Bae Jeong-nam Appears Visibly Thinner After Losing Two Dogs in Ten Months

Actor Bae Jeong-nam appeared noticeably gaunt on the Sunday episode of SBS's variety program Mi-oon Uri Saekki (also known as My Ugly Duckling), telling his companion for the day, Hyun Bong-sik, that he has barely been eating or drinking lately. The admission came during what was otherwise a lighthearted outing in Busan, and it arrived in the context of a difficult stretch for Bae: he lost two dogs within ten months, the second passing coming less than a year after he said goodbye to Bel, a dog he had treated like a daughter.

Hyun Bong-sik had suggested visiting a shaved-ice café, a choice Bae greeted with mild incredulity. "Do guys even go to places like this together?" he said. "I haven't gone out for drinks or food recently." The contrast with Hyun, who revealed an enthusiastic and well-documented love of desserts, gave the scene its gentle humor. Hyun explained that because he does not drink alcohol, he had gradually developed a habit of ordering desserts at cafés, and he listed trendy items he had already worked through. Bae, tasting a crème brûlée shaved ice for the first time, offered the baffling verdict that it tasted like meat, drawing laughter from those around him.

From the café, Hyun led the pair to a nail salon, another suggestion Bae resisted before warming to. Hyun disclosed a surprising background: he studied nail art for a full semester in high school, reasoning that athletes who wanted to attract girlfriends needed to demonstrate care and attentiveness. He had, he said, filed friends' nails and practiced water marble techniques with enamel. The salon also offered Brazilian waxing, and Hyun confirmed he had already taken care of that for the summer, adding that in winter he handles it himself, which left Bae visibly startled. Bae eventually had his cuticles treated and sticker nails applied, and by the end declared himself completely satisfied, stopping to take photos of the result. He was still showing off his nails at the pork-knuckle restaurant they visited afterward.

Elsewhere in the episode, singer Hwasa appeared alongside model and television personality Han Hye-jin. Han thanked Hwasa for spending one of her few days off with her, noting that Hwasa had come straight from a world tour date. The two went shopping at Namdaemun Market for bath supplies, with Hwasa firmly establishing her credentials as what she called a "bath senior," someone who had been curating elaborate bathing kits before it became a social media trend. They ended up at a restaurant Hwasa considers her regular spot, a place that serves deokjajjim, a steamed flatfish dish. She said she had once liked it so much she brought her own pot to take the dish home, even though the restaurant does not normally offer takeout.

The episode closed with a segment centered on comedian Tak Jae-hun, who was spending the last birthday of his fifties. His mood was already deflated: his stock portfolio was in the negative and he had been reviewing his child's credit card expenses. When an SBS producer called to pass along news that another show he appeared on, Ani Geunde Jinjja (No But Really), had been cancelled, the timing was hard to ignore. Friends Kim Jun-ho and Shin Gyu-jin then arrived outside with traditional percussion music, walking sticks, and a cake shaped to mark his final year in his fifties. The three ended the evening at a beach club, where Tak was coaxed into dancing to one of his own songs.

My Ugly Duckling airs Sundays at 9:05 p.m. on SBS. The concern around Bae Jeong-nam's health is likely to carry into next week's episode, given how openly he spoke about his grief and the visible physical toll it has taken. Pet loss syndrome is increasingly discussed in South Korean media, and Bae's candid acknowledgment of it may resonate with viewers who have been through similar experiences.