"Physical: Asia'의 한국팀 우승을 두고 일각에서 편파나 승부조작 의혹을 제기하고 있는 가운데, 몽골 팀 관계자가 이를 반박하고 과열된 분위기를 자중시키기 위해 나섰다.
On the 20th, Netflix's 'Physical: Asia' Mongolian team agency representative Dulguun Enkhtsogt (돌군 엥흐초그트) posted a long statement on his social account and expressed his position regarding the bias allegations.
He posted a photo of the Mongolian team that appeared on the Netflix variety show 'Physical: Asia' and thanked fans, saying, "I deeply appreciate everyone who sincerely supported the Mongolian team," while also urging, "Please think once more, with caution, about where and what you write, because depending on that content, it could be received by the organizers or other countries' athletes in different ways."
Dulguun said, "Creating fights across borders and attacking Netflix or competitors' athletes with completely unrelated remarks is unacceptable behavior," and opened by saying, "You may feel you have the right to suspect and be wary given the host country status, but I will explain why such things are practically impossible."
He continued, "People with the grand vision of growing Physical Asia into Netflix's "Olympics" would never do manipulative acts that favor their own team. They know best that this would be an enormous risk and that very strict regulations apply," and explained why the Korean team's victory was not 'manipulated' by saying, "The Korean team already has experience competing in season 1 and season 2 and the athletes are the most accustomed to this type of program."
He added, "There is indeed a psychological advantage for the host country. This was proven by the 3x3 women's national basketball team that competed this summer," and noted, "From the Korean team's perspective, both sides faced heavy burdens. The pressure of having to win since they host it domestically, and on the other hand, even if they win they cannot avoid misunderstanding and suspicion. Nevertheless, they succeeded, and the tournament winner was Korea."
He also said, "But the country that gained the greatest value and achievement from this program, that raised its global presence and received much love, is undoubtedly Mongolia. The world's perspective of Mongolians has changed. Mongolian warriors proved that it was not just strength and stamina but also intellectual ability that was special. Warm messages supporting Mongolia have arrived from many countries, and we think it is natural to thank the Korean side and Netflix for creating this opportunity," expressing his conviction.
Dulguun encouraged his nation's fans, saying, "The day of Mongolian pride is also approaching. This year seems to coincide with a special time. This project is not the end of everything; rather, now is the beginning. So, Mongolians, please keep aggressive or factually incorrect remarks toward Netflix or Korean athletes in your heart, and when stress or emotions are not relieved, please release them healthily through sports you enjoy," and added, "Sincerely congratulations on the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the Republic of Korea!"
Earlier, the series that ended on the 18th, 'Physical: Asia,' is the third season of 'Physical:100,' a survival variety program that pits Asia's strongest physical competitors against each other beyond the domestic level. It was conducted in the form of a national team competition among Asian countries, with six representative athletes from each of eight Asian countries — including Korea, Japan, Thailand, Mongolia, Türkiye, Indonesia, Australia and the Philippines — participating in team matches.
However, some raised allegations of match-fixing or bias over the fact that the final winning team was Korea. Yushin Okami, who participated as the leader of the Japanese team, shared a post on social media claiming match-fixing, but it turned into an incident when he explained that he "shared it without fully understanding the content of the cheering message written in English" and deleted the shared post. In particular, because the Mongolian team was eliminated in the final and finished second, strong public opinion alleging match-fixing spread among Mongolian viewers.
Amid this, Dulguun Enkhtsogt, the local agency representative who managed the Mongolian team athletes, stepped forward and dismissed the allegations as "practically impossible."
[photo] SNS, Netflix
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