Lee Sung-min Lost 10kg for Gukjesijang 2 and His Co-Stars Could Not Hide Their Shock

Actor Lee Sung-min walked into the studio on April 18 looking noticeably different — and his Punghyanggo co-stars could not pretend otherwise. On the latest episode of Pinggyego (핑계고), the hit YouTube variety series hosted by Yoo Jae-seok, Lee appeared visibly slimmer than when the group last traveled together. The reason, he revealed with characteristic brevity, was a 10kg weight loss he put himself through entirely for his role in the upcoming film Gukjesijang 2 (국제시장 2) — the long-awaited sequel to one of the most beloved Korean films ever made. The revelation turned what was supposed to be a breezy 풍향고2 retrospective into one of the most talked-about Pinggyego episodes of the year.

Episode 104 of Pinggyego, titled "풍향고2 후일담은 핑계고" and uploaded on April 18 to the DdeunDdeun YouTube channel, reunites Yoo Jae-seok, Lee Sung-min, Ji Seok-jin, and Yang Se-chan to relive the behind-the-scenes moments from their Punghyanggo 2 trip through Austria and Hungary. The group filmed the journey together in November 2025, with the main travel content airing in January 2026. The behind-the-scenes reunion episode, however, took another six months to come together — the production team admitted to having "other commitments" that delayed the meeting.

Ten Kilograms Down: The Revelation That Stopped the Room

The moment Lee Sung-min stepped in, both Yoo Jae-seok and Ji Seok-jin froze. "Why did you lose so much weight?" Ji Seok-jin asked, genuine concern visible on his face. Lee responded in his signature dry tone: "일해야 하니까" — roughly translated as "because I have work to do" — a reply so matter-of-fact that it sent the group into immediate laughter. The casualness only made the extent of the transformation more striking.

Yoo Jae-seok then confirmed what the room had begun to suspect: Lee is currently filming Gukjesijang 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2014 blockbuster Ode to My Father (국제시장). Directed by Yoon Je-kyoon and starring Hwang Jung-min, the original film was a cultural phenomenon that sold over 14 million tickets in Korea, weaving a man's sacrifices through decades of modern Korean history. A sequel has been anticipated for years, and the depth of Lee's physical commitment signals that the production is approaching the project with serious intent.

When Ji Seok-jin pressed further — "But it's a movie, why that much?" — Lee delivered one of the episode's most quotable lines: "먹고 살라니까" — a Korean idiom meaning "to earn a living," but also literally "so I can eat and live" — wordplay that brought the house down. He also deflected the inevitable follow-up with wit intact: "Come to the Gukjesijang 2 press tour and I'll tell you how I did it."

From Serious Actor to Variety Phenomenon

Among the episode's more unexpected moments was Lee Sung-min's reflection on what 풍향고 has done to his public profile. The veteran actor — known for the celebrated TV drama Misaeng (Incomplete Life), the action comedy A Violent Prosecutor, Bong Joon-ho's Okja, and the acclaimed thriller The Wailing (곡성) — admitted that people now recognize him far more for his variety appearances than for any acting role.

"When people see me on the street, they don't ask about dramas or movies anymore," Lee said, with a mix of amusement and mild bewilderment. "They all want to talk about 풍향고. They ask if I bought that cat food bowl." The cat food bowl — a small, funny detail from the Austria-Hungary trip that captured fans' hearts — has apparently taken on a life of its own. For a performer of Lee's caliber, the observation lands as both funny and faintly surreal.

That crossover between serious dramatic work and lighthearted variety entertainment is genuinely rare in Korean showbiz, where the two worlds often stay separate. Lee's ability to be authentically funny without performing for the camera has made him a different kind of TV personality — one whose appeal comes not from polished charm but from the slightly reluctant authenticity of someone who did not come to variety to be funny, yet somehow became hilarious anyway.

Monaco, Hwang Jung-min, and 풍향고3 Dreams

As the episode wound down, the conversation drifted naturally toward a potential Punghyanggo 3 — and Monaco emerged as the frontrunner. Lee Sung-min argued for timing the trip with the Formula 1 Grand Prix season: "Watching F1 cars drive through the streets would be incredible. Even without a direct flight, after a year of hard work, we could pull it off." Yang Se-chan agreed, then raised the stakes by suggesting they recruit actor Hwang Jung-min (황정민) for the next journey.

The suggestion unlocked a delightful piece of trivia: Hwang already has a Monaco connection. Back in 2018, when the cast of the spy thriller The Spy Gone North (공작) attended the Cannes Film Festival, the group parted ways afterward. Lee's family headed to Paris; Hwang's family detoured through Monaco for a few days. "If we go to Monaco, we'd just have to follow him everywhere," Yoo Jae-seok joked, doing a spot-on impression of the actor's distinctive manner. The room erupted.

The group also workshopped dress code ideas for the hypothetical trip. Both Yoo Jae-seok and Yang Se-chan lamented their fashion choices during the Austria journey and proposed themed outfit days: a denim day, a cotton day, and — the crowd favorite — wearing traditional Korean hanbok to Korean restaurants in Europe. "Nobody else does it, so we should," Yoo insisted. "And if Hwang Jung-min comes, he has to wear one too. No exceptions."

The Austria Customs Story Gets Its Full Airing

No 풍향고2 retrospective would be complete without the legendary Austria customs incident, and Lee Sung-min shared the full version with obvious relish. The situation arose from two converging factors: Yoo Jae-seok is the most recognized television personality in South Korea — and completely unknown to Austrian border officials. Making it worse, the 풍향고 format involves spontaneous, unplanned travel, meaning Yoo had no hotel booking to produce when asked "Where are you staying?"

The combination produced a suspicious customs officer and a visibly rattled Yoo Jae-seok. "His lips were literally trembling," Ji Seok-jin recalled, laughing. "South Korea's greatest national MC, and he nearly couldn't get into the country." Lee drove the point home with characteristic relish: "It was absolutely critical. It was a moment of desperation." Yoo eventually talked his way through, but only after some genuinely stressful minutes at the immigration desk. "I couldn't tell the officer why we had no hotel," he admitted. "The whole point is that we don't plan ahead."

Looking Ahead

With Gukjesijang 2 still in production, no official release date has been announced. But Lee Sung-min's level of commitment — shedding 10kg while simultaneously maintaining a very public variety persona — suggests the sequel is approaching its subject with the same emotional weight as the original. Ode to My Father remains one of the most beloved Korean films of the past twenty years, and the burden of its legacy is not something Lee appears to be carrying lightly.

As for Punghyanggo 3: Monaco is firmly on the wish list, Hwang Jung-min's name is on the hypothetical guest list, and the hanbok-at-a-French-restaurant idea is already being treated as a genuine possibility. Whether any of it actually happens — and whether four of Korea's busiest entertainers can synchronize schedules long enough to travel spontaneously together again — is another matter entirely. But that uncertainty, as Punghyanggo fans know well, has always been half the fun.