Actor Rowoon recently opened up about the behind-the-scenes story of his now-viral underwear photoshoot and the surprising physical transformation that followed.

In an interview held on October 15 at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, for the Disney+ original series The Murky Stream (written by Chun Sung Il and directed by Choo Chang Min), Rowoon addressed the buzz around his recent photoshoot for an underwear brand particularly the shots revealing his underarms.
“I honestly didn’t think it would blow up like that,” he said with a laugh. “I just thought, ‘Well, this is what fits the times.’ Our job is to be seen, after all. It was a commercial project, and every image went through the brand’s review process before the final selection.”

But shortly after the shoot, Rowoon had to undergo a major physical change for his role as Jang Si Yool in The Murky Stream.

“I had reduced my body fat for the underwear ad, but the director wanted a physique that looked more like a stray cat — wild and unrefined,” he explained. “He said a sculpted six-pack would look too unrealistic. So I adjusted my body, and when I asked, ‘Does this look right?’ he said, ‘Perfect.’ I was so relieved I immediately treated myself to two hamburgers.”

After filming wrapped, Rowoon’s weight fluctuated again. Appearing noticeably slimmer at the drama’s press conference, he revealed what had happened.

“I was just enjoying my mom’s home-cooked meals,” he said with a smile. “It was right before my enlistment, and she made sure I ate plenty. But when a senior actor commented that I’d gained weight, I was shocked. So I dropped about 8 kilograms (17 pounds) in just one week — I practically stopped eating because I knew I’d be photographed in the military.”

Rowoon’s latest work, The Murky Stream, is a historical action drama set in Joseon’s vibrant trade hub of Gyeonggang, where wealth and goods constantly flow. The series depicts the intertwined lives of people fighting against corruption to reclaim their humanity. The final two episodes (8 and 9) will be released on October 17.