Mukbang Star Hibab Shares Hospitalization Story After Epic Eating Challenge

On the latest episode of JTBC's 'Knowing Bros,' mukbang star Hibab shared a story about being hospitalized after a massive eating challenge.

The episode, aired on the 28th, featured a special segment titled 'Living by Eating,' with comedian Kim Shin-young, singer Tei, creator Song Ha-bin, and Hibab as guests.

During the show, Hibab recounted an incident where she was hospitalized after consuming a large quantity of food. She revealed, "There was only one time I was hospitalized from eating. I ate about 30 servings of military instant foods like cream udon, ramen, and 'bbogeuli,' and it was too much for my stomach. It was the first time I was disappointed in my stomach."

Hibab ended up being hospitalized for five days, and she humorously shared, "The doctor even asked if there was a possibility of pregnancy after seeing my stomach." Comedian Kim Shin-young empathized, saying, "That's exactly what they would ask," eliciting laughter.

Hibab also mentioned her food preferences, stating that she can't eat cilantro due to its strong aroma and isn't fond of shellfish because "peeling them burns too many calories, and there's not much to eat. It's too inefficient, and I still feel hungry afterward."

The cast was surprised to learn about Hibab's educational background, as she is a graduate of the prestigious Peking University with a degree in sociology. When asked if her parents opposed her career as a mukbang YouTuber, Hibab confessed, "I didn't speak to my mom for a year because of it."

When asked when her parents finally accepted her career choice, Hibab humorously replied, "They acknowledged it when I bought them a car," causing laughter.

Hibab, whose real name is Jwa Hee-jae, is a leading mukbang creator with over 1.6 million subscribers. At her peak, she reportedly earned over 100 million KRW per month, with cumulative view earnings exceeding 4 billion KRW. Recently, she set a new record by eating 25 packs of ramen and previously garnered nearly 10 million views on a video where she continuously ate delivery food for six hours.

By Kim Eun-jung, TenAsia Reporter eun@tenasia.co.kr