The producers of Netflix‘s popular South Korean reality TV series Physical 100 have refuted claims that the results of the show’s finale was manipulated.
Yesterday (March 9), the show’s production team reportedly held a press conference where they showcased raw footage of the final match to South Korean media, according to The Korea Times.
Controversy arose over Physical 100‘s finale after runner-up Olympic cyclist Jung Hae-min accused the show’s production team of manipulating the final challenge. During the finale, Jung had faced off against contestant Woo Jin-yong in a rope-pulling challenge.
In a previous interview with South Korean media, per The Korea Herald, Jung claimed that the challenge had to be redone three times, with the first disruption coming soon after Woo allegedly raised his hand to halt the game.
Physical 100 producer Jang Ho-gi has since denied Jung’s second claim, saying that Woo did not raise his hand to stop the game. Jang also claims that the team’s decision to interrupt the challenge twice was due to safety issues with the rope-pulling machines.
“The first interruption was caused by a loud noise from the pulley. It made recording impossible to use,” Jang said, per The Korea Times. “We were also worried about the safety of the players. As soon as both machines were lubricated and checked, the game continued.”
Meanwhile, Jang said that the second interruption was due to “the ropes around Woo’s machine being tangled”. He also claims that following the incidents the production team had given both contestants the option to restart the game on another day, but that both “agreed on having the rematch the same day”.
During the press conference, Jang reportedly apologised to the show’s contestants and viewers for the controversy. “However, we never attempted to manipulate the result or advantage a particular player,” he added.
“I understand that the production team should have informed viewers about the reason the final match was stopped twice. However, our decision was not to mention the matter since explaining it would be difficult.”
Jung has yet to comment on Jang’s claims. NME has reached out for comment.
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