Here's Why Kim Gun-woo Gained 5kg After The Glory

Kim Gun-woo says he gained about 5 kilograms after The Glory, and the reason was simple: he wanted people to see something other than Son Myeong-oh the moment he walked into a room. On the March 24 episode of SBS variety show Whenever Possible, the actor said the change came after people around him suggested that a slightly softer look suited him better than the sharp image many viewers still connected to his breakout villain role.

It was a small confession, but it landed because it explained something audiences often notice without hearing named so directly. A memorable role can open doors for an actor, but it can also follow him everywhere, shaping first impressions long after the drama ends. Kim's brief answer turned a light talk-show exchange into a revealing look at how Korean actors manage public image in the streaming era.

The Shadow of Son Myeong-oh

Kim appeared on the SBS program alongside veteran actor Yoo Jun-sang, joining hosts Yoo Jae-suk and Yoo Yeon-seok for an episode set in Changsin-dong. The show is built around casual conversation and neighborhood missions, so the atmosphere is loose by design. That made it a useful stage for Kim, whose public image is still closely tied to the volatile and opportunistic Son Myeong-oh in Netflix's global hit The Glory.

During the broadcast, Yoo Jae-suk told Kim that although viewers associated him with Son Myeong-oh, his real-life impression felt much gentler. Kim responded by saying he had gained around 5 kilograms compared with that period. When Yoo Yeon-seok asked if he had done that on purpose, Kim said he had, adding that people around him told him it would be better if he put on a little weight. Kim agreed when the hosts connected that choice to the lingering intensity of The Glory.

That exchange matters because it confirms that Kim did not treat the change as a random fluctuation or a temporary lifestyle detail. He framed it as a conscious adjustment, one made in response to how strongly a past character still shaped the way people read his face. In other words, he was not only managing his body. He was managing recognition.

Entertainment coverage in Korea picked up on that point immediately. Multiple outlets led with nearly the same idea within hours of the broadcast: Kim had “erased” or “softened” the Son Myeong-oh image by gaining weight. The speed and consistency of that reaction showed how deeply the character still lives in the public mind, and how ready viewers were to read even a modest physical change as part of a larger effort to move into a new phase.

Why a Small Physical Change Became a Big Story

On paper, gaining 5 kilograms is not the kind of transformation that usually dominates celebrity news. But context changed everything here. Kim is one of the actors whose career visibility rose sharply after The Glory, a revenge drama that reached audiences far beyond Korea and gave several cast members instantly recognizable screen identities. For Kim, that identity was especially sharp because Son Myeong-oh was loud, abrasive, reckless and impossible to overlook.

Actors often talk about the risk of being trapped by a role that works too well. Villains create that problem faster than almost any other character type because they are built to leave a strong emotional mark. The audience may know the performer is not the role, but the body remembers first impressions. Kim's comment suggested he understood that reality and chose a practical answer rather than a dramatic one: if people still saw danger or hardness first, he could nudge their perception in another direction before he even spoke.

That is also why the setting of the revelation helped. Whenever Possible is not a press conference, a scripted interview or a promotional still cut for maximum polish. It is a conversational variety show fronted by Yoo Jae-suk, one of the most familiar television hosts in Korea, and Yoo Yeon-seok, whose relaxed chemistry has become part of the program's appeal. In that space, Kim's explanation did not feel manufactured. It felt like the sort of candid admission viewers believe because it arrives in the middle of banter instead of headline-making intent.

The episode reinforced that contrast in other ways. Kim was introduced not as a threatening screen presence but as an easygoing guest sharing stories, laughing with the hosts and talking openly about family. He mentioned that he is close with his older sister, who is only a year older, and joked that she suffers because she resembles him. It was a light line, but it added to the same overall effect: the actor people remembered as a troublemaker on screen came across as self-aware, soft-spoken and unexpectedly playful off it.

A Different Kind of Career Reset

The timing is useful for Kim. Korean entertainment moves quickly, but streaming hits can freeze an actor inside a single role for much longer than older broadcast cycles did. A Netflix character like Son Myeong-oh does not disappear when a domestic run ends. Clips travel, memes survive, and new viewers discover the series long after release. That creates opportunity, but it also means image correction can take more work than it once did.

Kim's answer on SBS hinted at a smarter approach than simply insisting he is nothing like the character. He did not reject the role or complain about being remembered for it. Instead, he acknowledged the reality, laughed about it, and explained the adjustment in everyday terms. That kind of response tends to work better because it keeps the role's value intact while opening space for the person behind it.

There is also a broader industry lesson in how quickly the clip became news. Variety television still matters in South Korea as a place where actors can rebalance their image between drama projects. In a single appearance, Kim moved the conversation from menace to warmth, from character residue to personal charm. Even the headlines told that story: what began as another mention of Son Myeong-oh quickly turned into a piece about a gentler-looking Kim and the effort behind that change.

That shift may sound cosmetic, but it can shape the kinds of offers an actor receives and the way audiences accept him in future roles. A performer trying to broaden his range does not only need new scripts. He needs the audience to believe him in those scripts. If viewers meet him first as approachable, funny or emotionally open, then the leap into romance, family drama, slice-of-life storytelling or even another morally complex part becomes easier to sell.

Yoo Jae-suk's reaction during the episode played into that reset perfectly. By pointing out Kim's unexpectedly gentle look, the host gave voice to what many viewers were likely thinking. Kim's response then completed the arc by explaining that the difference was not accidental. It created a neat television moment, but it also offered something more valuable: a simple narrative audiences could carry forward the next time they see him.

What Comes Next After the Reveal

For now, Kim has not announced a major reinvention campaign or framed the weight gain as part of a larger manifesto about acting. That restraint is probably part of why the moment worked. It stayed proportionate to the fact, and that made it believable. He was not trying to turn 5 kilograms into a grand transformation story. He was explaining how an actor lives with the afterimage of a breakout role and makes small choices to loosen its grip.

That is likely why the reveal resonated so quickly across entertainment media. It was specific, visual and easy to understand, but it also spoke to a larger truth about celebrity culture: audiences often think image changes happen through branding alone, when they can begin with something as basic as posture, tone or a little extra weight. Kim offered a rare plainspoken example of that process.

The result is that he leaves this week's broadcast with more than another viral quote. He leaves with a clearer off-screen persona. Viewers saw a more relaxed Kim Gun-woo, one willing to joke about his own reputation, acknowledge the lasting power of The Glory, and quietly shape the next chapter before the next major role arrives. In a business where first impressions linger, that may be one of the smartest moves he could make.