With box office success and an upcoming drama adaptation of the well-liked web novel and webtoon "The Cook Becomes Legend," actor Park Ji-hoon is firmly establishing himself as one of South Korea's future rising stars.
The project centers on Kang Sung-jae, a young man who, while serving in the military, becomes a legendary chef. He must overcome obstacles using a secret quest system while using a kitchen knife rather than a gun.
Jay Robin, the creator of the original TVING series, was thrilled with Park Ji-hoon's casting. "I've cried my whole life. He just tore off the cover of the novel. I'm really looking forward to his acting as well."
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Many people have praised Park Ji-hoon's recent performance in the movie "The Man Living with the King." Both audiences and critics gave him high marks for his nuanced and emotionally restrained portrayal of King Danjong Lee Hong-wi.
As of March 2, the movie had amassed 9,213,408 cumulative viewers, surpassing the 10 million mark for the first time in two years, according to the Korean Film Council's integrated computer network.
The success of the film has also increased Park Ji-hoon's brand value. According to the Korea Enterprise Reputation Institute's February 2026 Rising Star Brand Reputation analysis, he came in first place.
From the information collected between January 28th and February 28th, the evaluation focused on the community influence, media, communication, and participation aspects. Evidence of his growing popularity through the media and online can be seen through his high scores for the communication and media index according to Hankyung.
Industry experts have indicated that Park Ji-hoon's growing popularity will attract the attention of fashion, cosmetic, and food and beverage industries. Experts have suggested that his popularity in the media and through his box office success makes him a future leader of the next generation of advertising.
Park Ji-hoon will make a comeback through a television drama, "The Cook Becomes Legend," in the first half of 2026.Fans are also eagerly awaiting Wanna One's reunion, which will be the group's first appearance in roughly seven years per Naver.
With his future movie deals and business ventures, Park Ji-hoon has all the potential to be one of the most popular actors in South Korea by achieving a balance between critical, commercial, and fan success.
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