Park Jihoon's 'The Kitchen Soldier' Confirmed for tvN

The TVING original drama 'The Legend of the Cook' starring Park Ji-hoon has been confirmed for simultaneous broadcast on tvN as a Monday-Tuesday drama, airing at 8:50 PM on May 11th. This drama, which follows 'Yumi's Cells 3,' is a military cooking fantasy drama depicting the transformation of a cook, who wields a kitchen knife instead of a gun and an apron instead of a bullet belt, into a legend. It tells the story of the protagonist Kang Sung-jae (played by Park Ji-hoon), who enlisted to escape his difficult reality, encountering an unknown virtual 'quest' system during his military service.

Park Ji-hoon has previously achieved the status of a "ten-million viewer" actor for his role in the movie 'King and the Clown.' This new work is drawing attention from prospective viewers with its unique subject matter of a 'cook,' which has not been explored before. Despite being a TVING original drama, 'The Legend of the Cook' has unusually confirmed simultaneous broadcast on TV (tvN) without prior release. This is a new strategy aiming to secure a wider audience by releasing on both OTT and TV platforms simultaneously, and it is being evaluated as a strategy tailored to the diversification of content consumption platforms.

The drama has received recognition for its entertainment value overseas, having been selected as a 'Special Screening in Non-Competition' at the 'Series Mania' festival held in Lille, France, in March. This international recognition is expected to positively influence domestic viewers' reception.

'The Legend of the Cook' is based on a popular web novel and webtoon of the same name, and it plans to showcase both extraordinary cuisine and relatable aspects of youth. Park Ji-hoon will play the role of Kang Sung-jae, a young man who has lived diligently despite a difficult family background. After enlisting in the military, he gains unexpected abilities and transforms into a cook. Attention is focused on the synergy Park Ji-hoon, who has openly identified as a 'military enthusiast' (mil-deok), will bring to the 'cook' character.