Steel Troops 3 saw unexpected events in the ultimate member selection battle.
On the second episode of Channel A·ENA’s Steel Troops 3 aired on the 26th, a total of 24 members from six special forces units, including the Special Warfare Command (Army Special Forces Command), HID (Army Intelligence Unit), 707 (707th Special Mission Battalion), UDU (Navy Intelligence Unit), UDT (Navy Special Warfare Squadron), and USSF (U.S. Special Forces) competed in the “Ultimate Member Selection Battle.”
That day’s broadcast recorded an average viewership of 3.7% (based on combined Channel A·ENA paid households in the metropolitan area), up 0.43 percentage points from the previous week. The highest minute-by-minute viewership soared to 4.6%. Furthermore, it made an impressive debut in third place in the TV-OTT Non-drama Buzz for the third week of September, as compiled by Good Data Corporation, after just one broadcast. It also ranked third in the TV Search Reaction TOP10 and ninth in the Non-drama Search Issue Keyword TOP10, sweeping various buzz indicators.
In the first round of “2:2 Combat Fight,” HID’s Kang Min-ho and Lee Dong-gyu faced UDU’s Kim Su-won and Go In-ho. Go In-ho was the first to be eliminated after being pushed by Lee Dong-gyu, and ‘Muscle Man’ Kim Su-won held out against two opponents alone but was eventually defeated by the combined attack of Kang Min-ho and Lee Dong-gyu. Next, UDT’s Kim Kyung-baek and Lee Han-jun went against the U.S. Special Forces’ Ian and Jeff. Lee Han-jun shocked everyone by lifting ‘6’3″ giant’ Ian in a single move. He also teamed up with Kim Kyung-baek to eliminate Jeff, demonstrating his incredible presence and tasting an exhilarating victory.
Following them, 707’s Oh Yo-han and Lee Yu-seok faced UDT’s Lee Jung-jun and Jung Jong-hyun. ‘National Pull-up Champion’ Oh Yo-han showed his tenacity by helping Lee Yu-seok in a tough situation against Jung Jong-hyun. However, Lee Yu-seok struggled against Lee Jung-jun’s strength, saying, “Wow, there’s a wild boar here.” Ultimately, Lee Yu-seok became the first to face elimination, leading to 707’s defeat against UDT. Notably, 707 had to experience the harsh reality of ‘all eliminated,’ as Hong Beom-seok and Park Chan-gyu had also suffered defeats earlier. After the match, Oh Yo-han couldn’t hide his disappointment, saying, “I didn’t feel good” after the defeat.
The next to compete were HID’s Go Ya-yung and Park Ji-yun, who showed overwhelming strength against the Special Warfare Command’s Bae Yi-Jung and Kim Dae-sung, securing a victory. MC Kim Hee-chul, who watched HID’s overwhelming victory, repeatedly admired them, calling them “strong championship contenders.” Finally, the U.S. Special Forces’ Kaz and Will faced UDU’s Kim Hyun-young and Lee Byung-ju. At that time, Lee Byung-ju quickly eliminated Will with a loud cheer, and Kim Hyun-young overcame Kaz in a 1:1 battle. This led to an unexpected situation where all members of the U.S. Special Forces were eliminated, shocking everyone on the scene. After the fierce combat fight ended, the atmosphere was filled with laughter in the quarters of the surviving HID and UDT, while an awkward silence hung over the quarters of the U.S. Special Forces and 707.
The following day, the 12 surviving members from the ‘combat fight’ entered the second round of the ‘Ultimate Member Selection Battle,’ an obstacle battle. The second round consisted of four members, each overcoming ‘barbed wire ambush section-26ft net obstacle-container-underwater ambush section-36ft rope’ in an ‘individual obstacle battle.’ First to take the start line were UDU’s Kim Hyun-young, UDT’s Lee Han-jun, Special Warfare Command’s Park Moon-ho, and HID’s Kang Min-ho. Among them, Kang Min-ho maintained the lead with his intelligent play throughout the mission and completed the rope climb. The MCs exploded with ‘fan love,’ saying, “He’s so smart” and “He’s like a human weapon” in response to Kang Min-ho’s outstanding performance. Following Kang Min-ho, Lee Han-jun also passed the second round in second place.
Next, UDT’s Kim Kyung-Baek, Jung Jong-hyun, and HID’s Lee Dong-gyu and Park Ji-yun had a fierce battle. Lee Dong-gyu and Park Ji-yun arrived at the rope in 1st and 2nd place, making it seem like HID’s victory was imminent. However, as the two caught their breath, Jung Jong-hyun overtook them in the rope climb, snatching the first place and turning the tables. Park Ji-yun also surpassed Lee Dong-gyu to ring the bell second, successfully advancing to the next round.
Finally, UDT’s Lee Jung-jun, HID’s Go Ya-yung, Special Warfare Command’s Jung Seung-hoon, and UDU’s Lee Byung-ju had a showdown. Lee Byung-ju maintained the lead early in the game, but Go Ya-yung, who arrived at the rope in third place, quickly climbed the rope to claim first place. Lee Byung-ju came in second, and Jung Seung-hoon, who failed the rope climb, continued to try to climb even after the game ended, bringing everyone to tears. The studio MCs felt touched by the comradeship of the members, who showed more empathy toward the loser’s pain than the winner’s joy, and they consoled them with profound camaraderie.
Master Choi Young-Jae revealed the final round mission. Kang Min-ho from HID, Go Ya-yung, Park Ji-yun, Jung Jong-hyun, and Lee Han-jun from UDT, along with Lee Byung-ju from UDU, comprised a group of six individuals who progressed to the final round. They were then reassigned to the Army’s 50th Infantry Division. At this location, Master Choi Young-Jae announced: “The ultimate member will receive the powerful benefit of deciding the match for the main mission, where we will reveal the first eliminated unit.” He continued, “The third round is a hostage rescue escort shooting,” presenting a new mission not seen in the previous seasons. However, Lee Han-jun had to withdraw due to an ankle injury, causing regret. Additionally, they pushed the scene of the final battle involving the remaining five people to next week, sparking curiosity about who will emerge as the ‘Ultimate Member Selection Battle winner.’
It airs every Tuesday night at 10:30.
By. Kim Yang Soo (liang@joynews24.com)
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