Super Junior’s Shindong recently appeared on KBS2’s talk show Problem Child in House alongside fellow band member Kyuhyun to mark the group’s 20th anniversary. During the chat, Shindong opened up about his dramatic weight loss and unintentionally sparked a debate online. His mention of popular weight loss drugs left many wondering if Western influence has fully taken over South Korea. While the idol admitted the injections didn’t really work for him and led to the dreaded “yo-yo effect,” he revealed it was actually intense dieting that did the trick. He even detailed what his plate looked like on a regular day.
Super Junior’s Shindong opens up about dramatic weight loss
“I went from 116 kg to 79 kg,” Shindong said, revealing he lost nearly 40 kg in just five months. He added that dieting helped him more than exercise ever did. When asked what diet he followed, the singer explained he mostly ate ssambap—small rice balls made of brown rice, a pinch of stir-fried anchovies, and a bit of gochujang (red chilli paste), all wrapped in a leaf. According to the K-pop star, he ate at least six of those a day, and it became his go-to meal.
He also admitted to trying the weight-loss injection Wegovy, the same one originally meant for diabetic patients, but recently in the spotlight thanks to Elon Musk and a few Hollywood celebs being blamed for popularising it in the U.S. However, Shindong joked that the shots didn’t work on him at all, even at a high dose. “The doctor told me I should feel full because it slows digestion,” he said. “But later, he added, ‘Shindong, you’ve beaten Wegovy!’” Despite all his efforts, Shindong admitted to facing the yo-yo effect—gaining some of the weight back after the extreme diet. Experts have long warned that drastic routines like this can often lead to rebound weight gain. During the chat, he also shared how he once spent over 14 million won (around $12,000 USD) on just one food delivery app, and that’s only one out of the three he regularly uses.
Problem Child In The House with #SHINDONG #KYUHYUN
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🔗https://t.co/ZHZoZ7bJwr#SUPERJUNIOR @SJofficial pic.twitter.com/oraZRCVfN2— pau ⸝⁺✧ (@yeokxivi) June 27, 2025
While most South Korean celebs are no strangers to extreme diets, whether it’s IU’s one-apple-a-day routine, Ji Chang Wook’s full-body transformation, Park Min Young’s prep for Marry My Husband, or Lee Min Ki’s physical overhaul, weight-loss injections like Wegovy and Ozempic are now gaining popularity outside of medical use. These GLP-1 drugs slow down how fast the stomach empties, resulting in the lost of appetite.. But there’s still a lot of debate around them, especially when used by people who aren’t clinically obese, not to mention the side effects, which remain a concern.
Super Junior currently has nine active members: Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun.
