U.S. Army Maj. Gibson Kim drags a 330-pound weight during a taping for Netflix’s “Physical: 100” in Goyang, South Korea. (Netflix)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — An Army officer who competed in a South Korean reality show said he pushed beyond his physical limit to become one of the top 20 contestants battling in theatrical feats of strength for a chance to win roughly $220,000.
Maj. Gibson Kim of the 411th Contracting Support Brigade at Camp Humphreys was among 100 contestants on Netflix’s nine-episode second season of “Physical: 100,” which aired globally starting March 19.
Kim, an avid powerlifter, said he was surprised to see his fellow contestants for the first time while filming in August at the Korea International Exhibition Center in Goyang city.
Male and female contestants this season ranged from mixed-martial arts fighters, rugby players, special forces soldiers, body builders, bobsledders, arm wrestlers and ballet dancers.
“My immediate reaction was that they upped the game from last season,” Kim told Stars and Stripes at Humphreys on Wednesday. “Their height and weight, generally, these people were bigger.”
For the first event, contestants were placed on a slanted manual treadmill to run without knowing how fast or how long they would have to go.
Their distance and speed determined the order and opponent for their next challenge: fighting another contestant for control of a large ball for three minutes.
Kim said he had a “huge sense of relief” after he defeated his opponent in the ball challenge and had “another chance to show what I can do.”
By the start of the third event, half the contestants were already eliminated, and the remaining 50 were divided into teams of five.
U.S. Army Maj. Gibson Kim, left, fights to keep control of a ball during a taping of Netflix's "Physical:100" show in Goyang, South Korea. (Netflix)
Next, teams were required to load 88-pound sandbags into three carts, drag the carts a short distance and then unload them until they moved 50 sandbags.
“We thought we had a pretty good chance on every single event,” Kim said. “It was super heavy and took forever to load.”
Only 20 contestants, including Kim’s team, advanced to the next event, which pitted teammates against each other until one remained.
For that challenge, each player was required to drag a large, 330-pound cylinder down a lane that included a small hill and a reservoir.
With three of his teammates eliminated, Kim faced Hong Beom-seok, a former South Korean special forces soldier and firefighter.
“I kind of had an idea that my strength level will serve me as an advantage because none of the guys on my team would match up to me in strength,” Kim said. “But, at the same time, cardiovascular stuff was their thing.”
Kim said he focused on stamina training for about three months before filming but was “pretty spent” by the time he faced Hong alone.
“It definitely requires a certain thing to be at stake for someone to push to that level,” he said. “It’s not something you can do daily; there’s no way. It’s too taxing and mentally demanding.”
Kim briefly took the lead with his 300-pound weight but was ultimately overtaken by Hong. After finishing, Kim was unable to walk and was carried out on a litter.
“My entire lower body was in so much pain and I couldn’t stand,” he said. “I couldn’t lay down and I couldn’t find a comfortable position.”
The winner of the season was Kim Jae-hong, a CrossFit enthusiast and YouTube personality, after he defeated Hong in the final round.
Kim said he surpassed his goal of finishing in the top 30.
“I didn’t care if I got carried out,” he said. “I didn’t care if I had gone to the hospital. I am literally pouring everything I can possibly pour into it.”
Kim’s wife, Savanna Kim, said she was proud of her husband and saw him “give it his all” in the competition.
“I’ve seen him powerlifting plenty of times, but this was just completely different and working for something more,” she said by phone Wednesday. “I’m not surprised he made it that far, but I think we were also just being optimistic.”
