Who is Team South Korea's Kim Min-jae on Physical: Asia? Age, sport, and more explored

In the new Netflix series Physical: Asia, South Korea’s Team features several elite athletes — one of them is Kim Min‑jae, a 23-year-old traditional ssireum wrestler known as the “Monster of the Sand Pit.” 

Physical: Asia brings together eight national teams vying for the title and a prize of one billion Korean won (about US $700,000).

Former UFC fighter Kim Dong‑hyun captains Team South Korea.

Physical: Asia — Background of Kim Min-jae

Kim Min-jae is described in media coverage as a “traditional Korean ssireum wrestler” and South Korea’s rising star in that sport.

According to Lifestyle Asia,

“Nicknamed ‘Monster’, Kim Min-jae has emerged as the dominant force in traditional Korean ssireum wrestling in recent years.”

In a press event detailed by MK Sports, Kim said:

“I couldn’t believe I could be on Netflix... I felt a lot of pressure as I worked with the mindset of representing ssireum, and the older brothers said it.”

His credentials in ssireum are significant — for example, his 2022 debut and winning the Grand Festival.

Fans can follow him on Instagram @minjaebull, where he has over 33k followers.

Sport and speciality: Ssireum

Ssireum is a form of Korean traditional wrestling where competitors aim to throw their opponent to the ground inside a sand-pit circle.

Kim Min-jae’s involvement in this sport positions him as a specialist on Team Korea for Physical: Asia, which emphasises physical strength, balance, and power across varied challenges.

Physical: Asia features tasks such as “king of the mountain–style challenge set on an ever-shifting dune” and “procuring” supplies off a sinking shipwreck,” that demand more than one kind of athletic background.

Kim’s nickname, “Monster of the Sand Pit,” speaks to his dominance in his weight class among active ssireum fighters.

Role on Physical: Asia

On Physical: Asia, Kim Min-jae is one of six members of Team South Korea.

The team includes CrossFit athlete Amotti (Kim Jae-hong), CrossFit competitor Choi Seung‑yeon, former national wrestler Jang Eun‑sil, Olympic skeleton racer Yun Sung‑bin, and team captain Kim Dong-hyun.

In his introductory remarks for Physical: Asia, Kim Min-jae said:

“I felt a lot of pressure as I worked with the mindset of representing ssireum…”

His presence on the show brings the specialist skill set of a ssireum wrestler—balance, grappling strength, explosive throws—to a competition where many of the challenges will test raw physicality, endurance, and mental resilience.

Physical: Asia emphasises team matchups, meaning Kim is both an individual contributor and part of a national squad aiming for the prize.

Age, achievements, and how he made the team

At 23 years old, Kim Min-jae has rapidly built a reputation in ssireum.

He reportedly made his tournament debut in 2022 and secured the Grand Festival win that year — among the reasons he was selected for Team Korea in Physical: Asia.

Given the international scope of Physical: Asia, choosing athletes like Kim Min-jae shows the producers’ emphasis on bringing diverse athletic disciplines (traditional and modern) into the mix.

Kim’s admission of pressure to “represent ssireum” frames his mindset heading into the show.

Why his presence matters

Physical: Asia is not just about one-on-one athletic contests—it’s about national teams and cross-discipline competition.

Having specialists in national sports like ssireum gives Team Korea a unique edge. Kim Min-jae’s strength, grappling ability, and established success in his sport add depth to the squad’s lineup.

The show’s global format — eight countries, each with six athletes — means that each competitor must adapt to both their given sport and the unpredictable challenges that Physical: Asia throws at them.

In the sneak peek of Physical: Asia, behind-the-scenes details reveal a stage built across an area equal to five football pitches - filled with 1,200 tonnes of sand along with 40 tonnes of steel.

This massive setup hints at just how tough the challenges might get, which ties directly into Kim Min-jae’s history in grueling Korean martial sports.

Stay tuned for more updates.