With ‘The Legend of Kitchen Soldier,’ Park Ji-hoon serves up comedic feast in Army mess

Call it chow, grub or jjambab — the not-so-affectionate Korean name for it — military food is served by Park Ji-hoon in his return to the small screen in Tving's new comedy series, "The Legend of Kitchen Soldier."

Park plays Kang Seong-jae, a young man from an underprivileged and troubled household who serves as an Army cook at the fictional Gangrim outpost.

The singer-actor, who has yet to complete Korea’s mandatory military service, thinks that inexperience made him an ideal candidate for a fresh-faced soldier first entering the Army. Labeling himself a "military otaku," the Japanese term for an avid fan, Park said he didn't ask any of his former members from boy band Wanna One about their time in the barracks, instead drawing on the universal experience of feeling out of place in a new social setting.

“Everything feels new [for the character] after first stepping into that world. Everything is awkward, embarrassing, and he doesn’t know what he's supposed to be doing,” Park said at a press conference at the Pullman Ambassador Seoul Eastpole hotel in Gwangjin District on Wednesday.

"The director thought about those awkward moments, when [Seong-jae] wonders, ‘Should I step up, or should I just stay still?’ and cast me with that in mind," he said.

He personally still wants to serve in the Marine Reconnaissance unit for his real conscription, he added. 

The actor sported a fresh crop, a striking change from the topknot look from his breakout role of King Danjong (1441-1457) in period piece "The King's Warden," which became Korea's second most-watched film of all time in April. While Park has been acting since 2006, with lead roles in popular drama adaptations of webtoons, including “Love Revolution” (2020) and “Weak Hero Class” (2022-25), it was the movie that cemented him as a household name.

Park wasn't intimidated by the film's success or by his first comedic role.

“Even within comedy, I can play with that fine line between Kang Seong-jae and Park Ji-hoon. There's something cute and funny in that ambiguity," he said.

Director Jo Nam-hyeong, for his part, said he cast Park for the strength shown in the actor's "eyes."

"Seong-jae may come across as a little clueless at times, but beneath that, he has real resolve and a clear determination to work toward his goals," Jo said. "[Park was] the actor with the kind of eyes that can best express that side of Seong-jae.”

"The Legend of Kitchen Soldier," adapted from the eponymous webtoon that ran from 2013 to 2019, follows Seong-jae as he navigates eccentric characters and a rigid hierarchy in a military setting.

The fantasy element in “The Legend of Kitchen Soldier” comes through Seong-jae’s character progression, which is shown through pop-up notifications reminiscent of role-playing games, with side quests and level-ups.

Military genres have consistently done well in Korea, where the subject matter resonates with at least half the demographic — all able-bodied men must serve for at least 18 months in a country still technically at war with its neighbor to the north.

The blend of food and fantasy, meanwhile, has proved a winning formula for tvN and Tving. There's been a French chef who time-travels to the past in "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty" (2025), while "Mr. Queen" (2020-21) also went viral for its modern cooking scenes in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), both produced by Studio Dragon.

"The Legend of Kitchen Soldier" premieres on Tving and tvN from Monday. The series will be available in Japan on Disney+ and on HBO max and Rakuten Viki in other Asian regions.

BY KIM JU-YEON [[email protected]]