Kim Yuna's husband says she eats instant noodles as late-night snack

Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yuna has become an avid midnight instant noodle eater since retiring from competition, her husband Ko Woo-rim disclosed Sunday on Korean television.

Ko, a member of the Korean crossover vocal quartet Forestella, made the remarks on JTBC's "Please Take Care of My Refrigerator," offering a rare window into post-retirement life for one of South Korea's most decorated athletes.

Kim won the Olympic figure skating gold medal in 2010 and spent her competitive career under a strict dietary regimen that left little room for comfort foods. Ko said the very idea of late-night snacking was foreign to her when it entered their shared life.

"I introduced Yuna to the world of late-night snacks," Ko said on the broadcast, according to The Korea Times. "During her athletic career, she couldn't freely eat things like that, so the whole concept of 'night snacks' was unfamiliar to her."

Ko said Kim's preferred variety is black bean sauce instant noodles, and the draw goes well beyond ordinary hunger. "She says she still feels deprived because she couldn't eat instant noodles while competing," he said. "Even if she's already full, if instant noodles are cooked, she'll still have some."

The Korea Times, citing Kormedi.com, South Korea's health and medical portal, noted that a single pack of instant noodles typically carries 465 to 540 calories and 75 to 90 grams of carbohydrates — figures that help explain why athletes in weight-sensitive sports have long kept the food off the menu. Fat, at 9 calories per gram, adds further to the caloric load when noodles are fried, the report said.

The Korea Times article, which covers health and lifestyle topics, was translated and edited from Kormedi.com, described as South Korea's top health care and medical portal. Ko Woo-rim is a member of the Korean crossover vocal quartet Forestella.