After becoming a box-office star, actor Park Jihoon returns as the legendary kitchen soldier and rewrites the history of military rations.
On the 6th, at the Pullman Ambassador Seoul in Jayang-dong, Gwangjin District, Seoul, a production press conference was held for the TVING original The Legend of Kitchen Soldier (writer Choi Ryong, director Jo Nam-hyung). Director Jo Nam-hyung and actors Park Jihoon, Yoon Kyung-ho, Han Dong Hee, Lee Hongnae and Lee Sang Yi attended the event.
The Legend of Kitchen Soldier (hereinafter Kitchen Soldier) is a work based on the popular web novel and webtoon of the same name, a military-ration comedy drama in which a kitchen soldier who wears a kitchen knife instead of a gun and an apron instead of a cartridge belt follows quest screens that will save his life and is reborn as a legend. It is drawing attention for plans to include outlandish dishes and elements that young people living in this era can relate to.
Kitchen Soldier depicts the daily life of kitchen soldiers who give up weekends, wake up the earliest and finish work the latest, taking responsibility for soldiers' three meals through the device of game quests, promising entertaining fun. In particular, it will present fresh spectacles such as a feast of various foods centered on the process of a level-1 private growing into a legend.
Director Jo Nam-hyung explained the difference from the original work: "It was such a popular work, and if there is a differentiator for the drama, it would be the vivid expression of taste. Food that looks more appetizing than in illustrations is a point unique to drama."
Director Jo Nam-hyung added, "There are many scenes with groups, and from a director's perspective you sometimes can't pay attention to every single thing, but the actors acted like soldiers who actually serve at an outpost and handled it themselves. And everyone encouraged one another during filming."
Park Jihoon, who drew 16 million viewers with his first screen debut The King's Warden, confirmed his appearance as Kang Seong-jae, a young man who lives hard despite a difficult family background. After enlisting, Kang Seong-jae gains unexpected abilities and is reborn as a kitchen soldier, and he challenges level-ups by following quest screens that appear along with unfamiliar voices.
As Park Jihoon returns with his next project after The King's Warden, there is inevitably pressure. Park Jihoon said, "I'm not the type to be burdened," and added, "Putting aside the work's performance, I thought about what I could express within the work and what energy I could share. I was nervous but not burdened," and said, "My strength is toggling between Kang Seong-jae and Park Jihoon within comedy, being not just funny but cute while trying to be funny."
Park Jihoon added, "I am so thankful for the love for The King's Warden. I believe you can't be loved forever, so my motto is to do my best in the moments given. I live like that, and I think it is my duty to do my best in the tasks given to me."
Park Jihoon said, "The director told me he wanted someone who hadn't served in the military. He cast me thinking of awkward, embarrassed, and clueless reactions. I am somewhat of a military enthusiast, so I knew a bit, but it was still very new during filming. I learned what life like this would be like," and added, "There are members of Wanna One who have served, but we don't talk much about projects when we meet, so I didn't hear separately. The actors who worked with me gave me a lot of good advice, and Lee Hongnae gave me a lot." Lee Hongnae laughed, "I thought I shouldn't say anything, but I ended up talking a lot about 'back in my day.'"
Park Jihoon added, "I practiced cooking before filming. I tried making dishes starting with knife skills. I didn't have exceptional talent in cooking, but my knife skills improved a lot. I think that came through in the scenes at moments. To make the CG work look natural, I moved my eyes a lot to make it look real. I memorized the points and concentrated so viewers could watch carefully."
Yoon Kyung-ho plays Sergeant Park Jae-young of the 4th company, to which Kang Seong-jae belongs. Park Jae-young, whose strong dialect is his signature, is the administrative supply officer nicknamed a time bomb who moves entirely based on flashy incidents and accidents. He has failed promotion every time and remains a perpetual sergeant, and he suffers headaches when a problematic new recruit appears.
Yoon Kyung-ho, whose stock is rising after Pingaego, said, "I feel a lot of love, and I am thankful for Pingaego. People liking episodes and personal stories about actor Yoon Kyung-ho surprises me. I am grateful that people like me genuinely, different from being loved as an actor, though I worry an overly strong image might be applied. Still, because I am very thankful, I will try to adapt with that mindset."
Han Dong Hee plays First Lieutenant Jo Ye-rin, commander of the Gangrim outpost. Han Dong Hee is the awkward swan among graduates from the university military training corps who grew up among Cadets of the Korea Military Academy with a straight, outspoken personality. For some reason she was assigned to the Gangrim outpost and was living a quiet life until the transfer of a new recruit turned her days into a variety of episodes.
Han Dong Hee said, "To understand the soldier profession I consulted soldiers, and because of FM-like traits I received drill training to be upright and clear. More than 90% of the senior soldiers in the barracks are veterans, so when I put on the uniform and started filming I could strongly feel that energy. I could instinctively treat soldiers as First Lieutenant Jo Ye-rin."
Han Dong Hee, who is also starring for the first time, said, "It was my first time taking a role with such long breath, so I was very nervous, but I was fortunate and reassured to be able to work with good actors and the director."
Senior kitchen soldier Corporal Yoon Dong-hyun is played by Lee Hongnae. Yoon Dong-hyun is the main culprit who brought a dark era to the Gangrim outpost mess hall as an unprecedented 'taste-illiterate' (someone who doesn't know taste). With exactly 100 days left until discharge, he becomes wary even of falling leaves, but when a strange junior arrives he senses that his remaining military life will not be smooth.
Lee Hongnae said, "The sync rate between this work and my military life is 80%. I even took the Air Force Academy exam but failed. After that I liked the military so much I thought about becoming a career soldier. Since Dr. Romantic I have been filming works, but releases were delayed, so I meet viewers again with a long-breath project. Given the genre, with the director's help we tried to give viewers fun, laughter and happiness — bright energy. I am grateful for the great help from everyone, including Park Jihoon."
Lee Sang Yi makes a special appearance as Company Commander Hwang Seok-ho of the 4th company to lend strength. Although he seems strong outwardly, he is gentle inside and inclined to have his thoughts show plainly; he pushes his desires forward without hesitation, but because his process and intent are exposed, he appears somewhat oblivious and, with a bear-like earnestness, will create a peculiar tension in military life.
Lee Sang Yi said, "The army I served in and the army in the work were completely different. While serving as a conscripted police officer I was not a company commander or officer but a publicity soldier who danced, sang and performed magic for two years. So I think there is 0% similarity," and added, "I accepted the special appearance offer because it seemed fun, but when filming started my screen time increased. It was so special that I stayed with these people until the end and came this far. I liked the character a lot and I think I came out as much as I wanted to. I enjoyed filming the whole time."
Director Jo Nam-hyung concluded, "Many staff and actors, including myself, prepared diligently. Please watch it with interest as you can enjoy it without burden." Park Jihoon said, "It was really a lot of fun, and I'm happy to be able to show such a fun work. We started when it was hot enough to make you sweat even while standing still and finished when it started to get cold; we learned and felt many things in that time. We worked closely to present a good work, so I hope it is well conveyed."
Yoon Kyung-ho said, "You will see Private Danjong who became a private. No matter what flavor you expect, there is tremendous fun. We shot outdoor scenes in Uljin, so if the work does well I hope you'll remember that." Han Dong Hee said, "There is imaginative food comedy, but a key point is that people grow one by one because of Kang Seong-jae. Please watch the process of diverse soldiers becoming one."
Lee Hongnae said, "I have never seen such fun people. The set was so fun that my laugh-holding muscles got stronger. I hope that fun energy is sufficiently conveyed," and Lee Sang Yi said, "You can watch it after work without burden and laugh a lot. Please many viewers watch."
The TVING original The Legend of Kitchen Soldier will premiere on the 11th at 8:50 p.m.
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