Karina (aespa) has just shared rarely about the weight control process before her debut. The female idol said that she once lost up to 4kg in just one day to be able to pass the weight check of her management company.
According to Karina, she belongs to the group of people whose weight changes quite quickly. Once, before the periodic weight loss schedule, she ate comfortably and gained 4kg in just one day. This forced her to find ways to lose weight quickly to return to the required weight level.
The female singer born in 2000 shared that she wore many layers of heat-retaining clothes, turned on the heater in the gym and ran continuously for many hours. After finishing the practice session, she continued to soak in warm water to make her body sweat more.
That's almost how athletes lose weight before competing," Karina recalled. However, she also said that this was just an internship experience and this method is no longer applied.
Aespa member's sharing once again shows the pressure to maintain figure in the K-pop industry. Before officially debuting, many trainees must undergo periodic assessments, in which weight is one of the criteria to be monitored. Many Korean artists have publicly applied strict diets or high-intensity training to meet appearance requirements.
Besides the weight loss story, Karina also spoke for the first time about her body complex. She said she always felt her arms shorter than her body proportions, so she often had a habit of closing her arms when appearing in front of others.
According to the female singer, when she was in high school, friends once gave her the nickname "T-Rex" because of this characteristic. Although she is no longer too concerned, Karina said that it is still a memory that makes her laugh every time she remembers it.
Another detail that also attracted attention was the story of the female idol's family. Karina revealed that her father used to serve in the Korean Marine Corps. Before her debut, the information that the daughter of a former soldier stepped into the entertainment industry was shared in the veteran community, making her embarrassed when mentioned again on television.
At the end of the program, Karina also revealed her eating preferences that are opposite to her slender figure. Although always maintaining a weight management regime, she said she especially loves grilled pork belly and can eat this dish for many consecutive days without getting bored.
Karina's shares help audiences better understand the life behind the scenes of K-pop idols. Besides a tight schedule and pressure to maintain their image, many artists also went through a period of strict weight control before reaching their current position.
