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32-year-old South Korean singer Wendy, main vocalist of the hit group Red Velvet, has found herself at the center of a firestorm over extreme weight loss. Photos of the artist from the weekend's K-pop Super Live festival went viral instantly, sparking widespread alarm.

Fans aren't hiding their horror: images captured the star looking gaunt with protruding bones. "She looks like a completely different person; she's far too skinny," concerned fans wrote. "Honestly, I'm tired of watching young women push themselves to this level of thinness. It's just plain unhealthy," others chimed in.

The Singer Responds: "I Just Lost Muscle Mass"

After major South Korean media outlets picked up the online discourse surrounding her figure, Wendy personally addressed the situation on social media.

According to her, the alarming physical change was due to a lack of regular workouts rather than severe dietary restrictions: "I haven't exercised for over a month and lost a lot of muscle. I'll get back to working out as soon as promotions wrap up," the singer was quoted as saying by Koreaboo.

Wendy also tried to reassure fans, insisting she feels fine: "From the outside, it might look like I'm unwell, but I'm not! Though, of course, if I gained a bit of weight, I'd probably be even healthier!"

A Systemic Issue for Red Velvet

Wendy's situation is far from an isolated case within the group. Just recently, her 29-year-old bandmate Joy sparked a similar controversy.

During Red Velvet's debut in 2014, Joy stood out for her healthy, athletic silhouette and full cheeks, but last year her weight plummeted to an extreme low.

Nearly every female artist in the industry falls victim to these brutal beauty standards. According to the investigative book K-pop: Idols in Wonderland, up to 8 out of 10 female K-pop trainees suffer from amenorrhea (the absence of menstruation) due to grueling diets, chronic sleep deprivation, and relentless stress.

The Cult of Emaciation: The Dark Underbelly of K-Pop

Wendy's story is just the latest chapter in a long history of extreme demands placed on idols:

• Hyein of NewJeans: In 2023, the artist (who was just 14 years old at the time) revealed her daily food intake while shooting a music video: a single slice of avocado, two halves of a cherry tomato, and a tiny scoop of yellow rice.

• Momo of TWICE: The singer admitted that prior to her 2015 debut, she was forced to drop 7 kg (15 lbs) in a single week under threat of being cut from the group. She survived on just one ice cube a day while training non-stop. "When I went to sleep, I was terrified I simply wouldn't wake up in the morning, and I would start crying. I was scared of gaining weight even from an ice cube," Momo recalled.

Red Velvet is currently gearing up for the release of their new album, Velvet Summer, but instead of celebrating their musical comeback, public attention remains glued to the dangerous trends of extreme weight loss.

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