Female K-pop idols have opened up about the severe pressure of extreme dieting and societal beauty standards in the SBS documentary Bodymentary, which aired on Dec 31.
From legendary artist Kim Wan-sun to Hwasa of Mamamoo, female artistes spoke about health issues and the emotional struggles that have long been hidden behind the K-pop industry’s glamorous facade.
“I had to weigh myself daily and was constantly judged. At one point, I collapsed on the street from sudden weight loss and was rushed to the emergency room,” she said.
Despite receiving intravenous fluids as a quick treatment, her anxiety about gaining weight persisted. That led to a panic disorder.
One particularly harsh standard she described was the “height minus 120” formula, an unrealistic expectation where a female talent’s weight should equal their height in centimeters minus 120cm.
“This calculation followed us like a rule, leaving us obsessing over numbers,” Soyou said.
“I felt like I wasn’t fulfilling my professional duties,” she said. Mamamoo member Hwasa, known for challenging conventional beauty norms in the K-pop industry, also discussed the backlash she faced during her debut.
She recalled fans’ petition urging her removal from the group due to her appearance.
“Back then, the beauty standards were incredibly rigid. It felt like an inescapable part of being an idol,” she said.
“I once secretly ate a black sesame rice cake and felt such guilt that I vomited. This led to anorexia and depression,” she recalled.
Han Seung-yeon, a member of 2010’s popular girl group Kara, recounted the extreme measures she took during promotions for the group’s hit song Mister.
Members had to wear low-rise pants and crop tops for the performances.
“I barely drank water for months during our activities (for Mister, then). Eventually, I became so thin that I fainted,” Han said.
Han suffered from a rash of an unknown cause, which took seven years to heal.
She also had patulous eustachian tube syndrome, a rare condition caused by excessive weight loss that impaired her ear pressure regulation.
Even Kim Wan-sun, a pop icon of the late 1980s, was not spared.
She described how a serious car accident caused her to lose 4kg to 5kg overnight, a weight she kept off for 15 years after receiving praise for her slender figure.
National Health Insurance Service statistics released last July showed a 97.5% increase in anorexia cases among women under 20 from 2018 to 2022. – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
