'Physical: 100', where controversy over manipulation of the finals arose, released its original video. Although there was no manipulation in the released video, there was clearly an 'audio incident' that could have affected the game. In addition, the production team's immature response method also leaves something to be desired.
On the 9th, an emergency meeting was held at MBC Golden Mouse Hall in Sangam-dong, Seoul regarding issues related to the finals of the Netflix entertainment show 'Physical: 100'. Executive producer Kim Young-ki and PD Jang Ho-gi attended the event.
'Physical 100', which determines the 'best physical' regardless of weight class, gender, or nationality, rewrote history by becoming the first Korean entertainment show to rank first on Netflix's TV show. However, as much interest as there was, there were many rumors and troubles. Controversy over sexual harassment and drug use arose due to excessive profanity during the broadcast. However, despite this noise, the popularity did not show signs of cooling down, and it ended on the 21st of last month with the victory of Woo Jin-yong, a former snowboarder and CrossFit athlete.
The problem arose even after the show ended. After the announcement of the winner, the finals were held several times due to equipment problems, and suspicions were raised that the winner had been changed, leading to a fierce battle over the truth to this day. Current bicycle racer Jeong Hae-min, who took second place, revealed in an interview with a media outlet that the production team intervened in the finals and re-matches were held twice. Here, Woo Jin-yong raised his hand one of the two times and explained that it was stopped, causing a stir.
In response, the production team released the timeline and claimed that there was no manipulation. Woo Jin-yong also emphasized that he never raised his hand to stop a game, and both times it was an audio problem. Jung Hae-min also did not back down. On the 6th, Jung Hae-min refuted the production team's explanation of the timeline and Woo Jin-yong's claims, saying that they were all false and demanding that the original video be released.
Accordingly, the production team of 'Physical: 100' held an emergency meeting on the morning of the 9th, where the original video was released and the production team gave an explanation.
On this day, PD Jang Ho-gi said, "We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the uneven progress. We believe that all the conflicts and controversies are not with the two performers but with us, who did not prepare thoroughly. We apologize."
Regarding the reason for releasing only the relevant portion rather than the entire recording on that day, "Due to the nature of Netflix originals, all copyrights are owned by Netflix and strict regulations are applied. Also, there are concerns that another problem that is different from the nature of the problem will spread, and the actors' “Due to the leak of personal conversations and the large volume,” he said, “we plan to take legal action and individual responses for other matters.”
Regarding the interview with Jung Hae-min, producer Jang Ho-gi said, "Participant Woo Jin-yong raised his hand and raised a problem. The first match was stopped like this. He told the production crew that there was too much noise and claimed a machine defect. Woo Jin-yong raised his hand first. "Many people know this. We want to show the allegations that Woo Jin-yong and the production team are lying," he said, showing a video of the first tug-of-war game.
The released video showed a confrontation between Woo Jin-yong and Jung Hae-min. Not long after the game started, a loud noise began to be heard, and after about 13 minutes, the production team, not Woo Jin-yong, stopped the game.
Producer Jang Ho-gi said, "Both performers entered a slight lull. Then, as the two ropes turned, a huge friction sound continued. The roaring sound was not heard at all during the simulation. The flow of the game should be continued rather than interrupted. "We continued to think about it, but the reason we requested a halt was because we judged that the continuous noise was so severe that it would be difficult to use the footage. We also judged that the large noise during the simulation was continuously growing, which was a sign of a safety accident." explained.
He continued, "More than anything, I thought that if the axis of the rope skein was destroyed and it bounced and rolled towards the contestant, serious injuries could occur. We decided that this was not possible and officially requested a halt. The claim that contestant Woo Jin-yong raised his hand to stop the game is not true. "It's not true. It's not like the game was stopped to influence the game without any special reason," he added.
To eliminate noise, they took action with a rust-removing spray called WD.
Producer Jang Ho-gi said, "After the first match was stopped, in the second match, Jung Hae-min's side said, 'I finished earlier, but the production crew asked for a rematch. When I thought it was really over, the production crew said they would stop the match. For now, they kept pulling to end the match. They said, "The production crew shouted to stop the game," but this claim is also not true. Just 26 seconds after the game resumed, Woo Jin-yong's rope skein at the time flowed outside, causing the rope to become tangled. As soon as the situation occurred, “We were aware of the situation, judged it to be an unexpected accident, and immediately requested a halt. Woo Jin-yong also recognized the tangled line situation. He urgently blew the whistle to convey the situation to Jung Hae-min,” he explained.
In the video of the resumed game, Woo Jin-yong's string was not pulled soon after. Looking at the pulley mounting cam video, it soon became knotted and stopped moving.
Producer Jang Ho-gi said, "The final was a long-term game. The length was not announced to all performers, including the two performers, and it was designed so that the outside could not know how many lines were left. No one on site could guarantee the winner. "It was not the case. It was in the middle of the game at that time. The claim that Jeong Hae-min was more than three times ahead is also not true," he emphasized.
Regarding the claim that the production team pressured the game to be replayed and hung on for dozens of minutes, "We discussed the method of resumption through conversation, and I told them that the previous filming could not be used due to a large noise incident. I said that I would follow the method according to the agreement. . There were a total of three production crew members who communicated with the two contestants, and they did not force Jeong Hae-min to play again, but instead gave their opinions on a method of resumption that the two contestants could agree on. Afterwards, they reached mutual agreement and agreed to resume on the same day to reflect the gap. "We also agreed to acknowledge the results. This discussion process was recorded through a microphone. There were no objections to the results afterward. The official recording ended with interviews with the participants' impressions and commemorative photos," he explained.
After the game was suspended, a video of the game was released to clarify suspicions that Jung Hae-min's tightrope was manipulated before the game started. Producer Jang Ho-gi emphasized, “The tightrope device itself has a simple structure like a rolled up toilet paper, so the difficulty cannot be increased.”
He also opened up about the controversy over preferential treatment for Woo Jin-yong in the semifinals. In the video released by the production team, there was no request to turn 180 degrees just before departure.
Producer Jang Ho-gi said, "It is clearly false that the manipulation was made to make a specific performer the winner or to create a dramatic production. I believe that the production team is responsible for not thoroughly preparing for the continuation of this controversy. We visited the two performers. “I would like to formally apologize and do my best to resolve any misunderstandings. Please help resolve the conflict through dialogue and resolve the current issue as soon as possible.”
Regarding not broadcasting the suspension of the game, he said, "I would like to apologize for that. However, since our program is not a sports game, please understand that we are comparing entertainment content and sports. It was transparently shown that there was a broadcasting accident. "It would have been nice if we had given it to them, but we decided at the time that it would not be easy. This is our production team's responsibility," he apologized.
Executive producer Kim Young-gi said, "There was a judgment on site that the noise-related part could not proceed any further because it was related to safety issues. There was an apology for the unexpected situation during the process, but although we actually won and runner-up, we did not receive any benefits or glory due to the controversy. “There is also a moral responsibility for not enjoying it well,” he said.
Also, the resumption of the game on the same day after the second interruption was what Jung Hae-min wanted. The production team initially requested that the game be resumed a few days later, but Jung Hae-min decided that he was ahead and wanted to resume on the same day, and it was resumed in consultation with Woo Jin-yong.
At the same time, PD Jang Ho-gi emphasized, "I think the priority is to meet with Jung Hae-min and resolve the misunderstanding through conversation and apologize. It is not true that the production team is trying to appease. We have never called."
The production team hopes for an amicable resolution and reconciliation with Jung Hae-min. Producer Jang Ho-gi said, "We don't want it to turn into a truth battle or a confrontational structure. We had a lot of concerns because releasing the video would mean refuting Jung Hae-min. We didn't believe that Jung Hae-min was lying or that he was lying to harm the production team. “I don’t think so. I hope we can meet and talk again now,” he said.
When asked about his intention to release part of the original video to the public, he said, "I think further review will be necessary." Regarding discussions on the director's cut, he said, "There are no such plans as of now."
Regarding Season 2, he said, "Auditions are not in progress. Nothing has been decided. I think resolving this problem is the priority."
Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr