Hyeri Shuts Down 'Belly Fat' Criticism with Pure Confidence

Singer and actress Hyeri, the former Girl's Day member, is pushing back on online criticism about her body after footage from her recent solo fan meeting went viral.

Hyeri addressed the reaction through a fan communication platform in recent days. "Honestly, I like myself, but people watching might think it looks unprofessional," she wrote. She then added in parentheses, "Though I don't really get why being thin is what counts as professional."

She told her fans she was still willing to meet them halfway. "If Hyeru-mi want it, I'll give it a try. I'll work out and stay healthy," she said, using the official name for her fandom. "All of us are beautiful just as we are."

Hyeri held her solo fan meeting on June 13 at Samsung Hall on the campus of Ewha Womans University in Seoul. The event leaned heavily on performance. She revisited Girl's Day hits and ran through a set of covers, including aespa's "Whiplash" and Choi Ye-na's "CATCHY CATCHY."

The backlash started after her agency's official channels released a highlight video from the show. In several clips, Hyeri performs in a tight-fitting dress, and certain angles drew attention to her midsection. The footage spread quickly online and pulled in a wide range of reactions.

Some commenters framed it as a "belly fat" controversy. Others pushed back, arguing that the fabric, the cut of the dress, and the camera angles created an optical illusion rather than showing anything real about her body.

The exchange lands in familiar territory for K-pop. Female artists who step outside narrow body standards still face scrutiny on Korean platforms, even years into their careers, and even when they have moved into mainstream acting. Hyeri's response, casual and direct rather than apologetic, reframes that scrutiny as the problem instead of her body.