Director shuts down Park Ji-hoon and Jeon So-young dating rumor: "I never sent a DM"

A fabricated DM screenshot sparked dating rumors between Cooking Soldier Becomes a Legend co-stars Park Ji-hoon and Jeon So-young on June 18. The drama's director moved fast to kill it.

An online community post claimed to show a direct-message conversation with director Jo Nam-hyung. The exchange was being read as proof the two actors were together. Jo posted on his personal Instagram: "Do not fabricate. I never sent a DM." He refuted the screenshot as false content, either fabricated or impersonated, and said the conversation never happened.

The show had just wrapped on June 16 with a 7.6% viewership rating in its finale (Nielsen Korea paid household basis). It opened at 5.8% and settled into the 7% range from episode 3 onward.

Park Ji-hoon played military cook Kang Sung-jae. Jeon So-young was Defense Daily reporter Jung Min-ah. (The drama is based on a popular web novel and webtoon—a military cooking fantasy about Kang's rise to become a "legendary cook soldier.") Lee Sang-yi and Han Dong-hee also starred.