Choo Sarang Is 14 and Already 172cm Tall: Her Supermodel Mom Could Not Handle It

Choo Sarang is 14 years old, 172 centimeters tall, and the cast of Pyunstorang could not close their mouths about it.

The measurement came during a spontaneous on-camera physical checkup on KBS2's Shin Sang Chulsi Pyunstorang, airing July 17 at 8:30 p.m. The number landed and the studio went predictably sideways: "She's grown so much," "She looks exactly like her mom", the reactions wrote themselves.

The person most visibly undone was Yano Shiho, the Japanese top model who has been Sarang's mother and, increasingly, her aesthetic twin. When Sarang walked out wearing the outfit Yano had picked for her, Yano's verdict was immediate: "She looks like the Little Mermaid." Coming from someone who spent decades in front of cameras, that's not a throwaway compliment.

The occasion was a "puberty party" Yano organized herself, complete with a dress, balloon decorations, and a planned program of events. Her thinking, shared in a pre-taped segment, was straightforward: puberty is a normal part of growing up, so it deserves to be treated like one. The gesture is very Yano Shiho, equal parts warm and slightly extra in the best way.

Sarang has been a fixture of Korean variety television since she was a toddler, appearing on KBS2's Superman Returns alongside her father, MMA fighter Choo Sung-hoon. Yano Shiho and Choo Sung-hoon married in 2009; Sarang was born in 2011. The family has stayed in the public eye in the years since, and this episode is essentially the show catching viewers up on just how much has changed.

At 172cm, Sarang has pulled even with her mother's height. The genetics math is not complicated, but watching it play out in real time on a variety show is its own thing entirely.

Shin Sang Chulsi Pyunstorang airs on KBS2 on July 17 at 8:30 p.m. KST.