{
  "id": 8852636,
  "title": "K-pop's 'bone-thin ideal' leaves idols traumatized, hospitalized",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/k-pops-bone-thin-ideal-leaves-idols-traumatized-hospitalized",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-21T05:52:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/k-pop/20260921/k-pops-bone-thin-ideal-leaves-idols-traumatized-hospitalized"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In recent times, the pursuit of a bone-thin figure has become a prevalent topic within the K-pop industry. The industry's emphasis on appearance-driven weight loss targets has left its toll on both seasoned celebrities and aspiring young artists. A new video from RESCENE member Woni has shed light on the personal struggles faced by fellow members Minami and Liv during their debut preparations.\n\nMinami and Liv candidly discussed their weight loss journeys, revealing that they lost significant amounts of weight in the lead-up to their debut. Minami expressed that she experienced near-daily bouts of crying due to the immense psychological strain caused by her drastic weight loss. In a follow-up on a fan platform, Minami addressed the lighter tone often used when discussing idol diets. While acknowledging that such conversations can be entertaining, Minami highlighted the highly traumatic and stressful nature of these experiences. She emphasized that while pressure to maintain one's appearance and weight is a reality for idols, it should never lead to harassment based on physical appearance. Minami stressed that inner character and talent should be the true focus, not the superficial aspects of one's physicality.",
  "summary": "How many kilograms a K-pop singer loses is a frequent talking point. As thin physiques become the standard of beauty and appearance-based target weights become widespread, an obsession with weight loss continues to affect not only celebrities but the younger generation. In a recent video posted on RESCENE member Woni's Youtube channel, fellow members Minami and Liv revealed how much weight they…",
  "key_points": [
    "K-pop industry's obsession with bone-thin figures causing trauma",
    "Minami and Liv reveal extreme weight loss during debut prep",
    "Idols' physical appearance, not talent, should be valued"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The K-pop industry's relentless pursuit of a bone-thin ideal leaves idols with traumatic and stressful experiences, highlighting a need to shift focus from physical appearance to inner character and talent.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "K-pop's 'bone-thin ideal' leaves idols traumatized, hospitalized",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/k-pops-bone-thin-ideal-leaves-idols-traumatized-hospitalized-8854642",
        "published": "2026-09-21T06:02:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}