The starvation diets and brutal work schedules causing K-pop stars to collapse on stage

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Pop singer Hyuna from South Korea surprised fans when she suddenly collapsed while performing on stage this weekend.

This is unfortunately just the newest in a growing series of troubling events impacting some of K-pop’s most popular stars.

South Korea is notorious for being brutally strict when it comes to manufacturing pop idols.

K-pop is a huge economic force for the country, generating billions of dollars annually. Because of this, aspiring artists face immense pressure to be absolutely flawless.

The Korea Times reports that a large number of female K-pop trainees – potentially as many as eight in ten – stop having periods because of severely limited diets, as detailed in the book K-pop: Idols in Wonderland.

Other factors, such as stress and lack of sleep, are also likely to blame. 

In 2023, NewJeans member Hyein shared a photo of the very small meal she was eating while filming a music video.

A video shows the fourteen-year-old picking at a small meal of sliced avocado, two halves of a cherry tomato, and yellow rice.

TWICE member Momo has spoken openly about a difficult time when she restricted her eating so much that she became seriously worried about her health.

The singer, now 29 years old, revealed she was pressured to lose 7 kilograms (15 pounds) in just one week before TWICE officially started their career in 2015.

If she failed to do so, she wouldn’t make it into the group.

She restricted her diet to just a single ice cube and spent an entire week exercising intensely, all in an effort to reach her desired weight.

She shared on Jihyo Candy Nights that she hadn’t eaten for a week and had been constantly at the gym. She explained she pushed herself so hard that she became severely dehydrated.

Honestly, just thinking about it still gets to me. I remember lying in bed, trying to fall asleep, but this awful fear washed over me – the thought that I might not wake up. It was so intense, I just burst into tears. I couldn’t help it, it was terrifying!

I ate a single ice cube, but I was even worried it would make me gain weight. Despite this, I hadn’t lost 7 kilograms by the deadline, so they extended the time by about three days.

Momo successfully joined the group TWICE, which has gone on to become one of the most popular and best-selling girl groups of all time.

It really bothered me seeing another idol last year forced to apologize just for gaining a little weight. The online reaction was so harsh, and it felt awful to watch her have to publicly explain her body. It’s a pattern I’ve noticed, and it’s honestly upsetting to see how much pressure these young women are under.

Jang Ye Eun, who performs as J in the girl group Stayc, recently caught the attention of fans online after appearing to have gained a little weight during several live shows.

The actress, then 19 years old, later spoke about the rumors surrounding her weight, explaining in a social media post that she had begun exercising and eating a healthier diet to lose weight.

She admitted she saw a fancam and regretted not being in better shape, according to AllKPop.

‘I’m going to go on a diet a little. I’ll do it slowly while eating good food. Hehe.’

In April, 30-year-old Wu Xuanyi, a former member of a K-pop group, fainted while practicing for a performance on the Chinese talent show, Sisters Who Make Waves.

Footage of the incident spread like wildfire on Chinese social media sites. 

In grainy clips, the singer and actress can be seen being carried off stage by staff members.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen this happen too often. Xuanyi recently collapsed, and her team confirmed it was a combination of pushing herself way too hard and the difficult weather. Basically, she was completely exhausted and it caught up with her. It’s a really important reminder that we all need to prioritize rest and self-care, even when we’re incredibly busy.

A lot of the performances on Sisters Who Make Waves are filmed outside, which means the contestants have to perform in all kinds of weather.

Xuanyi and Hyuna are far from the only Asian pop idol to faint from exhaustion. 

During LOONA’s demanding world tour in 2019, Im Yeojin fainted while performing on stage at the Pepsi Center in Mexico City.

The video shows the K-pop star losing her balance and falling to the ground.

As she fell, one of her bandmates reached out to stop her, but was pulled down along with her.

Keena, a member of the popular K-pop group Fifty Fifty – famous for their hit song Cupid – took a break from the group in May to focus on her mental health, after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She was absent for two months.

The 23-year-old singer was previously in a difficult legal battle with her record label. She and her band claimed the company made them perform while sick and didn’t provide clear information about how much money they were earning.

The label, Attrakt, denied all allegations and filed a countersuit.

Keena left the lawsuit and went back to Attrakt, but her former bandmates continued performing together as a new group named Ablume, now managed by a different agency.

A video went viral over the weekend showing Hyuna, 33, becoming unsteady while performing her song “Bubble Pop” at the Waterbomb Festival in Macau. She seemed unwell while attempting the song’s well-known dance moves.

The video shows her moving slowly and awkwardly, stumbling and falling to the ground.

Immediately, her dancers and a security guard rushed to help her and carried the singer off stage after she lost consciousness.

Hyuna fainted after losing 10 kilograms (22 pounds) in only a month due to a very strict diet.

She recently surprised her followers by posting a photo of her feet, which were covered in bruises and blisters. The photo also showed she weighed just 49 kilograms (108 pounds).

The singer, standing at 5’5″, jokingly criticized herself in the caption of her post for indulging, and acknowledged she’s still working towards her weight loss goals.

As someone who follows celebrity wellness closely, I’ve noticed Hyuna has been very candid about her health struggles. It’s heartbreaking to learn these issues stem from years of dealing with disordered eating. She’s bravely sharing her journey, and I think it’s so important to remember that behind the glamour, people can be facing really difficult battles.

The K-pop singer, who started her career at just 15 years old, has revealed she once restricted her diet to only one piece of sushi daily in an effort to maintain a weight of 40 kilograms (88 pounds).

Oh my gosh, it was insane! I was so dedicated, I’d literally live off just one piece of kimbap to get through everything I had scheduled. It sounds crazy now, but I was running on fumes! Honestly, it totally wrecked my health. By the time I was 26, I was a mess, I really was.

During an appearance on the Korean talk show Point of Omniscient Interfere, she explained that not having enough food caused her to develop a fainting condition known as peripheral neuritis.

She revealed she used to have a very poor appetite, sometimes going a full week without food, which eventually led to her developing peripheral neuritis, according to Allkpop.

Whenever I lost too much weight, I’d pass out. Once, I fainted after eating only one piece of kimbap. In fact, I fainted twelve times in a single month.

Vasovagal syncope, sometimes called reflex syncope, is a temporary loss of consciousness caused by a sudden drop in your heart rate or blood pressure.

In 2020, Hyuna fainted several times while filming a music video for her album I’m Not Cool.

The singer continued to struggle financially the next year, and even fainted on the set of her “Ping Pong” music video.

In 2019, the singer revealed she was also diagnosed with depression and panic attacks.

Hyuna first became well-known in 2007 as a member of the popular girl group, Wonder Girls. She was only 15 years old at the time.

After five months, her parents had to take her out of the group because she was frequently getting sick with stomach problems and was also fainting.

She re-entered the music world in 2009 with the group 4minute, which quickly became one of the most popular K-pop groups of the early 2010s.

Outside of the group, Hyuna launched a hugely successful solo career. 

She charted a string of solo hits throughout the 2010s including Ice Cream, Red, and I’m Not Cool.

She also became the face of brands like Calvin Klein, Loewe, and Puma.  

In recent years her popularity has dipped and her last few singles have failed to chart.

South Korea is famous for its high expectations when it comes to appearance, and is a leader in both advanced skincare and plastic surgery.

In this country, popular beauty standards often include a V-shaped jawline, fair skin, double eyelids, a slender, high-bridged nose, and a small facial structure.

As a long-time observer of Korean beauty trends, it’s honestly startling to see how common cosmetic surgery has become. The numbers show that around 25% of women between 19 and 29 in South Korea have actually gone under the knife – it really highlights the pressure and societal norms around appearance there.

I’ve been so frustrated watching the impossible beauty standards here cause so much trouble. It’s really encouraging to see people, especially feminist groups, finally speaking out against them – it’s about time!

A reality TV show about cosmetic surgery ended in 2022 after receiving a lot of criticism from viewers.

On the show Let Me In, individuals asked for plastic surgery to help them overcome personal challenges and improve their quality of life.

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2025-11-12 19:06