Disney+’s Moving K-drama is based on a webtoon of the same name by Kang Full, and to perfectly portray the role of Kim Bong-seok, actor Lee Jung-ha willingly gained a lot of weight.
Bong-seok is a happy and go-lucky loner teen who always knew he was special. From a young age, he displayed floating/flying abilities that he had yet to control entirely. Unaware of how to properly train him, his mother had him gain weight. He also carried exercise plates in his backpack to keep him on the ground.
The original webtoon portrayed Bong-seok with a more rounded face and heavier body because of it. But for anyone who knew actor Lee prior to the Disney+ K-drama, his physicality is the exact opposite.
Moving is the 25-year-old actor’s biggest main role in his career so far, and he wanted to bring Bong-seok to life just like the webtoon. To do so, he had to indulge in fried foods to gain weight but it also came with one drawback.
Lee Jung-ha was upset his friends didn’t recognize him in Moving
For Moving, actor Lee Jung-ha shocked fans with his on-screen character, especially when learning he had gained roughly 66lbs to play Bong-seok.
According to Koreaboo, the actor revealed during the K-drama press conference that he was more than happy to gain a lot of weight. Based on his Instagram, Lee has always kept a lean physique and has a jawline to die for. But Lee was determined, stating: “I was really happy to be able to eat. As I gradually gained weight, I wanted to become Bong-seok as soon as possible, and the more I gained, the more I could see him.”
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He had gained almost all the new weight prior to filming, and he indulged in everything, even drool-worthy ramen. “I ate various types of instant noodles, including fried and soup-based ones. Although I didn’t have a specific number of meals planned per day, I made an effort not to feel hungry.”
It’s safe to say that his plan was a success, but maybe it worked too well according to Lee. Fans commented on his impressive transformation, as he perfectly embodied Bong-seok’s cute charm on screen. But the actor revealed there was one problem: his closest friends didn’t recognize him as Bong-seok in Moving.
“My sister’s friend said she enjoyed Moving, so I told her that I’m Bong Seok in Moving, but she couldn’t believe it… I wanted to be recognized as the character from the show, but it was disheartening that even when I said I’m Bong Seok, they wouldn’t believe me,” said Lee.
Lee felt he did his character justice when the people suggested he keep some of the weight. But the actor has already cut down back to his old physique.
You can read more about Moving K-drama, including actor Jo In-sung’s script change here, and why Park Seo-joon stepped away from rom-com K-dramas here.