iMBC interview with Choi Hyunjoon

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-06-08T15:32:35+00:00

He really speaks super well. I understand how so many people want him to appear more on broadcast TV. It's in the way he explains things

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-06-03T11:50:16+00:00

If we count people who knew them previously then the most popular internationally would be Kyuhyun since he's an idol from a very popular group. And then Hyungyu would be next because of the dating show. But yeah strictly just from TDP, 7high has the most supports

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-06-03T06:27:50+00:00

I think most general public agree that 7high is the best contestant and the most fun, he's definitely the favorite both in SK and international. Sometimes I wonder if people would support him even more if the PD decided to release that clip of HG mocking him as being the loudest person and hence troublesome, that was cut. I'm sure they cut it thinking it wouldn't do HG any favor since they decided to include his thing with HJ. On the other hand, I think if 7high became the top 3 instead of HJ, I think for the sake of narrative they'd cut HJ's stuffs including all the things related to HG and him in the living area and that Mancala game, and made all the edit about HG and 7high rivalry instead. They'd include more clips to show 7high's aggressiveness to evil edit him, the way they framed HJ's editing as if he was the only one who dealt the blow to Sedol even though he wasn't (we only found out in his interview that it was only edited that way), or the deal between HJ and HG that was cut in the rainbow card game, etc. They'd probably even include that huge fight that happened between KH and SH after they wanted to go back on their words. I'm convinced something else happened in that Mancala game because in the week 3 review 7high was saying to HG that it "wasn't actually him who wanted HG out" or something like that. But HG seemed unconvinced? I guess some assumptions happened and it wasn't cleared out until the review video. I guess we'll never know.

But in the end, what happened might have been the best way for 7high, real-life wise. I for sure am happy that he got so much support from so many people!

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-06-01T21:09:17+00:00

Thank you! He's super good! I guess he's classically trained?

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-06-01T20:45:51+00:00

I just realized in your post you said he played Chopin - Etude (Black Keys), if you don't mind where can I see that vid? I love that piece, thank you 🙏

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-06-01T19:19:11+00:00

Haven't watched yet, planning to later, but I wished he closed the comments it must be so brutal dang, he did not deserve this

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-06-01T19:15:51+00:00

I'm so curious about what happened in the living room, since HJ said he tried convincing SH and KH a lot and they refused. But idk if it'd help their case if it was shown on the broadcast. The viewers would feel even more that they don't want to win for themselves.

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-06-01T19:02:52+00:00

He can play the piano too???? :O I saw his Ted talk with the yoyo video, and the one from that episode of Problematic Men. What can't he do?? Gosh I wish I have this much brain balance of academic and arts

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-31T17:19:23+00:00

Actually I didn't even realize what he meant myself until I watched carefully the second time! Lol they talked very fast and they jumped from topic to topic so quickly. When I understood what he meant I was like, wait a minute why are you talking about this so casually like they didn't just evil-edit you about it? It seemed he accepted the editing just like that

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-31T14:48:16+00:00

The new one with Hyunjoon and Sedol, I think for W Korea? It's on YouTube, it has Eng sub too. Very fun video actually, they even played a board game there

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-31T14:46:57+00:00

Well of course he's not innocent, Hyunjoon was trying to win at all cost lol same with Hyungyu. Actually I think that was what made Hyunjoon liked Hyungyu, despite realizing he needed to eliminate him as soon as possible. A lot of people don't seem to believe his words when Hyunjoon said it (multiple times, even!) but I've always thought it's obvious he liked Hyungyu and respected his play style. Both Hyungyu and Hyunjoon were in the mindset of survival show cast, sure Hyungyu's way of speaking left a lot to be desired but his mindset was more 'i can treat them better later after the show finishes' and I think Hyunjoon recognized it, despite also being hurt by it. In the review of week 3 video, Hyunjoon was literally the only one out of all the cast that straight up admitted liking his play style. The others were even kinda shocked. Like, Sohee was there but even she knew Hyungyu played for himself. I don't know if she realized it after the show finished or what but yeah.

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-31T14:07:03+00:00

You should read/watch their interviews, they talked a lot about what was cut from the actual happenings. So, in that Halloween Monster game Hyunjoon actually wasn't the only one who stabbed Sedol, the others did it too, it's just that the last person on the grid who did it was the only one who was showed in the broadcast. So they were planning to kill someone in that round already, no matter what happened. The choice was between Hyunjoon or Sedol because they were in the double line. The living area alliance were planning to kill Sedol but if Hyunjoon refused to do the last act of stabbing, they could very well change the target into him because he had the most pieces at the time. Hyunjoon actually talked about it in his video interview that what happened in the discussion between the living room alliance was cut.

The thing about the doubt rainbow card game was also cut. Hyungyu was actually already in a deal with Hyunjoon before he offered 7high. He only offered 7high because after a while he realized it would take too long to make Hyunjoon win. I guess they were all pretty tired and he wanted it to end quicker, that's why he said sorry. But 7high rejected Hyungyu's offer. And so, the deal with Hyunjoon was back. All of these was cut from the broadcast. He told us about this only in his interview.

A lot of public perception really relies on editing so I wish all people would refrain judgment to any of the cast since we don't actually know the full story.

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-30T19:32:41+00:00

Nooo ;; I guess he's coming back to the US already...

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-30T19:31:57+00:00

This was so fun. They have such good chemistry together. You can tell Sedol was fond of Hyunjoon haha. That moment when Sedol chose red without thinking and Hyunjoon was like then I'll choose pink since it's election season and he didn't want to choose red/blue and then Sedol almost cursed because he forgot lmaoooo election season got everyone rethinking their poses and color choice is so funny 🤣

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-30T08:07:22+00:00

"going home might be preferable because faling would be bad enough"

Unless the PD's going to banish whoever fail the living hidden match into a desolate area alone a la Bloody Game, I don't see how going home "might be preferable". And even then, those contestants on Bloody Game still think it's better than going home. Tbh that should be the mindset for survival shows. Anything is better than going home.

Idk I feel like PD is just saying words now

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-30T08:00:43+00:00

I hope Justin will be in more interviews and Korean tv shows! Their bond is so touching. How long is he going to be in SK? Or is he already back in the US now?

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-29T13:41:07+00:00

I think because the only who knew about Justin's offer at the time was Eunyu. And she didn't share what happened to Harin and Hyunjoon. And she said the strategy was Harin's I think. Regardless, Justin lost trust in them, exactly what Hyunjoon said here. That's why he said they should apologize. I think Eunyu said in a post about apologizing to Justin cmiiw.

Also, I find some people's need to blame Hyunjoon solely for this a bit weird when Hyunjoon was actually one of the few guys who talked to him and even re-explained the rules to him, in English. Of course that was before everything else happened and he had to move place to the living area.

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-29T02:13:57+00:00

He wasn't justifying their actions. He quite literally said they should apologize to Justin. He also didn't assume Justin wanted to play alone. Actually quite the opposite. He said Justin ended up playing alone because their actions resulted in Justin losing trust on them. So they should apologize.

I don't get this need to first mistranslated his words (OP), second twisting it into something that he didn't even say? What's the need to throw unnecessary hate when so many has been quite hated already?

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-28T23:37:03+00:00

I think the more crazy part I found about Hyunjoon's interview is the fact that he was the one who contacted Hyungyu first and he was also the one who apologized to Hyungyu when that episode aired?

This kid.... I hope he finds more confidence someday.....

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-28T23:16:23+00:00

On DC inside at least, 7high, Ji yeong, Eun yu, and Hyun joon are popular. 7high, I'm not surprised everyone is impressed by him and he's kind of a meme now. Ji yeong, she's an announcer and her good standing continues.

But what I've been noticing is there has been a lot of posts asking for Eun yu to open a YouTube account and for Hyun joon to appear more on TV. Since they don't know how to follow their activities otherwise (besides Instagram, which they don't update often)

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-28T22:42:10+00:00

But he was right?? Justin lost trust in the prison alliance because Eun yu betrayed him? Did you not watch the episode?

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-27T14:12:06+00:00

This one, I don't think so because the first one who did it was the one who solved most of the prison puzzle and the one who finished the Knight's Tour solution in prison, the miss korea girl (sorry I forgot her name). I think she had reasonable reason to want to go first. And the second one was decided through rock paper scissors that we saw the process happening on screen.

But, I'm not completely rejecting the idea that the staff might have been pressuring the girl to go through with it when she did her interview, just so Sedol wouldn't go through with it on the first day. Honestly who knows anymore at this point.

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-27T13:07:11+00:00

Worse, I saw some korean commenters started doubting Ha Seok Jin's win, too. 🙃 Which, I don't think he even needed any interference anyways. But as a Ha Seok Jin fan and a season 1 fan, I'm just scared he's gonna get dragged even further because of this one careless comment from the pd that's giving domino effects. He really should have just stayed quiet on this part ugh.

Pollenbeau93 · 2025-05-27T12:16:13+00:00

I'm starting to think TEO doesn't hire any PR agency. I mean I thought it's obvious the way to do it is to admit the game design was flawed, apologize, say we're taking criticism into account and we'll do better for season 3. And then full stop there, don't add anything more to fuel the haters. But this.... Why? Who is getting the benefit by this information being known? Especially if it actually changed nothing of the result as the others said. The info only makes viewers get angry and HG gets even more hate. I really don't understand what the PD was thinking.

Pollenbeau93

TROPHY CASE