‘If you can’t lose weight, you’re cut’: BTOB’s Lee Chang-sub reveals harsh K-pop rules
Lee Chang-sub / Captured from Lee's YouTube channel
A candid YouTube discussion featuring Lee Chang-sub of K-pop boy band BTOB has reignited debate over K-pop’s long-criticized weight standards, with the singer revealing that trainees could be cut simply for failing to meet strict targets.
From left, Park Cho-rong, Lee Chang-sub and Son Dong-woon / Captured from Lee's YouTube channel
In a video uploaded Friday to his YouTube channel thischangsub, Lee Chang-sub appeared alongside Park Cho-rong and Son Dong-woon — all former Cube Entertainment artists — to discuss the broader K-pop idol training system.
When asked about company rules and culture, Park said, “There were evaluations every weekend,” describing a system that constantly assessed trainees’ progress.
Lee elaborated: “There were weekly and monthly evaluations. The weekly ones checked what you practiced, but the monthly evaluation was basically a survival test — deciding whether you stay or get cut.”
Lee Chang-sub / Captured from Lee's YouTube channel
Both artists described the process as emotionally intense. “It was really terrifying,” Park said, while Lee added, “You had to go through a nerve-wracking month.”
The most shocking detail, however, came when Lee spoke about weight requirements. “People were cut without hesitation,” he said. “If you couldn’t lose weight, you were cut.”
Lee Chang-sub / Captured from Lee's YouTube channel
Park revealed that trainees were weighed every Monday, reinforcing the pressure to maintain strict physical standards.
Lee said he personally dropped from around 80 kilograms to 60 kilograms after joining the company. When asked about target weights, he said, “For women, it had to be in the 40-kilogram range,” a point Park confirmed, adding that the expectation was often in the low 40s.
“For men, it was usually mid-60 kilograms, or low 70s if you were tall,” Lee said.
Park Cho-rong / Captured from Lee Chang-sub's YouTube channel
Park also recalled the emotional toll of failing to meet those expectations. “When I couldn’t lose weight, my dance instructor came to me and said, ‘Cho-rong, you’re in danger. People upstairs are talking.’ I ended up running on the treadmill in tears,” she said.
This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.