The winner of ‘Blood Game 3’, Jang Dong-min, along with finalists Hong Jin-ho and Crocodile, graced the pages and interview of the luxury fashion & lifestyle magazine ‘Esquire’. On that day, winner Jang Dong-min stated, “This was the hardest survival show I’ve ever participated in,” adding, “After filming for a total of 12 days, when I came home, my family was shocked to see my emaciated face,” and “When I weighed myself, I had lost nearly 10kg, weighing 63kg.”
In response, Crocodile said, “We also lost weight because we were eating poorly, but it was mainly because Dong-min hyung was so focused on the broadcast that he didn’t eat,” explaining, “As soon as Dong-min hyung formed a team with us, he gathered us and said that since this is a broadcast, we should have serious discussions about our strategy while eating, otherwise the viewers wouldn’t take it seriously. So we made sure to keep the table clean and didn’t eat during important discussions. But it seemed like he didn’t eat at all.”
Hong Jin-ho remarked, “I ended up looking like the only one who was eating a lot, but the meals were so poor that I had no choice but to eat snacks and ramen,” adding, “But people were criticizing me, asking why Hong Jin-ho was just eating all the time.” He explained that after filming all the scenes that took place in the filming space, he was eating while discussing the edited content that ended up being included.
Hong Jin-ho and Crocodile also expressed their frustrations about the harsh filming conditions of ‘Blood Game 3’. Hong Jin-ho shared, “After the recording, I was diagnosed with a pneumothorax and was hospitalized, and I was discharged a month after surgery. I also developed alopecia areata and had to get injections for a month,” adding, “I didn’t want to stress myself out more, so I didn’t watch the broadcast.” He continued, “Since ‘Blood Game 3’ became so popular and the cast members were actively doing review broadcasts, people were asking where Hong Jin-ho was and what he was doing, but I’m currently busy with parenting, so I can’t do that.”
Crocodile stated, “When I was in the ruins, I really wanted to run out,” explaining, “In a building that looked like a ruin, water was dripping, and I had to sleep in that humid situation, which was real,” and added, “The production team was so ruthless that once, when it was too hot, I tried to enter a ghost casino where the air conditioning was working, but they closed that space and turned off all the air conditioning.” He emphasized that it was a real environment where there could be no ‘manipulation controversies’.
Regarding the various controversies that arose after the release of ‘Blood Game 3’, Jang Dong-min said, “Every time I participate in a survival program, I feel that everyone’s narrative cannot be treated equally,” explaining, “In this program, we filmed the 24 hours of the 18 members over 12 days. With such a vast amount of footage, it’s inevitable that someone’s story will be left out.” Hong Jin-ho added, “For some, their story may not have been captured sufficiently for them to understand, but that’s unavoidable.”
In the final round, four contestants including Heo Seong-beom made it to the finals, but he could not participate due to scheduling reasons. The February 2025 issue of ‘Esquire’, featuring Jang Dong-min, Hong Jin-ho, and Crocodile in a photo shoot and interview, is available for purchase at bookstores and can also be found on the Esquire Korea website.
