‘Physical 100’ Season 2: Netflix Develops More Rigorous Screening Process for New Contestants Amid Scandals
Netflix’s Physical 100 was the first Korean reality competition series for the streaming platform after the immense success of the dating series Single’s Inferno. One hundred contestants battle individually as teams for the chance to prove they have the perfect physique and a grand prize. While the season was a massive hit, it was not free of some juicy scandals, leading Physical 100 Season 2 to develop new casting rules.
‘Physical 100’ was accused of manipulating the final winner
Before the finale, the competition series faced some scrutiny. One of its contestants was involved in a bullying scandal. According to Koreaboo, Kim Da-young was accused by four of her middle school classmates of being a bully. They claimed that she and her friends would steal their money and later assaulted them when they told the truth about the events to their parents.
The victim and her friends claimed, “We were kicked in our stomachs and hit in the head while we were on our knees on the dirt floor.” Upon realizing Kim was participating in Physical 100, they were reminded of the past. But Physical 100 faced another brutal scandal. On Feb. 23, news hit that a former national rugby player was under investigation for assaulting his girlfriend. But the investigation did not make the Physical 100 contestant’s name public.
The drama continued after the Physical 100 finale. While fans praised the series for its camaraderie, it was revealed that the final winner for Physical 100 was possibly manipulated. Former snowboarding athlete Woo Jin-yong went up against Jung Hae-min during the last challenge.
Based on the editing done, the fight was a nail-biter that ended with Jin-yong’s victory. Hae-min accepted the outcome and congratulated his castmates and the series. But shortly after, a scandal broke out that what fans saw was not the whole story. Hae-min broke his silence to reveal the final match happened in three parts. The first round was stopped due to faulty equipment. He had officially won the second round, but the staff claimed the footage was unusable. He felt “pressured” to do the third and final round.
Netflix and the staff will have a more rigorous screening for ‘Physical 100’ Season 2
Since the scandal about who won Physical 100, Netflix claimed that the accusations made by Hae-min were untrue. They did admit to the staff saying the footage was unusable due to audio issues. But in light of the many scandals the series has faced, Netflix and the production staff are taking cautionary measures for Physical 100 Season 2.
Physical 100’s Kim Min-cheol said he was approached through Instagram to join the series. But things will drastically change. At a Netflix event held at Community House Masil, Netflix Korea’s content manager Yoo Ki-hwan gave an update on what is to come.
According to Koreaboo, Yoo explained, “As much as our show received a lot of love, there were many people who were not satisfied with it. I think the issues of school bullying and equipment defects in the final match are enough to be pointed out by audiences. We are constantly thinking about how to overcome these issues.”
He explained that he was disappointed that some of the scandals were unresolved. But Yoo’s statement is about Physical 100 Season 2 and Netflix’s long list of competition series set to release in 2023.
When will ‘Physical 100’ Season 2 premiere on Netflix?
Netflix has not officially announced a second season of the competition series. But fans may have noticed that the ominous voice teased they were not done looking for the perfect physique. Despite the controversy and scandals, fans thoroughly enjoyed the series enough to warrant a Physical 100 Season 2. The first season was filmed during the summer of 2022 and debuted the following year.
Fans can likely expect a new season in 2024. Until then, Netflix has a list of reality series to look forward to. Single’s Inferno Season 3 was greenlit, with Zombieverse being the next competition series. Siren: Survive the Island will include an all-female cast of stuntwomen, officers, firefighters, and more. The Devil’s Plan has contestants competing to see whose brain is the smartest.
