Kumari Shreya
In the recently released season 2 of Netflix’s ‘Physical: 100,’ fans were delighted to see Hong Beom-Seok return. Having lost his chance at victory in season 1, his return in season 2 intrigued many and made many believe he was a frontrunner in the competition. During the initial phase of the second iteration of the show, the athlete indeed proved his abilities by impressing everyone with an unbelievable performance. As such, the world is curious to know where Hong is these days.
Hong Beom-Seok Returned For Another Shot at Victory
In season 1 of the show, Hong Beom-Seok entered with an impressive resume. A retired firefighter and Korea Army Special Forces (707th Special Mission Group) master sergeant reservist, he was considered by many as one of the possible victors of the competition. While his performance in the preliminary quest was impressive, people were looking forward to him showcasing his skills in Quest 1’s death match against Jo Jin-Hyeong. Unfortunately for Hong, he lost his match, leading to his elimination.
It is perhaps a testament to Hong’s strength that the person who did defeat him went on to become one of the season 1 finalists. However, it was little consolation to Hong himself, who trained for almost another year to prove to the world that he had what it took to win the competition. Indeed, his return in season 2 was greeted by awed whispers from many of his new competitors. Hong himself was ready to show the world that he had all the determination needed to cement his place in the competition.
As such, Hong gave it his all in the preliminary round. As per the challenge, the contestants had to run on a manual treadmill for 10 minutes in the first round. Those whose distance covered landed them in the top 50 places had to run in the second round, where the same task was to be repeated for 7 minutes. The top 10 from the second round then had to run for another 5 minutes. Participating in all three rounds, Hong actually bagged the first position in the overall completion, which earned him a significant advantage for the first quest.
Having achieved first rank in the preliminary quest, Hong got to choose his own opponent for the first quest’s death match. This particular challenge was crucial for him as it was the one that had seen him get eliminated in the first season. Hong decided to choose Jang-Jun, the K-pop idol Golden Child, as his competitor. The match between the two was certainly an exciting one, but Hong ultimately claimed victory, allowing him to proceed to Quest 2.
Due to his popularity and performance. Hong ended up being selected as the second most popular choice for team leaders in the second quest. He ended up parenting up with four individuals to form Team 2 – Gibson, Kang Cheong-Myeong, Seol Young-Ho, and Park Ha-Yan. This particular group ended up facing the team led by Lee Jang-Kun, called Team 10. As a part of the challenge, the participants had to transport weights from the center of a maze to specific points called capture zones and they were easily able to claim victory.
After this, Hong and his teammates had to face off against the groups led by Kim Dong-Hyun and Lee Jae-Yoon for Quest 3. In this quest, Hong Beom-Seok and his team were able to retain an upper hand and actually made a place for themselves in Quest 4. This time around, the team members had to face off against each other, as only one amongst the five would be proceeding to finals. Ultimately, Hong was one of the four finalists alongside Amotti, Justin Harvey, and Andre Jin.
The Final Quest contained three rounds. The first was the counterbalancing round, where Justin was eliminated after not being able to keep his torso statute in the air. Andre Jin then exited the competition next after trying his best to do an infinite number of squats with increasing weights. With just Amotti left between him and victory, Hong gave it his all and actually was able to knock the post with the pole as per the directives of the final task of the show. The next two times, though, Amotti flipped the game and claimed victory. Though he did not win after coming so close, he was also proud of all that he had achieved this time around.
Where is Hong Beom-Seok Now?
Proud of his status as a former member of the Korean armed forces, Hong Beom-Seok has gained even more fans since his appearance in ‘Physical: 100’ season 2. He has also represented South Korea in the World Firefighter Competition and even won the 2018 Toughest Firefighter Alive (TFA) title, which is considered the main event of the whole tournament. Though Hong seems to have left his position as a firefighter, he remains determined to support them in any way possible. Often seen at the gym trying to maintain his physique, the reality TV star often champions the causes that are beneficial to firefighters.
Hong underwent a frontal cruciate ligament surgery in November 2023 but seems to have made an impressive recovery from the same. Having gained much popularity, he has become an internet sensation and enjoys sharing his content with the world. His Instagram following is well over 68K, and he is presently affiliated with brands like Unbroken. Hong also has a YouTube channel called Tiger Stone, where he posts vlogs centered around the various activities that he partakes in. He is also quite happily married and enjoys being a father.
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