# The Legend of Kitchen Soldier Just Hit a New Ratings High — But The Scarecrow Is Not Going Down Without a Fight

URL: https://technosports.co.in/the-legend-of-kitchen-soldier-just-hit-a-new/  
Published: 2026-05-26  
Updated: 2026-05-26  
Author: Reetam Bodhak

Monday-Tuesday Korean drama fans are being spoiled this season — two very different shows are locked in one of the tightest ratings battles of 2026, and neither is ready to blink.

## **The Latest Numbers**

According to Nielsen Korea, Park Ji-hoon’s The Legend of Kitchen Soldier garnered an average nationwide viewership rating of 7.925 percent, achieving a new personal best and a small boost from the previous episode’s score of 7.852 percent. The Scarecrow achieved an average nationwide viewership rating of 7.4 percent for its second-to-final episode, seeing a small dip of 0.5 percent after reaching its personal best record of 7.9 percent.

The gap is razor-thin — but the trajectory tells an interesting story. Kitchen Soldier is rising with every episode, while The Scarecrow heads into its finale week slightly off its peak.

![The Legend of Kitchen Soldier](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/lgnndfds-1-1024x683.jpg)

## **The Legend of Kitchen Soldier: Ratings Journey**

| Episode / Week | The Legend of Kitchen Soldier (tvN) | The Scarecrow (ENA) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premiere (May 11) | Strong debut | 6.5% |
| Episode 2 (May 12) | 6.2% | 7.444% (ENA record) |
| Episode 3 | 7.2% (new PB) | 7.2% |
| Episode 4 (May 19) | 7.852% (new PB) | 7.9% (both tied PBs) |
| Latest episode | **7.925% (new PB)** | 7.4% (slight dip) |

## **What Are These Shows About?**

The Legend of Kitchen Soldier is a military comedy fantasy series starring Park Ji-hoon as Kang Seong-jae, a young man from a poor background who enlists in the military and unexpectedly rises to become a legendary cook after a mysterious quest system appears before him. As he completes missions across the base, he uncovers a dark web of military corruption. It is adapted from a popular [Naver webtoon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webtoon) and airs on tvN and TVING. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Kitchen_Soldier)

The Scarecrow, airing on ENA, is a mystery crime thriller based on the real-life Lee Choon-jae serial murder case (the Hwaseong killings). It follows a detective who refuses to succumb to the pressures of his era or public authorities, determined to set the record straight and bring a killer to justice. The show stars Park Hae-soo, Lee Hee-joon, and Kwak Sun-young. [HanCinema](https://www.hancinema.net/korean_drama_The_Scarecrow.php)

## **Why This Ratings Battle Matters**

The Scarecrow had already made history earlier in its run, breaking ENA’s record for the highest viewership ratings ever achieved by a Monday-Tuesday drama on the network. Meanwhile, Kitchen Soldier has now set a new personal best with literally every episode it has aired — a rare and impressive streak that speaks to its growing word-of-mouth momentum. [Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1840603wpp/the-legend-of-kitchen-soldier-ratings-rise-for-2nd-episode-the-scarecrow-hits-new-high)

Two wildly different genres — a fantastical military comedy and a gritty true-crime thriller — going head-to-head at nearly identical ratings is the kind of outcome that only happens when both shows are genuinely firing on all cylinders. For more K-drama news and weekly ratings updates, check out our [entertainment coverage at Technosports](https://technosports.co.in/category/entertainment/).

## **FAQs**

### **What are the latest ratings for The Legend of Kitchen Soldier?**

The Legend of Kitchen Soldier hit a new personal best of 7.925 percent in its latest episode, continuing a streak of setting a new record with every episode since its May 11 premiere.

### **Is The Scarecrow ending soon?**

  
Yes — The Scarecrow is in its final week, with its penultimate episode scoring 7.4 percent, just below its all-time high of 7.9 percent, ahead of the series finale.