Park Ji-hoon Says He Still Wants To Join The Marines As His Acting Career Hits New Highs

Park Ji-hoon may be enjoying one of the busiest and most successful chapters of his career, but one goal still seems firmly fixed in his mind: joining the Marine Corps. The singer and actor recently spoke about his career, recent projects, and future plans in an interview with Sports Kyunghyang. During the conversation, Park Ji-hoon once again made it clear that his interest in enlisting in the Marines is not a passing comment.

He said his thoughts have not changed and explained that, if he has to serve, he wants to challenge himself in a difficult place. Park added that because the Marines require volunteers to take an exam and meet certain conditions, he believes the experience could teach him something meaningful.

He also joked that people should “record” his words, saying he has to go next year if he wants to meet the age requirement for the Marines.

Park Ji-hoon posing on the red carpet at the Baeksang Awards / News 1

Park Ji-hoon’s Marine Corps Goal Gets Attention

Park Ji-hoon’s comment drew attention because of how consistent he has been about the idea.

Rather than speaking vaguely about military service, he described the Marines as a challenge he genuinely wants to take on. He also mentioned liking intense training, including exercises that involve jumping from high places.

His tone was playful, but the message was clear. Park Ji-hoon sees the Marines not only as military service, but as a personal challenge.

‘The Legend of Kitchen Soldier’ Shows a New Comedic Side

The interview also covered Park Ji-hoon’s recent success with tvN’s ‘The Legend of Kitchen Soldier’

The series has been gaining attention for its absurd humor, especially scenes involving Park’s character Kang Sung-jae, a military cook whose cooking skills create wildly exaggerated reactions. The show has even inspired the nickname “chwiral,” a slang-style combination of “cook soldier” and a chaotic reaction phrase, referring to the drama’s over-the-top comic moments.

Park said one of his personal favorite scenes involved wearing a seaweed-like costume and descending on wires before touching fingertips with senior actor Jung Woong-in. He recalled that the outfit was more revealing than expected, so staff had to quickly secure it with pins on set.

Park Ji-hoon posing on stage / News 1

No Pressure After Becoming a Ten-Million Actor

Park Ji-hoon also spoke about following up the success of the film ‘The King’s Warden.’

The movie helped him become a so-called “ten-million actor,” a title given to stars whose films surpass 10 million admissions in Korea. Even so, Park Ji-hoon said he did not feel pressured when choosing ‘The Legend of Kitchen Soldier’ as his next project. Instead, he saw it as a chance to show a different side of himself.

He said he was excited to present comic timing and humor that he had not fully shown before. After seeing positive reactions to the drama, he said he felt glad he chose the project.

Park Ji-hoon Reflects on His Growing List of Signature Roles

Since moving deeper into acting, Park Ji-hoon has built several memorable characters.

Fans recognize him not only as Park Ji-hoon, but also through roles such as Yeon Si-eun in ‘Weak Hero,’ Lee Hong-wi in ‘The King’s Warden’ and now Kang Sung-jae in ‘The Legend of Kitchen Soldier’

Park Ji-hoon said he feels grateful when people call him by his character names because it makes him feel that his acting has reached viewers. He also shared that he would like to try playing a villain in the future, suggesting that he is still looking for roles that can push him into new territory.

Staying Grounded Despite Success

When asked whether recent success has made him feel excited or inflated, Park Ji-hoon gave a careful answer.

He said he does not feel that he has changed. Instead, he believes he is simply doing the work given to him each day. While he admitted that success makes him happy, he said he does not want to become overly excited or appear arrogant. Park explained that he is trying to act more carefully these days because he does not want his behavior to make others uncomfortable.

Park Ji-hoon Wants to Focus on Fans Next

As for his next step, Park Ji-hoon said he wants to spend more time with fans before taking on another acting project.

Although he has received many scripts, he said he currently wants to focus on activities as an idol, including overseas fan meetings and concerts. Because he has had a long gap from fan-facing activities, Park Ji-hoon said he hopes to create more opportunities to meet fans directly.

For now, Park Ji-hoon appears to be standing at an interesting crossroads: a rising actor with hit roles behind him, an idol reconnecting with fans, and a young man openly preparing for a military challenge he still wants to take on.

Whether he is called Yeon Si-eun, Lee Hong-wi, Kang Sung-jae, or simply Park Ji-hoon, one thing seems clear: he is not choosing the easy route.