Rula alumnus broadcaster Lee Sang-min voluntarily withdrew from "The Game of Blood X," drawing regret.
On the 7th, the Wave survival variety show "The Game of Blood X" released footage showing Lee Sang-min informing teammates of his withdrawal ahead of the first individual round, the mafia game, drawing attention.
Lee Sang-min, after hearing that the next round would be individual, cautiously began, "Then may I say something? I was a little worried that I might still harm the team," and said, "Sorry, something came up at home so I have no choice but to withdraw today," adding, "To explain in detail, my wife and I have to go to the hospital tomorrow," which surprised everyone.
In an interview with production, he said, "I couldn't take the call myself, but production took the call through my manager. Something suddenly came up that requires my wife and me to go to the hospital," and added, "It's such a sudden thing that I'm sorry to all my friends, but it can't be helped. My goal was at least to get to the finals. So I cleared all my schedules and prepared for and participated in the game, but a situation occurred that made it impossible to continue, and it drove me crazy. I could have done better going forward. I had to show this. I wish I could have stayed longer," expressing his frustration.
He continued, "Actually this is an opportunity that came to me after 11 years. I was scared, confused, taken aback, my dopamine shot up, and these were extremely shocking events for me. Those days made me feel 'I'm really alive.' If I hadn't truly challenged myself, it would have been a disaster. It was a truly great choice of my life. I'm glad I came out. Though this season ends here for me, it is the beginning for me now. I've heard things like 'a tiger with missing teeth' and various other comments, but I will become a tiger that bares its teeth," he reflected.
Lee Sang-min gave a brief comment to the "The Game of Blood X" members, saying, "What I'm most grateful for about being able to take on this challenge in my life is that there was at least something I could do," and after a final farewell, he left the set.
Earlier, Hong Jin-ho, who had worked with Lee Sang-min since "The Genius," said, "Choosing to do that is not an easy choice. I understand and believe that it was said after much anguish because it must have been for unavoidable reasons. Also, I was simply very glad to see him this time. If given the chance, I want to keep seeing him and I will always cheer him on."
Lee Tae-gyun, who was on the same P1 team in "The Game of Blood X," said, "Living together in one room with Sang-min hyung and Geun-woo hyung, the three of us were like family, and he played a very large role as our emotional anchor, so it's really regrettable that Sang-min hyung is leaving so suddenly. Concerns about the remaining schedule and many thoughts crossed my mind," he said, expressing a complicated state of mind.
Jung Geun-woo also expressed concern about Lee Sang-min's absence, saying, "The team might be a little shaken. He provided a lot of steady leadership, so even though it went to an individual round, the opposing teams might see us as very easy pickings. I thought that losing the pillar could lead to disintegration."
Previously, Lee Sang-min began his activity with the 2013 tvN brain game survival program "The Genius: Rules of the Game," and participated through "The Genius: Rule Breaker" and "The Genius: Grand Final." Later, in 2021 he appeared only as an MC on "The Game of Blood 1," and he joined "The Game of Blood X" as a player, staging a survival game for the first time in about 11 years. However, due to personal matters he faced a hollow ending of voluntarily withdrawing just before the final, prompting many survival fans to express regret. Since it was related to a family member's health, however, expectations were voiced for his 활약 in another survival show.
[Photo] OSEN DB, Wave
[OSEN]