Lee Min Ho’s New Year’s Resolution: Improving His Body

Lee Min Ho recently won his third excellence in acting award for his role in "The Heirs" but that does not mean he has given up on perfecting his skills. Or that he has given up on perfecting his appearance.

If you saw Lee Min Ho surfing in the early episodes of "The Heirs," you might wonder why he would need to work on his appearance, but the actor recently said that he is about to start a new fitness regimen.

Having just earned a few awards for his role as Kim Tan, he is not planning to rest. He wants to get in shape for his new action film "Gangnam Blues."

"I think I am going to work out like crazy," said Lee Min Ho. "I think I will lose even more weight."

He often works out before a drama to keep his energy up. Acting can be exhausting. He began working out shortly before taking the role of an assassin in "City Hunter." The character in the Japanese comic, "City Hunter'" was very muscular because he had spent his life in training.

Lee Min Ho also lost weight while training for and acting out his role as the sword-fighting bodyguard in "Faith: The Great Doctor." For "The Heirs" he learned to surf. And he doesn't just work out for the sake of maintaining stamina. Occasionally, as in "City Hunter," "Boys Over Flowers" and "The Heirs," he has to take his shirt off and impress viewers.

But, he says, fans have not seen anything yet.

"For this film, I will transform my body into one no one has ever seen before," he said.

He may need to bulk up. Yoo Ha, who will direct "Gangnam Blues," is known for his action scenes.

"Gangnam Blues" is set in what became Seoul's wealthy Gangnam neighborhood. The neighborhood became known worldwide after its standard of living was parodied by Psy's hit record "Gangnam Style." But it was not always filled with dazzling skyscrapers, upscale eateries and boutiques. Until the 1980s it was the least developed part of Seoul. Gaining control of valuable tracts of that neighborhood's real estate involved political corruption and some coercion.

Getting ready for his role in the film noir is not Lee Min Ho's only New Year's resolution. He also wants to fall in love.

" I want to fall in love at first sight," he said. "If someone like that appears, I think that just like Kim Tan I will know it is true love."