“Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo” Actor Shocks With His Unrecognizable Appearance In “Physical: 100”

Kim Bok joo (Lee Sung-Kyung), a young woman chasing her dream of weightlifting on an athletics college campus, develops a crush on her friend Jung Joon-Hyung’s (Nam Joo-Hyuk) older brother, Jung Jae-Yi (Lee Jae-Yoon). At first, Joon Hyung teases her and goes along with her act, even helping her, but soon finds himself falling in love with her. This series is a coming-of-age story about a group of college athletes who are fighting for their dreams, experiencing and finding love in the process, and growing every step of the way.

— Wikipedia

Lee Sung Kyung (left) and Lee Jae Yoon (right) | MBC Lee Jae Yoon (left) and Nam Joo Hyuk (right)

What some might not realize is that Lee Jae Yoon is quite the athlete.

As a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he has competed in tournaments. He’s an active swimmer and diver, a frequent gym-goer, and continues to do jiu-jitsu but is also interested in judo and Muay Thai.

His father inspired his active lifestyle, encouraging him to join marathons, resulting in Lee being the fastest track and field athlete in his school. Back then, his classmates believed he would be an Olympian when he grew up. 

This has led him to become a contestant on Netflix‘s hit survival show Physical: 100 Season 2 – Underground. Netizens were shocked to see the familiar face on screen but even more surprised by the rest of his body, as his roles don’t always require him to go shirtless.

100 competitors, all known for their well-developed physical attributes and physique, go head-to-head in various individual and team challenges, or ‘quests’ of strength, balance, agility, endurance, willpower and strategy. The competition is formatted like a tournament. After each quest, participants are eliminated until only one remains to win the prize of ₩300 million (≈ US$240,000). Every participant has a plaster cast of their torso on the set; when they are eliminated, they must destroy the cast with a sledgehammer.

— Wikipedia

He was the real weightlifting fairy all along!

Soon enough, Lee Jae Yoon went viral for his muscular physique on X (formerly Twitter), as K-Drama fans’ eyes were opened to realize he should be the male lead more! We totally would be asking him if he likes Messi, too.

oh I did not know the weightlifting fairy actor was in physical 100 pic.twitter.com/mALJqaUUQo

— ‘ (@selsmarss) April 1, 2024

Until stars as male lead, we have many fan edits to keep us well-fed.

SIR, DO YOU LIKE MESSI?? #LeeJaeYoon #Physical100 pic.twitter.com/bpWFEd4oLj

— Minn樂★ ~~ fan acc (@Minn_Stay20) March 31, 2024

#LEEJAEYOON : gotta make you mine#Physical100 #피지컬100시즌2 #Physical100S2 #JaeYoon pic.twitter.com/mCt3nDt7m7

— nia ~ 288 modu (@jkkdramalover) March 24, 2024

Interestingly, when Lee began pursuing a career in acting, he lost 22 pounds (10 kilograms) for a role. Despite the weight loss, not many doors opened for him. So, he ultimately chose to bulk up, and he has finally been able to get more roles now when casting directors search for a masculine vibe. We hope Physical: 100 only opens more opportunities for him.

While many are now thirsting over the handsome actor, Lee Jae Yoon is happily married! He married his now-wife, a non-celebrity, in November 2022 in a private ceremony. While he is daddy to us, he isn’t a father just yet! The little kid that frequents his Instagram feed is his nephew!