Hundreds of gyms in South Korea have closed amid a surge in the popularity of weight-loss drugs.
At least 1,120 fitness centres have shut since 2024 as thousands of people have turned to medication such as Wegovy and Mounjaro to get in shape, according to Korean media.
Nearly 169,000 people had been issued with prescriptions for anti-obesity drugs up to November last year, the Korean JoongAng Daily newspaper reported.
One former gym member said: “I do not feel the need to go to the gym since I can lose weight without exercising.
“And even if I regain weight after stopping the medication, I would rather spend the money that I would spend on a gym and use it for prescriptions.”
A Wegovy prescription costs about £150 a month, although Mounjaro is covered by private health insurance when it is used to treat diabetes.
The number of people who claimed the medication under insurance soared from 24 in August 2025 to 3,264 in February 2026.
South Korea has one of the lowest obesity rates in the world, according to World Health Organisation standards, but Seoul’s health authorities warn that it is a growing issue.
And there is some evidence the drugs are being misused, with authorities reporting Wegovy was prescribed to 69 children under the age of 12, and 194 pregnant women, as of August last year.
There are no official figures on how many people are using the drugs without medical need, but anecdotal evidence indicates the number is significant.
Some experts warned that social media had fuelled “distorted body ideals” including the growing popularity of the “bony arm” trend, where extremely thin limbs were promoted as desirable.
“Trends like the ‘bony arm’ pose a direct threat to public health, especially for adolescents and women,” said Kim Heon-joo, the head of Korea’s Health Promotion Institute.
The institute warned that these trends had shaped unrealistic body norms and had driven non-obese people to use prescription drugs.
