Despite being billed as a special appearance, actor Lee Sang-yi is stealing the spotlight with a presence that goes beyond imagination.
In the TVING original The Legend of Kitchen Soldier (hereafter 'Kitchen Soldier'), which premiered on the 11th, Lee takes on the role of 4th Company commander, Captain Hwang Seok-ho, and delivers a standout performance.
On screen, Lee immediately grabs attention with his neatly slicked-back hair, perfectly pressed uniform, and a soft smile as he savors coffee — the very image of a commander with a refined palate. In particular, his single line, "You're going to be a cook, right?" kick-starts Kang Sung-jae (played by Park Ji-hoon) on his journey to become a "legendary chef." He also heightens the tension by instantly switching Kang Sung-jae's assignment with the order, "Starting tomorrow, send him straight to TOD (thermal observation device guard duty)."
Lee also drew laughs with a scene of him snapping a selfie in sunglasses while on duty, and his cheeky English quips like "Thank you for your service," "All right!," and "That's right!" amplified the character's playful charm. Yet when facing First Lieutenant Jo Ye-rin (played by Han Dong-hee), who tries to block Kang Sung-jae's reassignment, he seizes the moment with, "I try to keep things friendly, and you think you can teach me?" — never losing Captain Hwang Seok-ho's commanding charisma.
After the broadcast, viewers reacted passionately, calling him "my instant laugh button" and saying, "Now I crack up the moment I see his face."
At the press conference on the 6th, Lee teased bigger things ahead by joking, "I'm a special appearance because I appear a lot," hinting that his screen time will go far beyond a typical cameo — fueling even more anticipation.
Meanwhile, 'The Legend of Kitchen Soldier' airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8:50 p.m. on TVING and tvN.