Han Hye-jin's First Ballet Class Defeated Her — And Fans Love It

Korea's top model Han Hye-jin has taken on countless challenges throughout her career, but nothing quite prepared her for the humbling experience of her first ballet class. In a new YouTube video titled "The Return of the Top Model's Health Management" posted on March 12, the 178-centimeter star documented her intense two-week diet and fitness routine — culminating in a ballet debut that had both her and viewers in stitches.

The video reveals Han's "quick gain, quick loss" strategy after indulging during the Lunar New Year holiday at her family home. Her revelation that she had reached 58 kilograms — a weight she described as her personal "critical threshold" that must never be exceeded — set the tone for what became an entertaining journey of determination and self-deprecating humor.

A Workout Routine That Would Exhaust Most Athletes

Han's daily regimen during the two-week diet was nothing short of extreme. Each morning began with a fasting run of at least five kilometers, followed by two and a half hours of weight training at the gym. She paired this intense exercise schedule with a carefully curated diet featuring Korean staples like seaweed wraps, raw fish, and mixed grain rice — though she admitted to indulging in regular meals to keep herself mentally sustained throughout the process.

Beyond the numbers on the scale, Han expressed frustration over her declining muscle mass and record-high body fat percentage. According to the model, she instinctively knew something was wrong even before stepping on the InBody scale, confessing that she had immediately thought "I am doomed" upon seeing the results.

When Weightlifting Meets Ballet

Entering her second week, Han decided to add ballet to her already punishing routine. Her enthusiasm was evident from the start — she visited a ballet supply shop and purchased not only practice shoes but also pointe shoes, despite having zero ballet experience. The instructor's warning that pointe shoes were premature for a beginner did little to dampen her determination.

The reality of ballet, however, proved to be a different kind of challenge entirely. Despite her gym-hardened physique, Han found herself struggling from the very first stretching exercises. Her candid reaction — declaring "crisis already" during warm-ups and admitting her "limbs felt like they were twisting apart" during basic movements — offered a refreshingly honest contrast to the polished image often associated with top models.

The comedic highlight came when Han donned the pointe shoes, adding several centimeters to her already towering frame. "I am two meters tall!" she exclaimed in disbelief while looking at herself in the mirror. Despite complaining that her toenails felt like they might fall off, she persevered through plies and releves, determined to complete the class with grace — or at the very least, survival.

A Message Beyond the Laughs

While the video delivered plenty of entertainment value, Han closed with a surprisingly thoughtful reflection on the nature of body management. "Dieting is a cycle of gaining and losing," she told viewers. "What matters is not whether you fall off track — it is the effort to return to a healthy cycle. Never give up, even when you gain weight and lose it again." It was an honest and encouraging message from someone whose livelihood depends on physical appearance, resonating with fans who appreciated her vulnerability alongside her trademark humor.