Singer Roy Kim has opened up about having a hair transplant.
A video of singer Jo Hyun-ah meeting Roy Kim was posted Thursday to the YouTube channel "Jo Hyun-ah's Ordinary Thursday Night."
In the video, Jo recalled their long friendship, saying, "Roy and I used to drink a lot together back in the day."
Mid-conversation, Jo took a close look at Roy Kim and trailed off with, "Your forehead looks a bit … "
When Roy Kim asked, "Are you saying it's receded?", Jo replied, "No — did you get a transplant?"
Roy Kim answered without hesitation: "It's been quite a while." He then examined his own hairline and added with a hint of embarrassment, "Is my forehead all you can see? Is it too obvious? I thought it looked natural."
Jo quickly changed the subject, saying, "No, no — it looks great. Good call."
Roy Kim's prominent forehead had already prompted occasional speculation among fans about hair loss for more than a decade.
South Korea's hair loss prevalence rate of 20 to 23 percent is lower than that of Western countries, where it can reach as high as 40 percent, and also lower than neighboring Japan's 25 to 27 percent. Even so, surveys have found that Koreans tend to be particularly sensitive about the condition. Men in their 20s and 30s are especially proactive about seeking treatment when hair loss begins during a period when appearance is a major concern. According to the National Health Insurance Service, nearly half — 47 percent — of the roughly 130,000 male patients who sought hair loss treatment in 2020 were in that age group.
Roy Kim, who turns 34 this year, rose to fame through Mnet's "Superstar K4" in 2012 and has since been beloved for songs including "Bom Bom Bom," "We Can Break Up Then" and "Let's Stop Now."
paq@heraldcorp.com
