The grand prize of Netflix's mind-game survival show "The Devil's Plan: Death Room" went to TV personality and influencer Jeong Hyun-gyu in the final episodes unveiled last week.

Though now seems to be the perfect time to savor his hard-earned victory with 380 million won ($277,000) prize money in his pocket, Jeong is instead busy apologizing for his controversial play shown in the program.


The 27-year-old appeared nervous and depressed, in a recent interview with the press on Tuesday, almost as if he had committed a serious offense, repeatedly apologizing for his actions.

“After the show aired, I spent a lot of time reflecting on myself while seeing the viewers’ reactions,” Jeong said during the interview. “Though I gave it my all to win, I realized that during that process, I caused discomfort to other players and to the viewers, which I take full responsibility for.”

The interview was initially planned solely with the show's producer Jeong Jong-yeon, but was later joined by Jeong Hyun-gyu due to the numerous request from the press, according to the show's PR agency.

“What I learned from my victory is that it’s not just about being sincere about winning but also about how well that sincerity comes across to others.”

But does he truly owe an apology to viewers for not playing the game as expected? Technically, he didn’t break any game rules, nor did he harm any fellow contestants.

How did Jeong Hyun-gyu win?

Jeong, from the beginning, was a highly anticipated contestant. He was racking up international fans, from the charismatic yet endearing appearance he pulled off in popular love-matching show “EXchange” (2021-24) while also excelling in academic background, attending Seoul National University — Korea’s top-tier school.

His intelligence was evident as expected, as he quickly understood the rules, played without hesitation and even did well at bluffing. Notably, in the first main match, he successfully deceived the other players into believing he was not a corrupt police officer who had to conceal his identity to win. In the first half of the fifth main match, he managed to survive without forming a true alliance — mistakenly believing Choi Hyun-joon was on his side.

He also showed determination and persistence by being the first to open the door to the hidden stage — a side game separate from the main competition that offers a tremendous reward upon success — and solving its puzzle. This hidden stage game ultimately gave him a crucial advantage toward the end of the show.

However, what played a significant role in Jeong’s victory, which many viewers point out, was his strong bond with Super Junior’s Kyuhyun and actor Yoon So-hui.

In the third main match, Jeong carefully formed an alliance with the members once locked up in the prison area — despite having little connection to them because, obviously, he had never been imprisoned — in an effort to increase the chances of him, Kyuhyun and Yoon to advance to the next stage.

Their alliance truly stood out in the fifth main match, which was also the most controversial one. When Jeong became the sole target of a majority alliance, he managed to persuade Kyuhyun and Yoon to side with him, leading them to abandon their original ally group.

The winner, himself, even acknowledged the help he received from Yoon and Kyuhyun, saying in the interview, “I don’t think I won because I was particularly outstanding. I just tried to do my best in each situation and I was fortunate to have support from those around me, as well as luck also being on my side.”

Why has he met such backlash?

Jeong may have won the trophy, but he definitely did not win over the hearts of the viewers. His path to victory was seen by many not as a result of his individual skill, but rather from teaming up with other contestants and isolating solo players, which sparked criticism — a stark contrast to the previous season’s winner, Ha Seok-jin, who was praised for clearing each stage through his own ability rather than acting politically.

Criticism surrounding Jeong escalated in the fifth main match when Kyuhyun and Yoon ditched their initial ally group and sided with Jeong.

Kyuhyun’s decision to help and save Jeong led to his own elimination — a move that drew criticism, especially since Jeong could have survived regardless, thanks to the hidden stage reward he held. Ultimately, Kyuhyun faced backlash for undermining the essence of a survival-based game, as it was later revealed he had gone along with Jeong’s strategy despite knowing what Jeong had in his hands. Jeong, in turn, was criticized for being selfish by not using his advantage to save Kyuhyun, even though he had the chance to do so.

As a result, it seemed the alliance was formed to secure Jeong’s victory, rather than to pursue each player’s own win, depriving viewers of the intense and adrenaline-pumping mind games which are the reason viewers watch the show in the first place.

Viewer's frustrations also reached a new high when Yoon, the finalist next to Jeong, showed a play that seemed to be conceding the victory when she knew the way to win the final game. Criticism quickly mounted, with some comments saying, “It felt like watching a dating show.”

Her choice even surprised producer Jeong Jong-yeon when he witnessed it during filming.

“When we were filming the final, I was honestly a bit surprised when she gave up on the last betting round,” producer Jeong said during the interview. “But after hearing her interview, I could understand where she was coming from. But still, to be honest, I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.”

Another scene that drew criticism of Jeong Hyun-gyu was his harsh behavior toward Choi, a model with an academic background in KAIST mathematical science. When Choi was being hesitant about his move, Jeong quietly approaches him and whispers, “Do you know how to do arithmetic?” and “Are you scared?” which viewers found unnecessarily aggressive.

Although he later apologized to Choi on the show, it didn’t seem to be enough to ease the viewers’ negative reactions. Jeong emphasized the he and Choi are now good friends but for invested viewers, that's not what matters.

What's next for the winner?

The show succeeded in capturing both global and domestic attention, ranking No. 9 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list in the non-English category and topping the chart in Korea. It also made it into the Top 10 in several countries, including Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Morocco.

Now, more than a week has passed since the finale, but still-outraged fans are leaving malicious comments on the winner’s social media accounts, alongside Kyuhyun, Yoon and even the producer.

Jeong expressed sincere regret toward Kyuhyun and Yoon during the interview, saying he felt responsible for the backlash and had personally apologized to both after the show aired.

Also it was clear that Jeong had had a tough week, as he shared that he plans to take a break to take care of himself.

“This experience made me reflect a lot on myself,” the winner said, adding that he plans donate a portion of his prize — a decision he made even before winning. “I realized that I still have many shortcomings. I’ve decided to take some time alone to heal and work on myself.”

The producer also pleaded for viewers to be gracious toward the players, asking that any criticism be directed at him instead, as he was the one who created the entire system.

“The hate isn’t just about whether their strategies were right or wrong — what really bothers me is seeing contestants getting personal attacks,” producer Jeong said.

“But since everything happened within my system, when I reflect on it, I believe that it all started because of me. So, I think any criticism or blame should be aimed at me.”


BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]