There are undoubtedly strict and sometimes unrealistic expectations of beauty in Korea. In particular, the lengths and measures that K-pop agencies go to to ensure that idols have that specific look can be extreme.
However, in addition to a small face, pale skin and larger eyes, slimness is an important criterion that is expected in Korean society.
No matter your build or size, this is expected, and it’s not uncommon for those who don’t meet these requirements to have difficulty purchasing clothes. It’s only in the last few years that certain brands have started offering all sizes.
But now a clip from an old video has resurfaced among Korean internet users. The K-pop YouTube channel AYO has provided internet users with insider information about the industry. More specifically, the clip is a video of K-pop trainees. Bin Haneul And Choi Yejin.
During the video, the trainees discussed everything from dating to their tough schedules and more. In particular, they unsurprisingly talked about the topic of weight, and Haneul revealed that idols had to go to extreme lengths to lose weight.
Exercisers who need to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time drink lemon detox and the like and still have to stick to the training plans.
— Bin Haneul
Then they read a comment about trainees hiding food from their companies. Despite the harshness, it seemed like a realistic scenario. Haneul even explained the lengths she went to make sure she could eat delicious food without getting caught.
But it was Yejin’s experiences and comments that really caught the attention of netizens, even though the video was posted years ago. The exerciser revealed that one day she was supposed to go on a diet, but decided to eat anyway and then lost weight right after. Her weight had gone up, so she had to run nine laps.
Yejin then shocked her fans even more by revealing the formula that many K-pop companies use to determine a trainee’s ideal weight for the industry. According to her, if you want to be in a girl group, the “formula” is: “Person’s height in centimeters – 120 cm = ideal weight (kg).”
The two girls emphasized how important the issue of weight gain is to the companies and how much they communicate it to their trainees.
I think that you look pretty on TV when you’re really thin. Until the debut, weight is more strictly controlled because it’s not good to gain weight.
— Bin Haneul
Not surprisingly, the comments were flooded with internet users sharing their reactions to the formula and how unhealthy it seems to be.
- When I was 163 cm tall and weighed 45 kg, people always told me I needed to gain weight because I didn’t look good…
- But when I weighed 46-47 kg and was 166 cm tall, people said I looked scary because I was so thin.
- They tell me I should weigh 30 kg? They’re crazy.
However, this is not the first time that the strict weight requirements for trainees have become known. OH MY GIRLs’ Hyojung shocked her fans when she revealed the weight the company expected of them. She explained: “We were not allowed to weigh more than 44.9-45.8 kg..”
Yubin added that her expected weight was even lower at 92 lb (41.7 kg) and HyojungThe personal goal was 44 kg. Regardless of the number, it was still too low to be considered “healthy”.
The topic of weight and dieting has always been a cause for concern, especially among female idols. Although more and more idols are speaking openly about these issues, beauty standards are as present as ever. You can read more about the strict weight expectations placed on idols below.
This is the weight OH MY GIRL had to maintain according to Hyojung and Binnie of WM Entertainment
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