Kim Min-ho, so touching meaning of "new recruit"... "I thought being loved was someone else's story"

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Kim Min-ho, who has led the "New Recruit" series for four consecutive seasons, revealed a special significance behind his role.

On the afternoon of the 24th, a production presentation for ENA's new Monday-Tuesday drama "New Recruit 4: Sabotage" (hereinafter "New Recruit 4") was held at The Saint in Sindorim-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul. Director Min Jin-ki and actors Kim Min-ho, Kim Dong-jun, Lee Hyun-kyun, Lee Won-jeong, Oh Dae-hwan, and Nam Tae-woo attended the event.

The "New Recruit" series originated as a web animation by YouTuber Jang Bbi-jju before launching as a live-action drama in 2022. It is a hyper-realistic comedy depicting the story of Shin Byeong (a military supply specialist) joining the ranks and encountering all kinds of soldiers, from good guys to bad ones and even strange types. Returning one year after Season 3, "New Recruit 4" features Sergeant Park Min-seok (played by Kim Min-ho), who has been promoted and now faces more worries, alongside Corporal Choi Il-gu (played by Nam Tae-woo) returning from a higher rank, a mysterious new recruit, and the appearance of a battalion commander causing a stir. The series captures the dynamic second half of military life as they re-enter combat readiness.

On this occasion, Kim Min-ho said, "Due to the nature of the military, there is a promotion system, so ranks increase one by one. By now, Min-seok has accumulated three stripes. He thinks he's a very sweet senior soldier. He wants to get close to influential senior soldiers on LINE, and with many new recruits joining, he becomes even more 'king-like.'"

He continued, "I never imagined I'd wear the military uniform this often. An acquaintance once asked me, 'Were you a draft dodger in your past life?' Not asking if I saved the country, but just that. So I replied, 'Maybe that's true; maybe I'm being punished.' When filming scenes where we roll around in mud, thinking about real military life, one would think going through this training course once is enough. But when I thought about it, we had to shoot with different setups, so we went through the same training many times. That made me wonder again, 'Did I really dodge the draft in my past life?'" His words drew laughter from the audience.

Kim Min-ho then added, "After becoming an actor, I thought being part of a season-based drama and receiving so much love was someone else's story. I lived thinking it had nothing to do with me, but meeting 'New Recruit' allowed me to receive so much love and reach Season 4. I am truly, deeply grateful. Now that I'm quite familiar with 'New Recruit,' we (the cast) always talk about staying true to our original intentions. So if someone complains on set, we remind them, 'You wouldn't have done that in Season 1,' pushing each other to stay motivated. We've filmed up to Season 4 with this sense of and camaraderie. The 'New Recruit' series is truly the only work I will remember until my death. No matter what projects I encounter in the future, 'New Recruit' will always be my top priority," he said emotionally.

The first episode of "New Recruit 4" will air at 10 p.m. on the 24th.

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*This content was translated by AI.