Chef Goes to Prison: Casting Confirmed for Lee Sun-bin, Park Ji-hwan and Bae Hyun-sung for “Prison Food!”

A feel-good foodie rehab story about a star chef who suddenly falls from grace and goes to work in a prison kitchen, and inmates who awaken their souls with food they make using recipes and ingredients they never could have imagined—film “Prison Food” has confirmed the appearances of standout actors including Lee Sun-bin, Park Ji-hwan and Bae Hyun-sung.

First, Lee Sun-bin—who has shown a wide acting spectrum that crosses genres through films such as “Noise,” “Okay Madam,” and dramas like “Let’s Go to the Moon,” as well as “Potato Research Institute,” “Boys’ Generation,” and the “Drinking Town Women” series, and the film “The Hustlers: 38 Team,” will play the role of Jessica, the star chef. In this work, Lee Sun-bin will portray Jessica, a star chef who spares no harsh words, yet suddenly tumbles to the prison kitchen overnight after following only a strict elite cooking track. She is expected to bring out a fresh kind of appeal with her signature energy and steady acting skills.

Alongside Jessica, Park Ji-hwan will take on the role of Jeong-bae, the “perfect match” who will bring a breath of food culture to the bleak prison. Park Ji-hwan—who has delivered a strong presence in films including “The King and the Man,” “The Man from Nowhere” and the “Crime City” series, “Hansan: The Dragon Rises,” and dramas such as “A Hundred Times of Remembrance,” “Sell Me Sell Me,” “In the Forest Where No One Is,” and the “Gyeongseong Creature” series—will play Jeong-bae in this film, a prison cellblock #3 chief who creates astonishing food with recipes no one has ever heard of and mysterious ingredients. Going head-to-head with star chef Jessica over and over, staking her pride and her cooking know-how, he is expected to add cheerful momentum to the story with his trademark sly charm.

In addition, Bae Hyun-sung has been cast as Soo-hyun, the prison cellblock #3 newcomer who is poised to emerge as a Gen Z cook in prison, driven by gentle traits that awaken protective instincts and an innate sense of cooking. Bae Hyun-sung, who has showcased a fresh kind of charm through dramas such as “The Project of Mr. Gentleman,” “Modular Family,” “Gauss Electronics,” “Our Blues,” and the “Wise Doctor Life” series, is expected to depict Soo-hyun—someone who is awkward yet carries deep 고민 (worries) —in his own colors.

Directed by Kim Gu-jeong, the director who earned anticipation with the daring and provocative approach in “The Love of a Mother Has No End,” which won the Grand Prize for Best Short Film at the Seoul International Short Film Festival, and who drew attention with “Sham, Hard Romance,” which won the Seonjai Award at the Busan International Film Festival thanks to its distinctive setup and emotional tone, “Prison Food” will bring even more expectations.