Recent performances by a well-known K-pop star have ignited significant health concerns among fans, following observations of her noticeably slender appearance on stage.
Kim Chaewon, a prominent figure in the South Korean girl group TripleS, appeared noticeably thinner during a concert in Taipei. Her strikingly slim figure was evident as she performed in a sleeveless pink midriff top paired with a ruffled miniskirt, leaving fans alarmed by the visible prominence of her bones while she energetically danced to the group’s hit song, “Bubble Gum Girl.”
The performance quickly drew attention on social media, where a video clip sparked a wave of concern and conversation among the K-pop community. Fans were taken aback by her frail appearance, with many voicing their worries online.
“It’s amazing that she even has the strength to move; it’s not normal,” one concerned fan remarked. Another added, “The camera adds ten pounds… I can’t imagine how small this girl looks in person.”
‘It’s amazing that she even has the strength to move, it’s not normal,’ commented one.
‘The camera adds ten pounds… I can’t imagine how small this girl looks in person,’ wrote another.
Kim Chaewon from the South Korean girl group TripleS sparked fears after appearing severely underweight while performing in Taipei this week
‘I’m sorry, but she’s literally a skeleton. For a second, I thought it was a skeleton AI dancing to K-pop, but omg! This is so wrong,’ commented a third.
Chaewon was just 16 years old when she joined TripleS, which boasts a whopping 24 members.
The group has only been around since 2022, but has already released two studio albums, multiple EPs, and embarked on several world tours.
Before joining TripleS, she competed on the K-pop competition series Universe Ticket, where she was the fourth contestant eliminated.
She worked as a child actress before that, making her acting debut in 2008 when she was just four.
The K-pop industry brings in billions of dollars for the country’s economy each year, and nothing less than complete and utter perfection is expected from the industry’s young stars.
According to the investigative book titled K-pop: Idols in Wonderland, as many as eight out of ten female K-pop trainees stop menstruating due to extremely restrictive diets, reported the Korea Times.
Other factors, such as stress and lack of sleep, are also likely to blame.
K-pop fans were horrified after a video of the performance made its way to social media, with many expressing concerns over her skinny figure
In 2023, K-pop star Hyein, who is a member of the girl group NewJeans, revealed the paltry meal she was surviving on during a music video shoot.
In a short clip shared online, the teenager, who was 14 at the time, was seen picking at some sliced avocado, two halves of a single cherry tomato, and some yellow rice.
Meanwhile, Momo, who is a member of the chart-topping K-pop group TWICE, once confessed to starving herself so severely that she feared for her own life.
The Japanese performer, now 29, said that she was told to lose 7kg (15lb) in a week ahead of TWICE’s official debut in 2015.
If she failed to do so, she wouldn’t make it into the group.
She ended up eating nothing more than a cube of ice and exercising nonstop for a week to hit her target weight.
Before joining TripleS, Chaewon was a member of the now-defunct girl group Busters, which she joined shortly before her 13th birthday
TripleS is a 24-member girl group made up of multiple smaller groups
‘I didn’t eat anything for the whole week and went to the gym all the time. I spent all my time so there was no water in my body,’ she revealed on the program Jihyo Candy Nights.
‘And when I laid down on the bed and tried to sleep, I was scared that I wouldn’t wake up again, so I suddenly started crying,’ she continued.
‘I ate one cube of ice, but I thought that I might get fat with even that. That’s what I did, but I didn’t lose 7kg by the D-day, so they gave me about three more days.’
In even more tragic news, former K-pop idol Kwon Mina was rescued earlier this year after attempting suicide on New Year’s Day.
The 32-year-old, who has tried to end her life multiple times before, shared an alarming post to social media titled, ‘Goodbye and I’m sorry’ on January 1.
Mina previously attempted suicide in 2020, alleging at the time that it was due to long-term bullying she claims that she experienced in her former girl group AOA.
She was hospitalized a year later in 2021 after being found unconscious in her home following another attempt to end her life.
Prior to her attempt on January 1, the singer and actress shared on social media that she ‘wasn’t in a normal state of mind’ and that past bullying and an alleged sexual assault incident from 2007 had caused her mental anguish.
