South Korea's weight-loss obsession and the health risks it brings

South Korea's weight-loss obsession and the health risks it brings

Ive’s Jang Won-young is one of the hottest K-pop icons today. Standing 173 cm tall and weighing only 48kg, Jang’s tall, slim figure is the subject of admiration and envy for many across the country. But Jang’s apparent body mass index of 16 kg per square meter indicates that, at least from the perspective of her physique, she could be subject to multiple health risks related to low weight — an issue faced by many women across the country. Some 6.2 percent of South Korean women in 2025 were found