‘BBC News Korea’ screengrab.

Actress Kim Min-ha expressed her conviction about her recent headline-making weight loss, saying it was “nothing more than a change for a role.”

On the 8th, the BBC News Korea YouTube channel released a Shorts video featuring an interview with Kim Min-ha to mark the release of the film ‘One Korea’.

In the video, when asked about her appearance, Kim began, “I am very satisfied with my looks.” She went on, “Right now, many people are talking about my appearance, but I was only losing weight for my next role. It was simply related to my work.”

She added, “I am very well prepared to change my body or appearance depending on the role I take on. My appearance is very closely related to my work,” and emphasized, “I am very satisfied with however I shape my look, not for standardized beauty, and I want to focus on my roles.”

Kim Min-ha recently drew attention with a noticeably slimmer look at press screenings and on social media. In the interview, she said she had lost about 17 kg over two years for a role in a project currently being filmed.

Because she had previously stated convictions such as “appearance is not important” and “I love myself as I am,” some expressed regret about this weight loss. In response, Kim said she wanted to clear up misunderstandings, adding, “This weight loss was solely for my next project, and my beliefs have not changed. I am satisfied with both my past self and my current self.”

Meanwhile, the film ‘One Korea’, in which Kim Min-ha appears, opened on the 8th. The work portrays the process of a North Korean defector woman settling into South Korean society, and Kim gives a strong performance as Hye-seon, a woman in her twenties from Yanggang Province.