Deal Overview
Park Ji-hoon has been nominated for Outstanding Asian Star (South Korea) at the 21st Seoul International Drama Awards for his lead role in TVING's original series The Legend of Kitchen Soldier. He's up against Kang Dong-won, Jun Ji-hyun, Kim Seon-ho, Go Youn-jung, Kim Woo-bin, Bae Suzy, Park Bo-young, and Jisoo. Winners will be announced at the October 8 ceremony at KBS Hall.
Will Park Ji-hoon win Outstanding Asian Star at the 21st Seoul International Drama Awards for The Legend of Kitchen Soldier by the October 8 ceremony?
Background: From a Risky Creative Bet to Multiple Honors
Adapted from a web novel of the same name, the series follows a young man from a poor background who unexpectedly becomes a legendary military chef after enlisting. It was the only Korean drama selected for the special screenings section at the Series Mania festival earlier this year, and won Best Drama at the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards on July 31, where it received five nominations. It has since been distributed internationally via Rakuten Viki, Disney+ Japan, and HBO Max across 17 Asia-Pacific markets.
The Award's Standing
Founded in 2006, this year's SDA drew 352 submissions from 50 countries. Its top honor, the Golden Bird Prize, has gone to figures like Ben Stiller, carrying real international weight. However, the Outstanding Asian Star category Park is nominated in is fan-voted, and reflects popularity more than curated critical judgment.
Current Signals
Multiple winners are common in this category — last year, South Korea's slot went jointly to Kim Seon-ho and Jisoo. This year's submission count is a record high, and no leaked voting data exists yet.
