The Legend of Kitchen Soldier is a 2026 South Korean military comedy fantasy television series written by Choi Ryong and directed by Jo Nam-hyung. It stars Park Ji-hoon, Yoon Kyung-ho, Han Dong-hee, Lee Hong-nae, and Lee Sang-yi, and is based on the web novel Kitchen Soldier by J Robin. The series follows Kang Seong-jae, a young man from a poor background who enlists in the military at 22 and unexpectedly rises to become a legendary cook. It was released on TVING and aired on tvN, with streaming also available on Rakuten Viki and HBO Max in selected regions.
Story Premise
After losing his father, Kang Seong-jae joins the army to escape his grief and is posted to the Ganglim outpost. Although he was the top trainee at boot camp, his poor, single-parent background leads to him being marked for special observation. Because of his experience at his mother's food truck, he is assigned as an assistant to Yoon Dong-hyeon, a veteran cook known for incompetence. A mysterious virtual screen then appears and gives him missions to cook for the soldiers, and his assignments gradually lead him toward secrets possibly linked to his father's death.
Broadcast and Reception
The series was broadcast on tvN every Monday and Tuesday at 20:50 (KST), with episodes released on TVING from May 11 to June 16, 2026. Its premise blends a military setting with fantasy elements, such as a virtual interface guiding the protagonist's cooking missions. The adaptation draws on a popular web novel, linking the series to the readership of its source material.