How do top Korean stars keep fit and sexy?

Ever wonder why all of the protagonists in K-dramas are slim and have great physiques? These actors are always eating rice and ramen in the dramas, so why so sexy? I snap back into reality and remind myself that they are just portraying roles and that, as stars, they need to look perfect. The work for physical perfection is all behind the scenes. This led me to find out what regimens these Korean celebrities do to look the way they do.

In a recent video interview in Allure Korea, the trainer of Asian Adonis Gong Yoo revealed the fitness program of the immortal-looking actor. The personal trainer disclosed that Gong Yoo goes to the gym every day and goes for a full-body workout with a routine that includes chest and bench presses and using various machines. If he has an upcoming appearance, he goes to the gym two times a day. (Wow, I can’t relate to this discipline.)

As for the award-winning actor ‘s diet, he goes easy on the salt and seasonings. He consumes chicken breast, sweet potatoes and veggies. If he wants to have a cheat day, he asks his trainer first. Then that’s not cheating, is it?

Another buff actor is Kim Soo-hyun, with abs like pan de sals.  You can look at the results of his hard work in Real and Secretly, Greatly, where he goes shirtless and displays his body in all its glory. He has mentioned in past articles that he actually likes working out and regular physical exertion. He is also sporty, engaging in bowling, badminton and skiing. He loves bowling so much that he wanted to be a professional bowler and even applied to the Korea Professional Bowling Association.

Not to be outdone is Bench global endorser Park Seo-joon, who shows off his chiseled bod — when needed for a scene, of course. He exhibited his muscular and defined figure in his roles as a mixed martial arts fighter in Fight My Way and as a champion fighter in Divine Fury.

In an episode of the show Yon’s Kitchen last year, Seo-joon was featured doing his daily exercise routine, which starts with an early jog in the neighborhood. (I wonder if his neighbors ambush him? Sorry, I digress.) In a nearby park, he continues the routine with stretching and finishes off with a combination of pushups and pull-ups. However, when he trains for a role, like that of the fighter in Divine Fury, his training intensifies, where he has a rigorous workout routine for eight hours a day combined with a strict diet. I am not kidding.

“Crush ng bayan” Hyun Bin didn’t show much skin in Crash Landing on You, but you can see that he had a bulky physique and not the usual slender figure he naturally has. He worked out to have a more muscular frame and even sunbathed for a darker complexion.

You also see his fit body in the 2010 movie Late Autumn, where he plays a gigolo/conman and the 2014 Joseon period film Fatal Encounter. In his role as King Jeongjo, the be-dimpled heartthrob had an exercise routine that included steps, rope and exercises — without using gym equipment — to depict a realistic fit king of that era.

Jung Hae-in, with his boy-next-door charm, created a buzz in Something in the Rain, where he played a younger lover to Son Ye-jin’s character. He has been quoted that to maintain his good looks and toned body with washboard abs, he eats healthy, avoids alcohol and vigorously works out. I guess this is when he is due to film a movie or drama. In his “walk-cumentary” series Jung Hae-in’s Travel Log last year, he ate and drank his way through New York.