Kim Ji-suk Bulks Up 11 Pounds for Netflix's 'Husbands in Action'

Actor Kim Ji-suk put in serious work to bulk up for his latest role.

Kim sat down for an interview on June 23 at a cafe in the Samcheong-dong neighborhood of Seoul's Jongno district to talk about the Netflix film "Husbands in Action." He arrived noticeably bigger after gaining around 11 pounds, with a sturdier, more solid frame than fans are used to.

"Husbands in Action" is a comic action film about an ex-husband, Choong-sik (played by Jin Seon-kyu), and a current husband, Min-seok (played by Gong Myung), who end up teaming up to rescue the woman they were both married to after she is kidnapped by a crime ring. Kim plays Ma Do-jun, a polished-looking character with a rough, volatile streak underneath.

Kim said the physical change was built around the action style of the role. "Ma Do-jun was power action. I wanted him to feel heavy, the kind of weight that lands clean and satisfying," he said. "I also wanted to look solid in a suit, so I bulked up."

His method was simple and unglamorous. "They say if you eat a burger within an hour of working out, you bulk up. So I was eating two a day. No fries, no soda," he said. "Once my body got bigger, the energy I got from it felt good, and I'm trying to hold on to it. This is the heaviest I've ever been."

Reception for "Husbands in Action" has been split among Korean viewers, but the film is performing strongly overseas. It reached No. 3 on Netflix's global film chart for English-language titles on June 22. It entered the Top 10 in 57 countries and hit No. 1 in seven, including South Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore.

The international response points to a familiar pattern for Korean genre films on Netflix, where a divisive local reaction often runs alongside broad regional traction across Asia and beyond.