SEOUL – South Korean bodybuilder Kim Chun-ri is seeking to put an end to a controversy regarding her “death match” with a male opponent on Netflix’s South Korean survival reality show Physical: 100.

After a preview clip showing her sparring with mixed-martial arts fighter Park Hyung-geun was released last Saturday on The Swoon, the streamer’s YouTube channel that promotes its original South Korean content, more than 1,800 comments were posted online on the South Korean Internet community The Qoo, criticising Park for being “cheap” and “dirty” in choosing to fight a woman.

In the show, 100 contestants in top physical shape compete in a series of gruelling challenges to claim the honour of – and a cash reward for – being the last one standing.

Kim wrote on Instagram on Tuesday: “I am aware that some Internet trolls are making malicious comments about Park. I know there are some people who are doing that with bad intentions. Please, don’t do such... stupid things. Making such comments online is what is considered low.

“All participants were aware of possible intergender matches in Physical: 100. Park and I fought fair and square. I do not have any problems or complaints about my match.”

Kim explained that the show was made to entertain viewers, adding: “Park and I are getting along just fine. We shook hands and laughed after the match. There is no such thing as woman or man when there is a prize of 300 million won (S$320,000) on the line.”

Her post had attracted more than 6,000 likes and 600 comments by Thursday afternoon.

“Amazing words coming from an amazing athlete. I can’t wait to see the one-on-one match,” a netizen commented on the Instagram post.

“Silencing the Internet trolls with a single post. She is so cool,” read another.

Now showing on Netflix, Physical: 100 enjoyed instant international popularity, reaching the No. 5 slot on the service’s global chart in three days after its premiere on Jan 24. It releases two episodes on Netflix every Tuesday. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK