In a recent appearance on the YouTube show 'ZIP Daesung,' (G)I-DLE's Yuqi opened up about Cube Entertainment's methods for motivating their idols to lose weight.
Yuqi explained that following the Chuseok holiday, Cube Entertainment would weigh all their idols and publicly post their weights for everyone to see. This tactic was intended to embarrass those who had gained weight and compel them to lose it.
She explained, "It was during Chuseok. Everyone would gain a lot of weight. But (the company) printed a list (of everyone's weight) and posted it in front of the office...!! For example 'Yuqi, XX kg." Yuqi continued, "Back then, there were Sunbaenims too. Pentagon and HyunA were there, and BTOB seniors could all see it. We had to keep seeing it."
Yuqi revealed that she lost weight to remove her weight from the public posting. She elaborated, "Back then, I lost 5kg in three days. It was a wake-up call. That was posted until we lost weight to our goal weight." She added, "I thought that was really amazing about our company. I still remember my weight from then."
When Daesung asked how Yuqi lost the weight so fast, she responded, "I ate almost nothing to lose it... I wanted to take down the printout quickly..."
Korean netizens commented:
"That's so crazy... she's going to faint like that."
"That is so unhealthy..."
"The standard for being considered thin has become even more extreme over the past few years. Nowadays, being extremely thin is not seen as strange but rather as beautiful and a sign of good self-care. People praise it. Even if you're not an idol or a celebrity, in everyday life, unless you're extremely skinny, you're considered overweight."
"Hul."
"That is so strict."
"The idol industry is so abnormal."
"Well, people praise idols who are so skinny."
"This is abuse."
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