lisa Ling ended her engagement to media entrepreneur Philip Levine in October 2005, so there was a short gap between that engagement and her next. It is unknown when in 2006 Ling and Paul Song first met, but they were engaged by the end of the year. In fact, Song proposed right at the end of 2006, as part of a holiday surprise. The couple then announced their engagement to the public three days into 2007, and presumably got started on wedding planning immediately, considering they had 550 guests at their nuptials only a handful of months after that.
Though Ling and Song wed in Los Angeles, the couple was living in Chicago at the time. Chicago is also where their engagement took place, at a private dining room at the iconic Charlie Trotter's restaurant. Song flew both his and Ling's families out for the occasion. Suffice it to say, Ling made the right choice by saying yes — if only for the help around the house. "So lucky that my hubs always washes, folds and puts the laundry away, cooks and bakes for the family," Ling wrote on Instagram in 2025. "Last week he was matchy matchy with me for a school fundraiser and made sure the car was filled up for a school field trip for which I was a driver."
Paul Song Is A Board-Certified Radiation Oncologist
Although he does not currently occupy a clinic role, Dr. Paul Song is a board-certified radiation oncologist. A radiation oncologist is a medical doctor who specializes in treating cancer via radiation therapy, coming up with treatment plans and overseeing the entire process from start to finish. Song eventually left his clinical work to jump full-time into his career in the biotech industry — he was previously doing both — but he remains a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society for Radiation Oncology.
Song's last full-time job where he saw patients was at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, one of the 10 best hospitals in the world per Newsweek's 2025 rankings. He was an attending staff physician at the hospital's Samuel Oschin Cancer Center from 2012 to 2015. Song started part-time work at the Dignity California Hospital's Los Angeles Radiation Oncology Center at the same time he started at Cedars-Sinai, and he remained in that role through 2020. That position was especially admirable, as it was a volunteer role where Song primarily saw patients who were uninsured or on Medicaid. It very much aligns with Song's advocacy work on health care reform, which includes time spent as President of Physicians for a National Health Program and as co-chair of Campaign for a Healthy California.
Paul Song Attended The University Of Chicago And George Washington University
It is certainly not surprising that Paul Song has become a face for health care reform, as he comes from a family of leaders. His grandfather Sang Don Kim was the first popularly elected Mayor of Seoul, South Korea, way back when. His mother came to the United States as a Korean War refugee, and ended up getting her master's degree in early childhood education from Columbia University Teacher's College, and aligned herself with future feminist and civil rights icon Shirley Chisholm. So, Song was well-equipped to step up in terms of the fortitude and leadership skills he was taught, but he also went through much specialized schooling.
After graduating from Millburn High School in Millburn, New Jersey, Song attended the University of Chicago, from where he graduated in 1987 with an honors degree in biological sciences. From there he went directly to the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences and, after getting his MD in 1991, returned to his undergraduate alma mater for his residency. Not surprisingly, Song was at one point the chief resident in his program at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.
In February 2024, Song made a very special return to George Washington. "Many decades ago when I was a medical student here, I never could have imagined that I would one day be back to treat a patient with a novel therapy developed by my own company," he wrote on Instagram from the school's Washington, D.C., campus.
Paul Song Has Held Multiple Prestigious Fellowships And Positions
Ever the overachiever, Paul Song continued his education with not one but two prestigious fellowships. The first was at Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France, as a visiting fellow in brachytherapy department in 1995. The institute is the fourth-best oncology hospital in the world, per the Newsweek rankings. When he returned to the United States, Song then started an ASTRO research fellowship, awarded to him by the American Society of Radiation Oncology for his research in radiation inducible gene therapy.
Song took on his first position as an attending staff physician in 1996 and worked for a number of different hospitals and cancer centers, yet still found time to become the first-ever visiting fellow on health care policy in the California Department of Insurance.
Though he landed in California in the end, Song worked in a few other states prior to the Golden one. He worked as an attending physician at the Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia, from 1996 to 2003, followed by two and a half years at the Center for Prostate Disease Research and Department of Radiation Oncology at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. From there Song went to Illinois — where he lived when he met Ling, while working in the Department of Radiology at Chicago's Little Company of Mary Hospital.
Paul Song Is A Proud Girl Dad
Paul Song and Lisa Ling were determined to have children but fertility issues delayed their journey. In 2010, Lisa suffered a devastating miscarriage, so it was wonderful news when she announced she was pregnant with a rainbow baby on Anderson Cooper's show in October 2012. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Jett Ling Song, in March 2013. Their second daughter, Ray Ling Song, was born in June 2016.
One of the most endearing things about Paul's online presence is how proudly he wears the label of girl dad. No, seriously — he has #girldad as the first word in his Instagram bio and has a whole Instagram Stories Highlights category for it. Paul has attached the hashtag posts about National Daughter's Day, birthday tributes, and most outings with his girls (with #dancedad as a stand-in for Jett's dance recitals).
Paul's posts also paint a picture of a father who embraces his kids' interests. For example, he did a choreographed routine with his daughters for one video, and posted another of the three of them jamming out in a pink carriage in New York City. "This #girldad insisted the driver blast @taylorswift while riding through Rockefeller Center," Paul captioned the post. Whether he is dressing up like an Oreo for a family costume or having a tea party at the Hello Kitty Café, Paul seems to be game for anything that makes his daughters light up.
Paul Song Played Basketball In High School And Is A Die-Hard Knicks Fan
One of the central themes on Paul Song's Instagram account is sports, which makes sense for a former high school athlete. While Paul also played football, it is basketball that had (and still has) his heart and basketball that has become a major bonding source between him and his younger daughter. "I did not start playing basketball until the 8th grade but made my freshmen team and eventually wound up starting for my high school varsity team which made the NJ state playoffs," Paul wrote in a March 2025 Throwback Thursday post. "While I was a pretty solid player especially as I got older, my eight-year-old is already way better than I ever was."
Paul frequently shares videos of himself practicing hoops with Ray Ling Song — and of her kicking butt on the court against the boys in her peer group. Paul also loves to attend basketball games with Ray, especially when his beloved New York Knicks are playing (for other sports, he stans the New York Giants and the Tottenham Hotspur). Though he has been able to get Ray into Knicks clothing from time to time, Paul has made it clear that his daughter does not share his allegiances. "Tried to raise my youngest the right way, but she is an LA girl at heart who roots for her @lakers over my @nyknicks. Glad my team won," he joked in an Instagram post from a March 2023 matchup between the two teams.
Paul Song Is A Bigwig In The Biotechnology Industry
Paul Song is not currently working as a clinician, but for a long while he was juggling his work in hospitals with his work in biotechnology. He is currently focusing his full attention on NKGen Biotech, where he has been chief executive officer and chairman since January 2023. Song has been at NKGen Biotech since December 2014, at points serving as the chief operating officer and as the chief medical officer. During this time period, Song also co-founded his own company, Fuse Biotherapeutics. He was CEO from its July 2021 inception until January 2023, then a senior advisor until leaving the company in May 2025.
Song's other current roles include partner at Calyx Peak, chief medical advisor at Hawkeye Bio, and senior strategic advisor at Pepromene Bio. This is in addition to his presence on the boards of Physicians for a National Health Program, the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, Mercy Corps, The Center for Health and Democracy, Gideon's Promise, and Progressive Democrats of America. Yeah, we don't know when he sleeps either.
Paul Song's Big Career Shift Was Inspired By His Father
Paul Song was inspired to transition from medicine to biotech by the death of his father, who fled Korea just before the start of the Korean War. As Song tells it, his dad had plans to return to his home nation after earning advanced degrees in Canada and the United States, but his dreams were dashed in a way that feels cut from a tragic romance novel. Because he married into a family blacklisted by the state, Song's dad was banned from Korea until democracy was restored in 1992. "He spent his entire professional life working as a senior scientist at Exxon in NJ. Despite countless inventions and generating numerous patents, he was blocked by a bamboo ceiling and constantly overlooked for leadership positions," Song explained in a heartfelt Instagram tribute.
Song said that his dad's death led him to contemplate his own legacy, and to break the mold for what was possible for those who came before him. "By the time I was a teenager and old enough to understand, I only saw a deflated individual who had been beaten down by a system that viewed people like him as a 'model minority' who worked hard and never spoke up," Song wrote upon becoming head of NKGen Biotech in 2023. "I do this in honor of my late Dad and the countless other AAPI immigrant scientists/researchers who would have never dreamt that such a thing was ever possible."
An Ayahuasca Trip Improved Paul Song's Marriage
He's not a regular doctor, he's a cool doctor. That is how we would sum up Paul Song, whose ample amount of medical education has not hindered him from exploring alternate treatment approaches to which some would turn up their nose. Namely, we are talking about psychedelic drugs such as ayahuasca and "magic" mushrooms. Though there is a whole line of research on the use of psychedelics in mental health, Song did not learn about ayahuasca from an academic journal. It was his wife, Lisa Ling, who told him about it, based on her own journalistic research on the topic.
Song decided to attend his first guided ayahuasca retreat around the time of his 10-year wedding anniversary, after realizing he felt stuck in his marriage and his role as a father. "It was everything and more," the doctor said on "Red Table Talk" in 2021, where he also explained how and why he got more trauma healing from the retreat than past therapy. "We don't have a perfect relationship, no one does, but it sort of unlocked this path to healing we really needed," added Ling.
Paul Song Is A Proud Korean American
Though he was born in the United States, Paul Song is fluent in Korean and highly engaged with Korean culture and traditions, which he highlights on his social media. Song has been a member of the Council of Korean Americans since 2014, and he was honored by the Korean Economic Institute of America in celebration of Korean American Day 2022. But despite being proud of his heritage as an adult, Song struggled with his identity as a youngster. "Growing up as the only Asian kid in my elementary school, I was teased a lot and got into my share of fights. As a result, I was always too embarrassed to share my heritage and culture," he shared in an Instagram post.
Song loves to post mouthwatering photos from Korean BBQ joints and in celebration of holidays such as Chuseok, the Korean version of Thanksgiving. He also likes to praise Korean people doing great things in the world, such as professional footballer Son Heung-min, singer-songwriter Luna Li, and "Top Chef" alum Kristen Kish. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Song was also vocal about Anti-Asian hate, both online and in person.
Paul Song Is A Social Justice Advocate Who Fights For The Marginalized
Paul Song lives up to his back tattoo, which reads "Seek Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly." His life's work has been devoted to treating deadly diseases, as well as advocating for affordable and safe access to medical treatment for all. We are not talking just social media content either, but rally speeches and the media interviews.
Song has been outspoken about Anti-Asian hate, as well as police violence against Black Americans, both online and at protests. He has spoken out against ICE's tactics, protested at a No Kings Day rally, and given an impassioned speech on fossil fuel for Climate Action Now. Song is also a fierce ally of the LGBTQ+ community who has publicly highlighted Transgender Day of Visibility, urged his followers to support the Equality Act, and posed for a NOH8 Campaign photo.
There is a good chance that Song's kids have inherited his standup values, too. In addition to accompanying their parents to at least a few anti-racism rallies, the girls have also visited important sites that honor key figures, such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tree Grove in Los Angeles and the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Both kids have volunteered with Song and Lisa Ling for Baby2Baby, which works to bring Christmas joy to disadvantaged children across California, and Song even brought one of his daughters along when he (and she) ran a 5k for Upward Bound House, an organization helping unhoused families, in May 2023.
Paul Song Enjoys Travel, Music, And A Good Costume
Having fun seems to be yet another of Paul Song's many skills, judging by the good doctor's Instagram account. Sporting events aside, there is much more that makes Song a cool dad. For example, the man loves a good costume. Amongst other things, he has dressed up as a donut, a finger, and a Care Bear. Song has also participated in a fair number of themed family costumes, both for Halloween as well as for every Christmas.
Song's good sense of humor is similarly evidenced by a June 2025 Instagram post about being a "Grateful Dad" (a nod to Deadheads everywhere). He has also posted concert footage from a number of rock concerts — Duran Duran, U2, and others — and professed a love for Def Leppard. Like wife Lisa Ling, who hosted a docuseries that highlighted Asian American restaurants, Song is clearly a foodie, too, which aligns well with his penchant for traveling the world.
Though he has posted the occasional vacation taken without his family, the vast majority of Song's documented trips have been with his wife and kids. Lucky for him, the rest of the family is as game for a photo op as he is. They have taken photos in front of the Acropolis in Greece, the pyramids in Egypt, and Seattle's Pike Place Market. Song has shared equally gorgeous destination photos from Bora Bora and Mongolia, as well as Joshua Tree, Zion, and Yellowstone National Parks.
Read the original article on The List.
