You might wonder, what in the world is a “shoulder gangster”?

Shoulder gangsters -- an English translation of “eoggae ggangpae” -- refer to men with broad shoulders here in Korea.

Now that broad shoulders being seen as an attractive masculine trait has become one of the most agreed-upon topics among K-pop fans, we have brought together some of the best shoulder gangsters from Korea to swoon over.

1. Baekho (NU’EST)

(Men's Health)

While many members of K-pop boy bands have a slender physique, Bakeho of NU’EST bucks the trend with his muscular body type.

The singer is on the cover of the November edition of Men’s Health Korea.

Bakeho said during a teaser clip on Twitter that he worked out hard for the photo shoot.

2. Ahn Jae-hyun

(Ahn Jae-hyun's Instagram)

Ahn’s shoulders seemed to widen in a new photo he uploaded to Instagram on Monday.

Wearing Khaki knitwear and an apron, the model and actor cut a masculine figure as he laid back on his bed.

“Eun-ho finished cleaning. Good night and see you tomorrow,” the actor wrote as he channeled Ryu Eun-ho, a character he plays on new drama series “The Beauty Inside.”

3. Julien Kang

(Julien Kang's Instagram)

It almost goes without saying that Korean-Canadian model Julien Kang is one of the most representative examples of a shoulder gangster.

Kang’s Instagram, which has over 700,000 followers, is full of posts showing off his athletic body.
The width of his shoulder is thought to measure 58 centimeters.

4. Sung Hoon

(Herald DB)

Actor Sung Hoon showed off his inverted triangular body shape complete with broad shoulders when he appeared at Seoul Fashion Week on Tuesday, which is taking place at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul.

Wearing an all-black outfit with a pair of sunglasses, Sung cut a chic figure, complementing his masculine shoulders.
It helps that Sung swam for 14 years.

5. Kim Woo-bin

(KBS)

And last but not least on the list, actor Kim Woo-bin refuses to pale in comparison when it comes to broad shoulders.

Despite suffering from a rare nasopharyngeal cancer, Kim is known for his outstanding shoulders.

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kim said he used to be skinny, but his body type has changed dramatically.

He also added he avoids going to the gym as fellow exercisers would often stare at his shoulders.

By Yim Hyun-su (hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)