[Photo&] Park Ji-hoon, a fearless challenge as a non-career soldier…Turning into a legendary cook “…Producer-Release Event for ‘A Legendary Cook Becomes a Legend of the Marines’” Field Report

A provocative challenge from a non-career actor, and the return of military fans

Actor ‘Park Ji-hoon’ takes on the challenge of playing a legendary cook as a non-career soldier. At the producer-release event for the Tving original series ‘Cooking Soldier Legend Becomes a Legend’, held on the 6th, he shared behind-the-scenes casting details, saying, “It matched the director’s intention to find an actor who isn’t a career soldier.” The word is that, as someone who’s always been deeply into military culture, he was especially fascinated by the chance to experience it indirectly. In particular, he revealed that he had a solid dream of ‘Marine Corps Search Unit’ since his 20s, drawing even more attention. Director Cho Nam-hyung reportedly selected him for the lead role, praising the intense gaze and conviction he had demonstrated in his previous work.

A second lieutenant slicing, the birth of a modern military fantasy

Based on a popular webtoon of the same title, the story centers on ‘Kang Seong-jae’, a second lieutenant who wields a kitchen knife instead of a rifle. It’s a ‘modern military fantasy’ in which he gains cooking abilities like a game and grows into a legend within his unit. To deliver a perfect portrayal of a cook, ‘Park Ji-hoon’ threw himself into intense knife-skill practice even before shooting began. He said, “I didn’t have talent for cooking, but my knife skills definitely improved,” and he spared no effort with detailed acting work, such as staring into empty space for the CG treatment. The director also praised his outstanding performance as he interacted with a virtual system, expressing confidence in the show’s completeness.

The steady return of a “ten-million-actor,” promising an overwhelming ensemble

This new work is ‘Park Ji-hoon’’s first comeback project after the mega-hit ‘The Man Who Lives With the King’, which drew 16 million viewers. Despite the public’s intense interest in box-office success, he showed his trademark calm confidence, saying, “I’m not the type to get tied up in pressure.” The explanation was that he focused only on the energy he would bring within the work and on syncing with senior actors. Yoon Kyung-ho, who plays direct superior ‘Sergeant Park Jae-young’, praised his powerful performance, saying, “It’s something to be proud of—he perfectly handled an inexperienced rookie soldier,” and his overwhelming on-set gaze took command of the atmosphere.

A sizzling synergy among top-tier supporting cast, and the essence of comedy

The supporting cast’s performance that boosts the drama’s density is also dazzling. With the participation of Lee Sang-yi, whose role expanded significantly from special appearance—along with Han Dong-hee and Lee Hong-nae—the dramatic fun is amplified. The atmosphere on set was nothing short of the best. Lee Hong-nae said, “My facial muscles hurt from trying so hard to hold back laughter,” emphasizing the cheerful vibe unique to the ‘comedy genre’. Lead Park Ji-hoon’ also expressed strong confidence, saying the character’s cute and playful charm will deliver powerful laughs to viewers.

Landing soon in the living room, cooking up catharsis

To inject fresh laughs into the living room, ‘Cooking Soldier Legend Becomes a Legend’ will be released simultaneously starting on the 11th every Monday and Tuesday at 8:50 PM through ‘Tving’ and ‘tvN’. From the rookie soldier’s clumsiness all the way to the thrilling catharsis of growing into a legendary cook, the show is fully prepared to captivate audiences.