Shocking rise in popularity: Actor Kang Ha-kyung is blowing up right now, winning over viewers as he bounces between TV and the theater with nonstop buzz.
In episodes 9 and 10 of the TVING original series The Legend of Kitchen Soldier (hereafter the series), Kang Ha-kyung delivered a standout turn as Cpl. Kim Gwan-cheol, the head of Dorm 2 at Gangnim Outpost, kicking off his full-on run as a kitchen assistant. Seamlessly flipping between steely charisma and adorably clumsy charm, he once again carved out a career-defining role.
When Kang Sung-jae (played by Park Ji-hoon) stepped away to help in the officers’ mess, Kim Gwan-cheol jumped in as Sgt. Yoon Dong-hyun’s (Lee Hong-nae) rock-solid right-hand in the kitchen. Cracking, “If it’s not me, who else can back up Sgt. Yoon Dong-hyun?” he had viewers laughing with his sly wit. Even when tasked with the military’s most-dreaded menu, braised boneless pollock, he flipped the crisis into an opportunity with quick thinking. In the process, Kang energized the episode with pitch-perfect pacing, gliding between serious beats and laugh-out-loud comedy.
Earlier in episode 6, he shocked fans with a surprise transformation into a member of the imaginary idol group ‘Migak Boys,’ instantly going viral. As the clip spread, netizens raved, “He really sings so well,” “Isn’t he basically an idol?” and “Even his dance lines are flawless.”
Kang’s immaculate character work and star quality trace back to his rock-solid stage experience. Debuting in 2016 with the play The Seagull, he went on to stack credits in major musicals like Mama, Don’t Cry!, Return, and Sisyphus: The Myth. He’s currently meeting audiences through the musical The Brothers Karamazov.
Having already proven both his acting chops and powerful vocals across theater and musicals, all eyes are on what Kang Ha-kyung will do next to keep the spotlight firmly on him.