Singer and actor Park Jihoon has declared his intention to enlist in the Marine Corps next year in a recent interview with Newsen.
Park Jihoon is currently starring in the TVING's 'The Legend of Kitchen Soldier' as Kang Sungjae, a private who gradually becomes a legendary military cook. Because of his standout performance, the drama is achieving huge success on its release platforms. According to Nielsen Korea, the drama started off with a viewer ratings of 5.847% and later rose to 7.9%, dominating its time slot across all channels. It also maintained its No.1 position on TVING.
As someone who has yet completed his mandatory military service, Park Jihoon claimed to have experienced the military life indirectly from the drama, saying, "We filmed the training scenes in the mountains in freezing weather. It felt like I could get frostbite if I didn't have heat packs all over my body. Whenever the director shouted 'cut,' I would rush into the tent to warm up by the heater." He also showed his passion as a military enthusiast, saying:
"I found those brief moments were enjoyable. Whenever I had to film scenes with a rifle, I would get into shooting positions and aim. I was completely immersed by myself, like an elementary school kid playing pretend. It's a shame there isn't any behind-the-scenes footage of it. I had so much fun running around, hiding behind trees, and joking around, but none of it was captured. It's such a bum."
However, when asked whether the drama would help prepare him for the real military service, Park Jihoon replied, "No. I don't think it will help. I think the actual military life will be completely different. It will be much tougher than this, especially since I'm going to apply for one of the more demanding units. I think will be far more challenging and exhausting."
He added, "It made me realize just how exhausting it must be for military cooks. They wake up earlier than everyone else and finish later than everyone else. They may not be out in the middle of battlefields, but they have their own difficulties. We filmed at Gangrim Guard Post which has relatively few personnel, but I imagine it would be much harder for military cooks in larger units or dining facilities."
While it is human nature to choose the easier path, Park Jihoon's determination to join the Marine Corps remain unchanged, saying:
"Since I only get one chance to enlist, I might as well go somewhere challenging. Calling it 'unique' might sound a bit odd. I'm not saying the other branches aren't special, but the Marines require applicants to pass additional tests. I think going through that process would teach me valuable lessons."
Since the Marine Corps enlistment age limit is 29, Park Jihoon, who turned 28 this year, effectively has about one year remaining to apply. Regarding his enlistment plans, he said:
"I'm not sure exactly when yet, but if possible, I should go sooner while it's still easier physically. To be honest, I have to enlist next year. I don't know what month, but next year is my final chance to join the Marines, so I absolutely have to enlist next year."
He also emphasized his determination to enlist in the Military Corps, saying:
"Even if my agency tells me not to enlist in the Marine Corps, I'm going to anyway. I'm enlisting next year. Please make sure to write it down like that in the article. I don't want to postpone my enlistment anymore. I want to fulfill my obligations to serve the country next year. Of course, I still need to apply and pass the tests, but even if I fail that the test, I still want to join the Marines. I'm not saying this because there's someone in my family who in the Marines, it's just that I want to. I'd be very grateful if you could write in the article that I'm enlisting next year."
When asked if he has any worries regarding his military hiatus, Park Jihoon answered, "A lot of actors seem to have pre-filmed projects released while they're serving in the military, so fans might think, 'Oh? He's already back?' I'm not sure about the details of my future schedules, but I think that kind of arrangement would probably be the ideal situation."
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