Hwang Jae-gyun's 'Second Match': From 98kg to 80kg with 3.9% Body Fat

Hwang Jae-gyun, who has expanded his career from professional baseball to broadcasting, has signaled the start of his second act with a completely transformed physique. By losing 18kg to reach 80kg and driving his body fat down to 3.9%, he revealed a body profile that showcases a level of self-discipline distinct from the athlete's physique he once displayed on the field.

In the pictorial released on the 28th, Hwang traded his baseball uniform for various concepts, including workwear and rider styles. Beyond revealing his back muscles and abs through a wet shirt, he projected a rugged yet sophisticated masculine aura in images set against a Harley-Davidson bike. While "Athlete Hwang" built his body for performance during his playing days, he has now constructed a new physique for his professional identity as he steps before the public.

The transformation was no simple feat. For this shoot, Hwang underwent intensive weight and body fat management for approximately five and a half months. He reduced his weight from 98kg to 80kg—a total loss of 18kg—by combining CrossFit and running for four to five hours every day. Coupled with a systematic diet, he successfully lowered his body fat percentage to 3.9% at the time of the shoot.

A particularly noteworthy aspect is how he views his body as he approaches retirement. For a professional baseball player, the body is the foundation of performance, but its meaning shifts once a playing career ends. For Hwang, this body profile is less of a simple weight-loss project and more of a process of transitioning his body—which had been aligned with the singular identity of baseball for years—to a new stage of life.

"As I approach retirement, I wanted to show various sides of myself while finding what suits me best," Hwang stated. "Especially during the last two months, it was so difficult that I hit my limits and thought, 'I can't do this again,' but it became a valuable opportunity to pull myself together."

More significant than the 18kg loss is how he is maintaining his physique. Hwang explained that he is currently managing his condition healthily by maintaining a body fat percentage around 10%. This indicates his intention to transition to a sustainable physical state rather than remaining in the extreme, temporary condition required for the shoot.

While the retirement of an athlete is often viewed as the end of a career, it has increasingly become a starting point for expanding into popular culture. Hwang is diving earnestly into the entertainment industry, leveraging the recognition, athletic ability, and broadcasting experience he accumulated during his playing days.

The transition is already underway. Hwang recently launched his personal YouTube channel, "Illu Hwang," to share his daily life and new challenges. Furthermore, he is expanding his reach into broadcasting and OTT by confirming appearances in the TVING original dating program "Enemies in the Outfield" and the new Disney+ original variety show "Tag Game."

For sports stars entering broadcasting, the challenge lies in more than just transferring fame. Beyond simply utilizing the star image built in the stadium, they must break away from their existing athletic persona to construct a unique narrative within variety shows and digital content. Hwang's physical transformation through this pictorial can be seen as a proactive part of this transition.

Until now, Hwang's body was a tool to prove his performance as a batter and runner. Now, that body has become a medium for self-expression in front of the camera. Having experienced countless battles on the baseball field, he is now entering a new arena: the world of broadcasting and variety entertainment.

However, the 3.9% body fat figure should not be taken as a standard for general weight loss, as it represented an extreme condition for the shoot. The true significance lies in his ability to control his physical state and achieve his goal over five and a half months. Hwang noted that he is now maintaining a healthier body fat percentage of around 10%.

As Hwang turns the final page of his playing career, his success will no longer be measured by batting averages, hits, or home runs. His new challenge is to define his character in variety shows, weave his experiences into compelling stories, and persuasively build a new identity as a broadcaster to complement his powerful image as a baseball player.

The shift from 98kg to 80kg is more than a weight loss record; it is the first result of an athlete redesigning his life. For Hwang, the "second match" is no longer played on the diamond, but in front of the camera.