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Park Ji-hoon as Kang Seong-jae

A 22-year-old private transferred to the Ganglim outpost, 4th Company, 1st Battalion, 60th Regiment, 29th Division. For his first birthday, he prophetically chose a chef's hat; this was his father's dream, an excellent cook, but not Seong-jae's. The family's difficult financial situation forced him to give up university and work on a construction site by day and as a shop assistant by night. This diligent life was shattered by his father's sudden death in an accident. Then came the draft notice: eighteen months that many others would avoid, but for him, it meant escaping the harsh realities of daily life and recovering. He gave his all during the months of basic training, earning him the title of best recruit. But his humble origins and his father's recent death led to him being classified as a "soldier requiring special attention." His superiors looked at him disapprovingly when, to make matters worse, he began to see strange things and hear voices, as if he were in a video game.

Yoon Kyung-ho as Park Jae-young

A sergeant major and supply officer. He claims to have been a notorious gangster in Yeosu, but has no proof to back it up. Perhaps because of this, he lives freely even within the disciplined military. While all his comrades managed to get promoted, he remained a sergeant. He is a veteran administrative supply officer who defends the outpost in his own way despite several incidents and accidents (which have increased exponentially with the arrival of Private Kang Seong-jae). This leads him to constantly argue with Captain Hwang Seok-ho, who is much younger than him.

Han Dong-hee as Cho Ye-rin

The post commander. A graduate of a women's university, she completed her military training in the ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps), which in practice means being the ugly duckling of the officers. In truth, Ye-rin applied to the ROTC not with the intention of serving her country, but because it allowed her to earn money for tuition and gave her an advantage in employment. As the days passed in military life, the idea that this was a place unsuitable for her grew stronger. No matter how hard she tried not to be looked down upon by the soldiers, all she received in return was ridicule, and she realized she was becoming increasingly sensitive. When she was assigned to Ganglim, a sort of exile, all she had to do was kill time and quietly wait for her leave. That is, until the day she meets Kang Seong-jae, whom she initially greets with disapproval but then sees how capable he is of solving one problem after another.

Lee Hong-nae as Yoon Dong-hyeon

The head cook at the Ganglim outpost. He takes his physical development more seriously than cooking, so he rarely eats the food he prepares himself. A complete novice in the art of cooking, and with a nearly atrophied sense of taste, a dark time has descended upon the base since he took charge of the soldiers' meals. But no soldier can complain about the food to a sergeant. With three months left in his active service, he passes the time counting down the days until a strange junior soldier arrives in Ganglim, casting a shadow over that final period.

Lee Sang-yi as Captain Hwang Seok-ho

Head of the 4th Company. Although he always remained at the back of the class, he is incredibly good at stubbornly resisting without any qualms of conscience. He developed a sense of rivalry with his fellow cadet, Captain Lee Min-gu, starting from the day he was completely humiliated in front of the female cadet he was in love with. Despite his appearance, he has great pride; he pretends to be a great gourmet who has traveled to all corners of the world, and he especially despises food prepared by the soldiers. He enforces strict standards and doesn't hesitate to exploit the soldiers until he gets what he wants. However, due to memories of past events, he has an extreme fear of accidents happening. Therefore, he tries to prevent problems at all costs before they arise.

Supporting

Kang Ha-kyung as Corporal Kim Gwan-cheol, in charge of the second barracks; a soldier who is the real power at the Ganglim outpost.

Lim Ji-ho as Tak Mun-ik

An administrative soldier at the Ganglim outpost and Kang Seong-jae's direct superior. Sitting in the administrative office allows him to quickly learn of rumors and gossip, making him the base's source of information. As the most educated person at the outpost, he is caught in a vicious cycle where everything is attributed to his academic background, for better or for worse. Upon joining the military, he felt his faith in humanity fading as he realized that people like those he encountered actually exist.

Kang Jun-kyu as Joo Sang-wook

A supply corporal, who is a typical sociable person, popular with his superiors and subordinates due to his talkativeness. He claims to have worked for a telecommunications company outside the military, though it is later revealed that he was actually just a phone salesman.

Lee Sang-jun as Cha Seung-woo

A sergeant and deputy platoon leader. Although a newcomer himself, he strives to appear tough in front of the soldiers. He complains about Sergeant Park Jae-young, whom everyone else avoids, but who becomes his only drinking buddy.

Kim Mun-gi as Pyo Ji-yong

A soldier and troublemaker in Ganglim Outpost.

Jung Woong-in as Lieutenant Colonel Baek Chun-ik, commander of the 1st Battalion . He listens attentively to even the most trivial stories of his soldiers, while possessing a subtle charisma that instills tension in junior officers with his mere presence. But he has a humanist side; he loves home-cooked meals with seven side dishes that he shares with his family and seeks to strengthen the soldiers through food.

Han Min as Captain Lee Min-gu, head of the logistics support section at the 1st Battalion headquarters and Lieutenant Colonel Baek Chun-ik's loyal right-hand man. He is an ambitious character who would do anything for a promotion.

Lee Se-ho as Major Im Seung-bin

At the Korea Military Academy, Seung-bin was an unremarkable cadet. After his rapid promotion to Major, he became a high-profile officer but failed to realize that his rising fame also attracted more enemies.

Park Seo-ri as HR Officer, Senior Manager Heo Ran-hee

Seo Jeong-yeon as Gong Su-yeon

Seong-jae's mother.

Choi Deok-moon as Kang Il-yong

Seong-jae's father.

Cho Yu-ha as Kang Eun-jae

Seong-jae's younger sister.

Jeon So-young as Jung Min-ah, with whom Seong-jae had a relationship before his enlistment and whom he meets again now, as she is a trainee reporter for the Korea Defense Daily.

Jung Jae-sung as General Kim In-tae, head of the 29th division and a graduate of the Korean Military Academy, who highly values Kang Seong-jae's abilities and supports him unconditionally.

Ahn Gil-kang as Bae Won-yeong

The commander of the 60th Regiment. With his imposing presence, he is the very image of a born soldier. He commands the stage with a straightforward personality that matches his image. However, he has a very discerning palate, which keeps the cooks at the Ganglim outpost on edge.

Oh Seung-baek as Corporal Lee Ho-young, a culinary prodigy who works at a military officer's kitchen. He cooked duck confit served with an orange gastrique on the promotion day.

The Legend of Kitchen Soldier

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The Legend of Kitchen Soldier

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