Singer-actor Park Ji-hoon has revealed his enlistment plans, drawing major attention for his strong desire to apply for the Marine Reconnaissance unit.
Recently, Park sat down for an interview in a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul, about the TVING original series The Legend of Kitchen Soldier. In the drama, he plays Private Kang Sung-jae, a so-called legendary cook, capturing both military life and the world of kitchen soldiers.
Sharing his thoughts on experiencing a slice of military life through filming, Park said, "I can’t dare say anything to real service members, but I did get to try it for a bit." Recalling a sequence at the Army’s Korea Combat Training Center (KCTC), he added, "We filmed in the mountains and it was freezing. Without heat packs, it felt like I could get frostbite."
Despite the tough shoot, he said the set was fun. "As soon as they called 'cut,' I’d run into the tent to warm up and then head back out," Park said with a laugh. "We pretended to fire rifles and ran around like grade-schoolers. It’s a shame those moments didn’t make it into the behind-the-scenes video."
Park also said the project made him appreciate the hardships faced by military cooks. "Cooks wake up earlier and finish later than others. It must be incredibly tough," he noted. "Outposts have small teams, but at officers’ mess halls or battalion level, you’re prepping meals for hundreds. That’s no easy task."
When asked if filming would help with actual service, he was firm: "I don’t think it will help." He explained, "Real military life will be much harder. My goal is to apply for a demanding unit, so I expect it to be far tougher than the drama."
Park is aiming for the Marine Recon unit. A longtime military enthusiast, he said, "If I’m going anyway, I want to challenge myself in a tough unit. Since it’s a place you enter by testing and volunteering, I think there’s a lot to learn." He added, "I want to train in rappelling and parachuting and even learn to descend from helicopters firsthand." Even if he fails to get into Recon, his intention to join the Marines remains unchanged. "Even if I don’t make Recon, I’m absolutely going to the Marines. I’ll go even if people tell me not to. I really want to enlist next year," he emphasized.
He also spoke specifically about timing. "I don’t know the exact date, but it needs to be next year," Park said. "Next year is the last year I’m eligible for the Marines, so I don’t want to delay it. I really have to go then."
Park addressed the so-called military hiatus as well. "These days, many stars pre-film projects before enlisting," he said. "If something gets released while I’m serving, fans might feel like I came back quickly. I’d love to go that route if possible."
Meanwhile, Park recently delivered a powerful performance as Danjong in the film The King's Warden. He then showed a different charm as Kang Sung-jae in the newly released The Legend of Kitchen Soldier.