‘Blood Game 3’ Jang Dong-min “Lost 10kg due to stress... Season 4? I want to create my own survival” [DA: Interview ②]

The god of survival, the ruler of survival, the authority on survival, the synonym for survival. Starting with tvN‘s ‘The Genius: Black Garnet’ (2014), Jang Dong-min, who won ‘The Genius: Grand Final’ (2015) and ‘Society Game 2’ (2017), created his fourth victory myth through Wave Original’s ‘Blood Game 3’.

More than 10 years have passed and he is now in his mid-40s, but age is just a number. ‘God Dong-min’, who still shows his prowess with plays on a different level in all aspects, including brain battles and psychological warfare, From his first appearance in Season 3, he solved a problem in just 47 seconds, and with his outstanding political and analytical skills, he led his coalition to victory. In the final match, he showed overwhelming play and defeated Hong Jin-ho, Heo Sung-beom, and Crocodile to win the championship. We met with Jang Dong-min, who won the 100 million won prize, and PD Hyun Jung-wan, who directed ‘Blood Game 3’. The following is a Q&A.


→Continued from Interview ①.


Q. I study and analyze the plays and psychology of the contestants, but there were many times when it was unpredictable.

A. Jang Dong-min: The most absurd thing was when Chungju Man crumpled his cards. Of course, I think he could make that kind of play. I swore a lot to set the tone for the broadcast. It‘s not that I hate seeing Chungju Man, but I thought about how I should receive him so that the viewers can have the most fun. It’s not that I had any feelings of resentment towards Chungju Man.

But when the Paradise team came with the hammer, I really had a ‘brain freeze’. I didn‘t even think about saving them from the broadcast angle. I thought it was fortunate that I was trapped inside the door. I even imagined horrible things like what I would have heard if I had been outside. I should have stayed outside because of my usual personality, but I thought it was fortunate that I happened to say I would protect them inside. Thinking back, it was a fun thing. Will something like that ever happen in my life? The experience of someone bringing a hammer to my house.


Q. After failing the raid defense, I felt like I was awakened. I think it became a trigger for me to become even more immersed in survival.

A. Jang Dong-min: I thought back on why I failed. As a result, I thought that I shouldn’t give up even the 1% chance. I got rid of the arrogance of thinking, ‘This much will be okay’.


Q. You lost 10kg during 12 days of filming. What was the hardest part?

A. Jang Dong-min: There are many people who gained weight, but I didn‘t eat well. I used to eat on my own, but since the cameras were rolling 24 hours a day, I thought, if we had a strategy meeting while eating, would the viewers take it seriously? Would it look cool? So I told my team members not to eat and to put down their snacks and talk. Hong Jin-ho’s team kept eating, so they kept gaining weight (laughs).
It‘s true that I didn’t eat well, and because the rules were strict, I was under a lot of mental stress. We filmed in the middle of summer in early August, and we often slept a long time after the sun rose. I was anxious and stressed because I couldn‘t calculate what time I went to bed and how many hours I could sleep.


Q. You formed an alliance with Heo Sung-beom and MJ Kim from the beginning. As a leader who everyone relied on and relied on, didn’t you feel burdened or burdened?

A. Jang Dong-min: I‘ve maintained that stance since I was young. I thought that if it weren’t for survival, I wouldn‘t have taken those friends with me my whole life. In survival, someone has to stay until one person is left. I don’t know who it will be, but I thought that if everyone else who isn‘t on my side falls, we could stay and pick one person. I didn’t think of myself as a leader. I thought that if there was a group, I would be the first one to sacrifice myself. I think a leader is someone who can sacrifice themselves for others‘ benefit rather than for their own benefit.


Q. You also garnered attention for your chemistry with Union member Heo Sung-beom. In particular, in the final match, Heo Sung-beom said, “Brother! In 10 years, I will return as a sharp spear that can definitely beat you. Please wait.” What would you say in return?

A. Jang Dong-min: Heo Sung-beom is a very smart friend. He’s kind, handsome, young, and so great. I envy him. I also felt secure and happy playing with him, and I‘m glad that we made a precious connection.

However, he said that he would come back in 10 years with a sharper spear, but I think it’s wrong to try to make a sharper spear. If he comes back as a more mature person, I think it‘d be worth a try. I don’t think he can become sharper any more. In survival, sharpness is something that you train to be smarter, but I think it‘s a fundamental disposition and virtue. How my every word and action is perceived by others also plays a big part in survival. If Sung-beom matures in that way, I think he’ll become a much better player.


Q. Many viewers thought of Oh Hyun-min from the ‘The Genius’ days while watching ‘Blood Game 3’ Heo Sung-beom. What do you think?

A. Jang Dong-min: The two of you have a lot in common. You‘re both from KAIST, you’re similar in age, and you went to the finals with me. However, Oh Hyun-min was with me but he created his own realm. He always hid a knife that I couldn‘t see, and I could feel it. I don’t think Heo Sung-beom was like that. I had a strong feeling that he was a player on the same boat as me without a real weapon.



Q. When can we watch ‘Blood Game 4’?

A. PD Hyun Jung-wan: I don‘t know. Everyone went on vacation, but when we get back after the Lunar New Year, we’ll talk about the direction. Seasons 1~3 were based on my personalities, but I think Season 4 will be made by incorporating things that my juniors wanted to do. There were a lot of games and devices for testing in Season 3, and I‘m going to gather ideas while evaluating whether they were successes or failures.


Q. If you were offered Season 4, would you be willing to appear?

A. Jang Dong-min: I would do it if the prize money was 200 million won (laughs). As a player, I was lucky to have good results. However, I was disappointed and regretful. There are many survival programs and many new players, but so far, no one has surpassed me in terms of mindset.

If you look at intelligence or physical strength, I would be 99th out of 100 players. However, in terms of mindset when it comes to survival, I think I am definitely number one. The gap between 1st and 2nd place is so big that I feel regretful in that regard. If there are more players like that and more people who can compete with them, I think I would want to participate as a player. For now, I think it would be better to create a program that makes people feel that way with smart rules and regulations and train them.


Q. Then, is there anyone among your entertainment colleagues that you would like to recommend to appear?

A. Jang Dong-min: Comedians are really smart, have sense, and have political power, so I think they would be able to make the show fun. People who have done public comedy are very quick-witted. I think that people who have trained on stage like that can read people’s minds well in survival shows like this, and anyone can do well in games that utilize that psychology. Since you have to memorize the script when doing comedy, you have a considerable ability in memorization.

I think everyone can play well without missing a single one, but if I look around, I think Kim Jun-ho can do well. In ‘Dokbak Tour’, they always plot to kill me. It doesn‘t go as planned. I think they can do well if they play seriously.

Jeong Hee-yeon, Donga.com reporter shine2562@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.