Beloved Idol’s Drastic Weight Gain Draws Unusual Reaction From Netizens

As controversial as it is, body weight is still a significant metric of beauty in South Korea, and the standards apply even more strictly to idols. While usually a noticeable weight gain is never a positive for an idol’s career, for SHINee’s Taemin, the reaction is unexpected.

A recent post on Instiz compared Taemin’s visuals before and after he joined the military for his mandatory service. During his enlistment, Taemin mentioned that he had gained 10 kg of weight away from his idol diet and lifestyle. The post’s OP (original poster) mentioned that the before-and-after pictures showed how such a dramatic weight difference alters the appearance of an idol.

But netizens who commented on the post showed positive reactions, either arguing that he still looked skinny after putting on weight or that he looked cute with the added few kgs.

• “Even after gaining 10 kilograms, he still looks great!”
• “He looks so cute after putting on 10kg.”
• “In reality, he’s still thin. For regular people, gaining 10kg might be considered overweight, but for celebrities, they just look normal. 😭 They can’t help how they look on camera; in person, they still look just as thin.”
• “His face after putting on weight looks cute.”

• “His face definitely looks happier after gaining weight! 😂 But Taemin is so thin that even with 10kg more, he’d still be at a normal weight.”
• “So idols do also put on weight if they eat three meals a day.”
• “He looks like a baby in the photo in military uniform.”