On June 18, a post titled "I asked the director of 'The Legendary Mess Sergeant,' and it seems Park Ji-hoon and Jeon So-young, and Lee Sang-yi and Han Dong-hee are actually dating," spread rapidly online. The post included a screenshot of a conversation that appeared to be a DM exchange with director Cho Nam-hyung, which had been elaborately forged.
In the screenshot, a netizen asked, "There is talk that actors Park Ji-hoon and Jeon So-young, as well as Lee Sang-yi and Han Dong-hee, are in a relationship. Do you happen to know anything about this?" The person impersonating the director replied, "It is difficult for me to say anything specific, but such chemistry wouldn't have been created for no reason, would it?" leaving a suggestive implication as if the dating rumors were true.
As the DM screenshot spread, it escalated into a double dating rumor surrounding the actors. In particular, regarding Park Ji-hoon and Jeon So-young, who formed a love line in 'The Legendary Mess Sergeant,' some fans speculated that they might have developed into a real-life couple.
Faced with these groundless rumors, director Cho Nam-hyung eventually stepped in to quell the situation. Through his social media account, the director posted a short and firm message stating, "Do not fabricate things. I have never sent such DMs," drawing a line against the false conversation circulating online.
As the director personally declared the information to be false, the DM was revealed to be a malicious fabrication. Consequently, the post that served as the source of the rumors was quickly deleted. The actors and their respective agencies did not release any official statements, as the dating rumors themselves were considered absurd.
Meanwhile, the TVING original series 'The Legendary Mess Sergeant' is based on the popular web novel and webtoon of the same name. It is a military cooking fantasy drama that depicts the journey of army mess sergeant Kang Sung-jae (played by Park Ji-hoon) as he learns to cook as if he were playing a game, eventually becoming a "legendary mess sergeant." Thanks to its solid narrative based on comedy, fantasy, and humanism, as well as the chemistry between the actors, the show successfully concluded on June 16 with a final episode viewership rating of 7.6% (based on Nielsen Korea paid households), receiving immense love from viewers.
[Photo: Instagram accounts of Cho Nam-hyung, Han Dong-hee, Jeon So-young, and online community screenshots]
Reported by Kang Sun-ae
(SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kang Sun-ae)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.