Physical: 100 Finale Controversy: Runner-Up Jung Hae Min Alludes To Final Game Manipulation, Reveals Match Was Halted Thrice

By now, many of us would have heard of, or watched the popular Netflix survival programme, Physical: 100. 

The last episode of the nine-part series was released last week, and CrossFit athlete and snowboarder Woo Jin Yong, 37, emerged champion among 100 contestants and walked home with the coveted cash prize of 300 million Korean won (S$308.8k)

However, runner-up Jung Hae Min has spoken up after the airing of the finale, alluding to the manipulation of the competition results.

The final challenge required both Jin Yong and Hae Min to compete in a “Infinite Rope-Pulling” game which demanded endurance, speed and strength. The man who first finished pulling the entire wheel of heavy rope would then emerge champion. 

Though Hae Min, an Olympic track cyclist, appeared to have a clear lead at the beginning of the challenge, he eventually slowed down and lost strength in his arms, which cost him the win.

On the afternoon of March 1, a Korean entertainment reporter posted a YouTube video titled: “Shocking Exclusive! Jung Hae Min’s tears… the truth behind the rematch on Physical: 100”. 

Hae Min was interviewed via a phone call, where he revealed that the final match was halted thrice.

“When the match first began, I was pulling the rope at an extremely fast speed and was leading. According to another contestant (who was viewing the match live), I had pulled the rope at least three times faster than [Jin Yong],” said Hae Min. 

However, just as Hae Min was taking the obvious lead in the competition, Jin Yong raised his hand to halt the match. The latter believed that there was a problem with his wheel and thought Hae Min’s wheel moved much more smoothly. 

The production crew conducted a check on their respective wheels and did not find any issues. 

When the match was halted a second time, it was because Jin Yong had told the production crew that his “wheel was making loud noises”. As such, the production team decided to apply oil lubricant to both wheels, so it was easier for both parties to finish the challenge. 

“[After the lubricant was applied], the difficulty of the challenge was largely reduced, and because Jin Yong was having problems pulling his rope, the weights of both our ropes were also reduced. After the difficulty level was lowered, Jin Yong had a much easier time pulling his rope, as did I,” revealed Hae Min.

Just as Hae Min thought that it would be the end of the interruptions, the match was again halted a third time, with the production crew saying that they “did not record sound”. 

At that point, Hae Min had almost expended all his energy, and expressed his refusal to restart the match. However, the production crew told Hae Min that he “had an advantage in the situation” and promised him they would “weigh how much he pulled and cut the rope off from where he stopped” before restarting the match.

Eventually, Hae Min had no choice but to agree to restart the match.

The athlete however, said he was unsure if the production crew kept their word and cut off the length of rope that he had pulled. He also said there was “no way for him to find out” the truth, alluding to the fact that his initial efforts had gone to waste.

Hae Min reportedly sounded very aggrieved during the interview as he sighed repeatedly. 

The video has since gone viral, with many netizens saying that the production crew had dealt with the final challenge “unfairly”. 

Earlier on, Netflix also released a public statement, where they announced that there were no technical issues during the filming of the finale. They also denied any foul play and manipulation on the part of the production team, adding that Hae Min never asked for a rematch after the competition.

Photos: HK01