Judo Medalist Demonstrates Raw Strength on SBS Variety Show
Judoka Kim Min-jong displayed overwhelming strength against Kim Jong-kook and basketball player Lee Hyun-jung during the December 1 episode of the SBS variety program Running Man. The broadcast featured a “Noisy Until a Medal” competition starring 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games medal-winning judo athlete Kim Min-jong and basketball player Lee Hyun-jung as guests.
Cast members gathered in Seoul’s Yeouido district to find meals prepared personally by the two national team representatives. Kim Min-jong prepared a kimchi stew packed with meat, while Lee Hyun-jung offered a lightly seasoned bowl of soy sauce and egg rice. The contrasting menus set the stage for selection games that decided who ate what for lunch.
Quiz Basketball and Student Academic Records Bring Laughter
The competition opened with “Quiz Basketball,” a game requiring players to answer trivia correctly after sinking a basket to score points. Production details revealed during the segment showed Lee Hyun-jung once ranked eighth overall in his school during his student days. Despite that academic background, Lee delivered a series of incorrect answers that drew amusement from the cast.
Kim Min-jong countered expectations by displaying unexpected basketball skills during the challenge. The display drove a competitive reaction from Lee Hyun-jung, who urged his teammates to target opponents’ faces or vital spots in jest, generating studio laughter.
Sandbag Transport Task Highlights Physical Power
Later in the program, the cast tackled an item retrieval task that required pushing past defensive interference from the opposing team. Kim Min-jong moved two 20-kilogram sandbag boxes with ease, demonstrating non-ordinary strength. In one notable sequence, he dragged both Lee Hyun-jung and Kim Jong-kook forward while the pair attempted to hold him back with an elastic band.
Yang Se-chan watched the display and remarked that Kim resembled a dump truck. Cast member Yoo Jae-suk added that it had been a long time since he saw Kim Jong-kook being dragged across the floor. Members ultimately faced a lunch choice between Kim Min-jong’s seasonal ingredients and Lee Hyun-jung’s NBA-style menu, expressing surprise when the latter option turned out to be a salad.
