Actor Hwang Jung-min is drawing attention online for his noticeably changed appearance since giving up alcohol.
On July 1, the YouTube channel Elle Korea posted a video featuring Hwang, Jo In-sung and Jung Ho-yeon, the lead cast of the upcoming film "Hope," set to open this month.
Hwang appeared relaxed and natural, but viewers were struck by his visibly brighter complexion — a far cry from the ruddy, flushed skin tone he had long been associated with. His jawline also looked sharper and his facial contours more defined, as though he had lost weight.
Online commenters compared the footage with his appearance on the tvN program "You Quiz on the Block" five years ago and expressed surprise at how much younger he looked. "I should quit drinking starting today," one user wrote. Others said he looked "about 10 years younger" and called him "a real heartthrob."
Hwang revealed last year that he had been sober for a year. He explained that he had decided to give himself a gift when he turned 50 by quitting either drinking or smoking. "I quit smoking first, but then I started drinking even more," he said, describing how he eventually switched to giving up alcohol instead.
"Drinking a lot made my memory worse and I started making small mistakes," he added. "So I decided to give myself a rest and stopped drinking."
Facial flushing from alcohol is caused by a deficiency of enzymes that break down alcohol in the body. When alcohol is metabolized, it converts into a toxic substance called acetaldehyde. If the body lacks sufficient enzymes to break that down, blood circulation accelerates to expel the toxin. The face, which has a higher concentration of capillaries than other parts of the body, turns noticeably red. Repeated drinking can make this kind of flushed complexion chronic.
paq@heraldcorp.com
