‘I’ve been dieting healthily’: Actress Park Min-young reacts to online chatter over her weight loss

South Korean actress Park Min-young has personally addressed online speculation about her health after appearing noticeably thin at a press conference in Seoul on Sept 1.

Wearing a figure-hugging halter-neck dress, she attended the event alongside co-stars Park Hee-soon and Joo Jong-hyuk, as well as director Nam Ki-hoon to promote their upcoming K-drama Confidence Queen, which premieres on Prime Video on Sept 6.

In the series, she plays Yoon Yi-rang, a brilliant con artist and member of a trio of swindlers who expose villains and take their ill-gotten gains. 

However, Park Min-young’s unusually slim physique and angular facial features sparked concern from fans online. They pointed out her protruding collarbone and skinny arms, and asked if she was fine or if that was really her.

The 39-year-old, known for dramas such as Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010) and What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim (2018), is filming a new mystery thriller, Siren.

“I’ve been dieting healthily for my character Han Seol-ah in Siren, but I’ve recently lost more weight due to an intense schedule,” she wrote in Korean on social media on Sept 2. “Don’t worry, I’m having three meals a day.”

She also shared several close-up photos of herself and urged her fans to look forward to her new shows.

This is not the first time Park has lost weight for a role.

In late 2023, fans were shocked by her gaunt image when official photos from revenge fantasy drama Marry My Husband (2024) were released. She played Kang Ji-won, a woman suffering from terminal cancer in the early part of the TV series, and weighed 37kg at the time.

“I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, but during filming, I managed only by eating small meals and relying on ion drinks,” she was quoted by South Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo as saying in early 2024.