Extreme Weight Loss in K-Drama: Ha Ji-won and Park Min-young Spark Debate

Lead actresses are gaining attention for undergoing extreme weight loss to fully immerse themselves in their roles. While many praise their dedication to improving the quality of their performance, concerns about health risks are also raised. After Park Min-young, who revealed that she dropped to 37kg for the role of a cancer patient, Ha Ji-won also caused a stir with her stunning transformation in the ENA drama “Climax.”

Ha Ji-won, who plays the protagonist “Climax,” surprised the audience with her noticeably slimmer appearance at the production press conference held on March 10. She later explained on a variety show that she intentionally lost weight to portray her character’s sharp and sensitive nature, highlighting her commitment to the role.

In the drama, she plays Chu Sang-ah, a famous actress who announces her marriage to prosecutor Bang Tae-seop (played by Ju Ji-hoon). Behind his glamorous life, the character gets involved in various accidents, gradually becoming exhausted and fragile. Because the role requires her psychological changes to be reflected physically, Ha Ji-won abandoned her previously strong and healthy image, adopting a gaunt and angular appearance.

His sharper facial features, more intense gaze, and slimmer frame were praised for effectively conveying the character’s unstable mental state. As the story progresses, his increasingly worn appearance adds realism to the narrative. While some viewers applauded her “Veteran Level Immersion”, others expressed concern about her excessively thin figure.

Cases of actors losing weight for roles are nothing new in the entertainment industry. Park Min-young also attracted attention for his drastic transformation in the tvN drama “The Siren’s Kiss.” In the role of a top auctioneer, she pursued a cooler and more sensitive image by significantly reducing her weight, marking another extreme diet after her previous project “Marry my husband.”

In a press conference, Park Min-young revealed: “Since my character barely eats, I drank about 3 liters of water a day.” He explained that this was his way of realistically portraying the character’s lifestyle and psychological state. However, some viewers noticed slight problems with speech and pronunciation, possibly due to the drastic weight change. Despite mixed reactions, his dedication to the role has been widely recognized.

Both actresses share common ground as 40-year-old leading stars with around two decades of experience. Instead of simply maintaining their status, they continue to demonstrate their competitiveness by boldly transforming their appearance and image for each project. Ha Ji-won has built a strong presence in the action, melodrama and historical genres since her debut in the late 1990s, while Park Min-young, who debuted in 2005, has created a diverse filmography that ranges from romance to thriller.

This trend is not limited to a few individuals. Actresses like Kim Hee-ae and Uhm Ji-won also modified their physiques to enhance character immersion. Kim Hee-ae, in the JTBC drama “The world of the married”, heightened tension with her sharper appearance and understated performance, while Uhm Ji-won is known to carefully manage her physique for realistic portrayals in works such as “Birth Center”.

Remaining active as a leading actress well into your 40s is no easy feat, especially in an industry where trends and production environments change rapidly. Their willingness to continually expand their range and undergo physical transformations is highly appreciated both within and outside the industry.

Recently, actors’ weight changes have also become a promotional talking point. Highlighting how much effort they put into a role, through diet routines or weight loss data, often gets the public’s attention. At the same time, concerns about potential health risks from such extreme transformations continue to grow.

Like Ha Ji-won and Park Min-young, actors who push the limits for their craft leave a strong impression on viewers. As interest grows in how these extreme transformations will translate into performance quality, the industry faces an ongoing challenge: finding a balance between artistic dedication and personal health.

Sources: Daum

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