‘The Legend of Kitchen Soldier’ surpasses 100 million views, tops TVING for 3 straight weeks and hits peak ratings of 9.6%

The hit drama ‘The Legend of Kitchen Soldier’ continues its successful run.

Episode 7 of the TVING original series ‘The Legend of Kitchen Soldier,’ which was simultaneously released on TVING and tvN on June 1, showcased military cook Kang Sung Jae (played by Park Ji Hoon) once again proving the power of heartfelt cooking. This time, he successfully turned Corporal Kim Gwan Chul (played by Kang Ha Kyung), who had previously disliked him, into a reliable ally.

Since premiering on May 12, ‘The Legend of Kitchen Soldier’ has ranked No. 1 in paid subscriber contributions on TVING for three consecutive weeks. During its first week alone, the drama surpassed 121.26 million cumulative digital content views, continuing its impressive rise in popularity.

According to Nielsen Korea, Episode 7 recorded an average nationwide household rating of 7.2% and peaked at 8.9%. In the Seoul metropolitan area, the episode achieved an average of 8.1% and a peak of 9.6%.

After surviving a life-threatening fall from a cliff with guidance from the Guardian and help from Sergeant Yoon Dong Hyun (played by Lee Hong Nae), Kang Sung Jae returned to headquarters and witnessed medics collecting drinking water from a stream. Kang Sung Jae and Yoon Dong Hyun eventually uncovered that food poisoning had been caused by contaminated water, clearing their names in the process. The two were later honored together as combat heroes for assisting in an operation to eliminate enemy forces that infiltrated through a tunnel.

Battalion commander Hwang Seok Ho (played by Lee Sang Yi) personally removed Kang Sung Jae’s “smile badge,” which marked him as a person of concern, at the same time as his promotion to Private First Class, symbolizing official recognition of his growth.

Meanwhile, the Guardian announced the beginning of the intermediate military cook advancement quest, signaling a new chapter in Kang Sung Jae’s journey. The newly unlocked “recruit ally” skill allowed him to accept Yoon Dong Hyun as his first teammate and begin forming his own squad.

However, the satisfaction was short-lived. With Yoon Dong Hyun away on leave, Kang Sung Jae was left alone to manage the kitchen and soon faced a major challenge. Administrative officer Park Jae Young (played by Yoon Kyung Ho) assigned Corporal Kim Gwan Chul to the kitchen to help with the manpower shortage.

The Guardian then introduced an extreme mission titled “Surviving the Kim Gwan Chul Occupation,” requiring Kang Sung Jae to raise the highly disliked Kim Gwan Chul’s favorability to 100% and recruit him as an ally as part of the advancement quest.

Kim Gwan Chul’s arrival completely changed the atmosphere of the dining hall. While soldiers from Kim Gwan Chul’s barracks received generous meal portions, the meals for the barracks formerly overseen by Yoon Dong Hyun became noticeably poor. Kim Gwan Chul also freely abused the kitchen’s ingredients, fully enjoying what was jokingly called the “Kim Gwan Chul Occupation,” leaving Kang Sung Jae increasingly emotional.

While struggling with the situation, Kang Sung Jae accidentally learned that Kim Gwan Chul had once been a military cook himself and attempted to improve their relationship through that shared connection. After speaking with Park Jae Young, Kang Sung Jae also learned that Kim Gwan Chul carried deep emotional scars after hearing about his grandmother’s death during his military service, which gradually changed his perspective on him.

Determined to win Kim Gwan Chul over, Kang Sung Jae began recreating his grandmother’s signature hamburger. With help from Park Jae Young and Yoon Dong Hyun — the only two people who had ever tasted the original burger — he devoted himself to restoring its authentic flavor. After several rounds of trial and error, Kang Sung Jae finally succeeded in recreating the nostalgic hamburger tied to Kim Gwan Chul’s memories.

After tasting the burger, Kang Ha Kyung’s character tearfully recalled memories of his late grandmother and officially became Kang Sung Jae’s ally. Adding humor to the emotional moment, Kang Sung Jae appeared dressed up as Kim Gwan Chul’s grandmother.

By the end of the episode, the military outpost was hit by a super typhoon accompanied by record-breaking rain and violent winds, forcing another emergency situation. While trying to help his fellow soldiers amid the storm, Kang Sung Jae suddenly faced danger as a flying signboard hurtled directly toward him.

As the outpost remained isolated and food supplies began running out, Kang Sung Jae also faced mounting pressure from the advancement quest, which required him to maintain a certain level of dining satisfaction. Viewers are now eager to see whether the military cook can overcome yet another crisis.

Following the dramatic reconciliation between Kang Sung Jae and Kim Gwan Chul, viewers reacted with comments such as, “Am I supposed to laugh or cry?”, “I was tearing up until Grandma Sung Jae appeared,” “They really turned Sung Jae into a grandmother,” and “It’s touching but hilarious.”

A Drama Delivering Both Comedy and Emotion

‘The Legendary Cook Soldier’ is a military cooking fantasy drama that follows Private Kang Sung Jae as he grows into a “legendary military cook.” The series has gained attention on social media for its creative food depictions and playful directing style.

Episode 6, which aired on May 26, especially drew buzz for introducing the “Taste Boys,” a fictional idol-like group. The fantasy sequence appeared after Hwang Seok Ho tasted Kang Sung Jae’s recreated “arancini rice balls,” triggering a flashy music video scene inside his imagination.

The catchy melody and energetic performances quickly became a hot topic online. The five-member “Taste Boys” lineup — Bitter Flavor Gwan Chul (Kang Ha Kyung), Spicy Flavor Seung Woo (Lee Sang Joon), Sweet Flavor Moon Ik (Lim Ji Ho), Sour Flavor Sang Wook (Kang Jun Gyu), and Salty Flavor Ji Yong (Kim Moon Gi) — impressed viewers with synchronized choreography and refreshing idol-like charm. Lee Sang Yi also participated in the performance.

As a result of the positive response, the Taste Boys’ song “My Flavor” was officially released on May 27 as the drama’s second OST. The energetic dance track playfully stimulates the five human senses of taste through both visual and musical elements.

Currently, “My Flavor” is available on various music streaming platforms. As ‘The Legendary Cook Soldier’ heads toward its finale while continuing to balance humor and emotional storytelling, viewers are increasingly curious about what kind of ending the drama will deliver.