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The Legend of Kitchen Soldier
CJ ENM
CJ ENM’s K-drama military fantasy comedy series, The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, is a breakout hit, capturing the hearts of domestic and global fans. Since its premiere on May 11, the series ranked No. 1 in weekly paid subscribers on South Korea’s leading streaming platform TVING for two consecutive weeks, surpassing 121.26 million cumulative digital views within its first week. The Legend of Kitchen Soldier achieved the highest first-week digital viewership record among K-dramas over the past three years.
“One of the most appealing aspects of The Legend of Kitchen Soldier is the way it successfully harmonizes multiple genres – K-food, fantasy, and comedy – while bringing its unique cast of characters to life,” says Sebastian Kim, Head of Content Business Unit at CJ ENM. “Unlike conventional romantic comedy series, the show delivers genuine laughter through unexpected and imaginative comedic moments. The Legend of Kitchen Soldier has been receiving strong positive responses from global audiences. The series serves as a strong example of how K-dramas can expand beyond traditional romantic comedy formats and explore fresh, genre-blending storytelling.”
Globally, the series ranked No. 2 overall and No. 2 in the TV show category on Disney+ Japan. It made the Top 5 across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia/New Zealand on the Asian-drama streaming platform Rakuten Viki. It has also received strong reviews from Korean critics and fans online. With only six of the 12 episodes released, the series became so popular that CJ ENM hosted its own screening in London and sold out quickly. The series also had a screening at Series Mania in France this past February, where Kim was concerned the audience wouldn’t understand the show’s humor.
“At first, we were quite worried because the show includes comedic elements that feel ‘too Korean’ and ‘too raw’,” says Kim. “However, after the series was invited to Series Mania this February and we saw French audiences laughing out loud at the very same scenes that Korean audiences enjoyed, we became convinced that this show could become a global hit.”
Kim adds, “Honestly, there has never been a fantasy show quite like The Legend of Kitchen Soldier that is this lighthearted and hilarious without taking itself too seriously. We believe this accessible style of storytelling has helped lower the barrier for global audiences.”
What is The Legend of Kitchen Soldier about?
Based on the popular web novel Kitchen Soldier by J Robin, The Legend of Kitchen Soldier centers on Kang Seong-jae (Park Ji-hoon), a poor kid who has just lost his father and enlists in the army to escape his grief. He’s posted to the Ganglim Outpost, where he works with Sergeant First Class Park Jae-young (Yoon Kyung-ho), Lieutenant First Class Cho Ye-rin (Han Dong-hee), and the incompetent military cook in charge, Yoon Dong-hyeon (Lee Hong-nae). After giving his all during basic training and becoming one of the top trainees in boot camp, his commanding officers assigned him to the kitchen because of his emotional state. Things take an odd turn for the young recruit as a mysterious virtual screen appears only to Seong-jae, assigning him a mission to cook for his fellow soldiers. He receives orders from the holographic figure and is elevated to star chef on the base, earning praise from his fellow soldiers and staff. The food he makes takes them on a fantastical journey. As time goes on, he uncovers secrets, including why he’s seeing these things.
The Legend of Kitchen Soldier
CJ ENM
Who stars in the series?
The series stars one of South Korea’s most sought-after new actors, Park Ji-hoon, as Kang Seong-jae. Park began his career as a child actor and commercial model in 2006. He became a trainee and rose to fame in 2017 when he appeared on the music survival series Produce 101, finishing second and becoming a member of the temporary group, Wanna One. When the group concluded their promotions in 2019, he released his solo EP O’Clock. He began acting that same year, appearing in the historical drama Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency. The next year, he released his debut studio album, Message, and had his first leading role in Love Revolution. His major breakout role came with the series Weak Hero Class in 2022, which lasted for two seasons. He then gained acclaim for his role in the 2026 historical drama The King’s Warden, winning Best New Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards.
The Legend of Kitchen Soldier
CJ ENM
Yoon Kyung-ho stars as Sergeant First Class Park Jae-young, a commanding officer who is very prideful when it comes to his outpost, defending his soldiers’ antics, despite the headaches it causes him. Yoon is a veteran theatre, film, and TV actor who debuted in the 2002 documentary drama, Rustic Period. He has had a very busy career, with over 60 film and television credits under his belt, appearing in some of the most popular K-dramas like Oh My Ghost, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Witch’s Court, Mr. Sunshine, Itaewon Class, Vincenzo, My Name, Worst of Evil, and more. He gained prominence in the 2019 drama, The Crowned Clown. Since then, he’s led several dramas and films, including the 2022 comedy Honest Candidate 2, 2024’s The Desperate Chase, and 2025’s My Daughter is a Zombie. He is set to appear in Netflix’s Husbands in Action, Agent Kim Reactivated, and The Miracles of the Namiya General Store.
The Legend of Kitchen Soldier
CJ ENM
Han Dong-hee plays Ganglim Outpost Commander Cho Ye-rin, Seong-jae’s commander, who struggles to gain respect from her peers, despite being good at her job. Han made her acting debut in 2021 in the drama The One and Only. After starring in guest and supporting roles, she gained prominence in 2022’s Under the Queen’s Umbrella and 2025’s Queen Mantis, for which she won the SBS Drama Award for Female Supporting Role in an Action Miniseries.
The Legend of Kitchen Soldier
CJ ENM
Lee Hong-nae plays Yoon Dong-hyeon, the stubborn and hot-headed military chef who is determined to get out as soon as his military service is up. Lee Hong-nae, a former model, pursued acting after his mandatory military service, making his debut in the 2014 film Fire in Hell. He then appeared in supporting roles in the popular dramas Save Me, Catch the Ghost, The King: Eternal Monarch, and Strong Girl Nam Soon. His breakthrough role was playing the villain in the popular Netflix series The Uncanny Counter, for which he won the Scene Stealer Award at the 2021 Brand Customer Loyalty Awards. He won Best New Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards for his role in the crime film Hot Blooded. The awards kept coming as he’s earned a Best New Actor Award from the Korean Association of Film Critics Award for Made on the Rooftop and the SBS Drama Award for Dr. Romantic 3.
The Legend of Kitchen Soldier
CJ ENM
Lee Sang-yi plays Captain Hwang Seok-ho, the head of the 4th company, who tries to be the “cool guy” in every situation, and has great pride in his Outpost. Lee began as a musical theatre actor, making his stage debut in the musicals How to Make a Star and X-Wedding, and has gone on to perform in the South Korean productions of Grease, In the Heights, Thrill Me, Bare: The Musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Red Book, The Legend of Georgia McBride, and Shakespeare in Love. He made his film debut in 2014 in Slow Video, before appearing in several supporting and guest roles in films and television series. He gained recognition for his roles in 2021’s Youth of May, 2021’s Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, 2023’s Bloodhounds, 2024’s No Gain, No Love – and its spin-off series, Spice Up Our Love, and 2025’s Good Boy. He is set to appear in the dark comedy, Moral Family, later this year.
When did the show premiere, and when does it end? Where can I watch it?
CJ ENM’s The Legend of Kitchen Soldier premiered on May 11, with episodes airing on Monday and Tuesday on South Korea’s TVING. It is currently available on Rakuten Viki, via the TVING Collection on Disney+ Japan, and on HBO Max across 17 countries and regions in Asia-Pacific. There is a total of 12 episodes, and it is set to conclude on June 16.