New stills from the upcoming ENA military comedy New Recruit 4: Sabotage have been released ahead of the series premiere, capturing the chaotic daily routines inside the Shinhwa Unit. Based on the popular animation of the same name, the black comedy drama examines the lives of young adults in their twenties while diving into the culture, hidden practices, and everyday absurdities of South Korea’s military.
Season 4 picks up during the latter stretch of Park Min-seok’s (Kim Min-ho) eventful service after he advances to the rank of corporal and immediately confronts a steady stream of fresh complications. Just as he hoped for a calmer stretch following the promotion, a puzzling new recruit arrives at the same time as a newly assigned battalion commander, setting the stage for an unpredictable and disruptive period.
The stills highlight the unit’s never-quiet existence, ranging from the established welcome ritual for incoming soldiers to a secretive mission aimed at protecting a valuable morning nap. In the first barracks, the welcome ceremony for new arrivals has become something of a longstanding custom. Moon Bit-nari (Kim Yo-han) unleashes a powerful shout directed at his senior Im Da-hye (Jeon Seung-hun).
Moon Bit-nari commits fully to the performance while Im Da-hye’s unimpressed reaction produces a sharp comedic contrast. Standing nearby, new recruit Kim Hyun-wook (Lee Won-jung) observes the entire scene with flawless military composure and shows no visible reaction. The images leave open the question of whether the unit’s carefully planned efforts to unsettle the newcomer will proceed as intended.
Additional frames show the new recruits engaged in questionable activity of their own. Under the intense summer heat, the group initiates a coordinated effort to safeguard their morning rest. Members of the Shinhwa Unit cautiously emerge one by one to scan the surroundings, giving the operation an exaggerated sense of seriousness that far exceeds its actual purpose.
Kim Hyun-wook takes part in the mission under Kim Sang-hoon (Lee Choong-gu) and maintains the same high level of intensity while standing watch. The soldiers’ completely serious expressions and nervous glances as they wait for the results only increase curiosity about the exact steps they took to secure that brief period of sleep. Their over-the-top teamwork, which transforms even ordinary moments of military life into carefully executed operations, is set to generate laughter from the opening episode.
The production team of New Recruit 4: Sabotage commented, “In today’s premiere episode, viewers will immediately see the dynamic second half of Corporal Park Min Seok’s military life unfold. Despite the constant chaos, the members of Shinhwa Unit have built a strong bond as comrades, so please look forward to what other dynamic events await them.” They went on, “From the very first episode, viewers can expect plenty of laughter and unpredictable incidents.”
Viewers can tune in for the first episode of New Recruit 4: Sabotage when it airs on August 24 at 10 p.m. KST on ENA, with episodes also available to stream on Genie TV and TVING shortly after broadcast.
Sources: ENA, Naver
