This is not the first time his changed appearance has drawn attention from fans.
2 hours ago
Shinhwa’s Eric has become a hot topic once again after a recent photo showed his noticeably different appearance.
On June 17, 2026, a Chinese restaurant in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, shared a photo of Eric after he visited the restaurant with his parents.
The restaurant wrote, “He came with his parents and enjoyed the meal. Standing next to him, he was tall and handsome. Thank you for enjoying the food, giving us a thumbs-up, and visiting our humble place.”
In the photo, Eric wore a casual khaki T-shirt and a cap as he posed comfortably at the restaurant. However, what drew attention online was his fuller and more relaxed appearance compared to the image many fans remember from his active acting days.
This is not the first time Eric’s recent appearance has drawn attention. In April, when he attended fellow Shinhwa member Lee Minwoo’s wedding, his weight gain also became a hot topic.
In fact, discussion about Eric’s changed appearance first began several years ago. In 2023, a recent photo of the idol actor went viral, sparking surprise reactions from netizens and speculation about his health. At the time, acquaintances of Eric reportedly denied that he had any health issues, explaining that he was focusing on his marriage and life away from the spotlight.
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Eric also personally addressed the speculation at the time. He explained that the photo was taken during the early days of parenting, when he had not been sleeping well.
That said, even after he denied the health rumors, Eric’s updates have continued to draw attention whenever new photos of him appear. Netizens reacted with mixed but largely supportive comments, including, “He was more handsome and successful than anyone in his prime, and that’s enough. He looks happy, so that’s all that matters,” “Men gain weight when they raise children too,” “He probably managed himself so strictly when he was active, but now that he’s married and peaceful, he’s eating what he wants,” and “It looks like he’s working hard at parenting. He can lose weight later, so I hope he spends a lot of good time with his children without regrets.”
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Born in 1979, Eric debuted as a member of Shinhwa in 1998. He later built a successful acting career through hit K-Dramas such as Phoenix, Super Rookie, Wolf, Que Sera, Sera, and Another Miss Oh. However, he has not appeared in a new project since the 2020 series The Spy Who Loved Me, marking a hiatus of around six years.