Physical 100 scandal – Doubts to sort results

The Physical: 100 program is for 100 contestants in Korea, given missions and matches to compete to be the last one standing. Each round challenges the participants’ physical abilities such as agility, balance and endurance, with elements such as teamwork also being brought into play.

While the series has been one of the most talked about topics in recent weeks, it has also been embroiled in controversy surrounding the finale, regarding the rope pulling competition. The contestants in the reality competition show Physical: 100 challenged their physical fitness in multiple matches, with challenges focusing on strength, agility, balance, endurance, and more. The final winner of the tournament was awarded ₩300 million KRW (approximately $230,000 USD). Controversy surrounding the finale is growing, along with interest in the series since the final episode premiered on Netflix in late January.

One of the major controversies surrounding the show involved the final challenge, which was a tug-of-war between two teams. Some viewers claimed that the challenge was unfair and dangerous, as it caused injuries to some of the contestants. The controversy led to a petition demanding that the final episode of the show be removed from Netflix. However, the producers of the show defended the challenge, stating that it had been thoroughly planned and supervised by medical professionals and safety experts.

Another controversy surrounding Physical: 100 involved allegations of bullying and harassment on the show. Some of the contestants claimed that they had been subjected to mistreatment and abuse from other contestants and the production team. The allegations led to an investigation by the South Korean broadcasting regulator, the Korea Communications Standards Commission. The investigation found that some of the allegations were true and that the production team had violated several regulations. As a result, the producers of the show issued a public apology and promised to improve the safety and well-being of the contestants in future seasons.

The final match of the program Physical: 100 encountered many problems. In the first match, Woo Jin Yong complained that there was a problem with the props and the second match ended abnormally due to a sound problem. In the end, Woo Jin Yong defeated Jung Hae Min to win and receive the grand prize. However, the outcome of the match was called into question when Jung Hae Min objected to the producer’s honesty and said that he had been disadvantaged. Jung Hae Min asked the producer for an explanation, but his request was denied. This issue has caused outrage from the audience and the public. Many people think that the program is dishonest and unprofessional. Some other comments called for the program to split the prize money for both finalists.

On March 9, 2023, after weeks of controversy and speculation, the producers of Physical: 100 held a press conference in Seoul to reveal the unedited original footage from the final game. They explained that the first match was stopped due to a sound problem and Woo Jin Yong’s rope wheel started making noises, followed by Jung Hae Min’s. This caused the shoot to be put on hold. After that, the second match was also halted for 26 seconds due to a knot in the pulley on Woo Jin Yong’s rope.

The producer said he explained the unprecedented situation to both contestants and made sure they were both okay with it. They also said they asked if they both wanted to replay the match a few days later, but both wanted to continue on the same day. Finally, the producer asserted that it was not true for the production team to manipulate the results to turn a particular contestant into a winner and that they apologized to the viewers, cast, and contestants for this disturbance.