The ‘no Wegovy’ diet movement sweeping Korean comedy stars
Hong Yun-hwa, left, and Kim Shin-young / Xportsnews
Korean comedians are taking a no-shortcuts approach to weight loss, impressing fans with transformations achieved without injections, surgery or popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy. Instead, they’re relying on discipline, diet and exercise — often while documenting their journeys publicly.
On June 4, the YouTube channel “Hong Yun-hwa Kim Min-ki Kkongnyangkkongnyang” uploaded a video titled “How I overcame my diet plateau: Easy and delicious menu recommendations after losing 20kg.” In the video, comedian Hong Yun-hwa celebrated reaching a major milestone: “For three weeks, I kept gaining and losing the same 2 kilograms — but I finally hit 20kg lost,” she said. “This morning, I was just so happy. I brought the outfit I wore in our first episode to show how much has changed. I’ll be revealing my workout routine soon.”
Hong Yun-hwa / Captured from Hong's YouTube channel
Hong is just one of many comedians showcasing significant weight loss without medical procedures. Kang Jae-jun, for example, stunned fans after dropping 32kg. He had weighed 108kg before publicly committing to weight loss in 2023, vowing on YouTube to shut down his channel if he couldn’t lose 25kg in six months. He cited inflammation and declining health as motivations. By the end of the challenge, Kang had lost 26.2kg — and later announced that his wife had become pregnant naturally after seven years of marriage, marking a double celebration.
Kang Jae-jun / Captured from YouTube channel Togetherwithsean
Other comedians who have undergone major transformations include Kim Shin-young, Park Na-rae and Shin Bong-sun. Kim, who lost around 38kg more than a decade ago, has managed to maintain her results for over 10 years. “I was strict with exercise and diet, but people kept asking me if I had surgery or took pills,” she said, addressing the misunderstandings surrounding her success.
From top, Kim Shin-young, Park Na-rae and Shin Bong-sun / Captured from KBS2, Youtuboom, and Channel A
Park Na-rae recently revealed she had lost 14kg, reducing her body fat from 34 percent to 22 percent. Shin Bong-sun shared that she had dropped 11.5kg of body fat without losing muscle mass. “You could see my ribs,” she said. She emphasized that her method relied on consistent dietary management and exercise over time, not fasting.
This article from Xportsnews is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.