How much is 1 billion KRW in USD? Physical: Asia winnings explained

On October 28, 2025, Netflix launched Physical: Asia, a pan-Asian survival show with a top prize of ₩1 billion. The amount converts to roughly $700,000-$730,000. Addressing the prize money, Director Jang commented (via The Chosun),

"While our program offers substantial prize money, I believe the participants were not solely motivated by it. They have pride and honor, with the prize money being a natural consequence. All participants gave their best to uphold their nation’s honor and pride in physical strength."

The series is the first national-level instalment in the Physical series. It brings eight countries against one another. Among the nations are South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Mongolia, Türkiye, Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines. Forty-eight athletes take the stage, six representatives from each nation.

Physical: Asia (Image via X/@NetflixKR)

Contestants include athletes from Korean ssireum, Mongolian wrestling, Thai Muay Thai, and Turkish oil-wrestling. The competition takes place in South Korea in various sets designed to showcase not only Korean but also broader Asian culture. Format highlights hexagonal physical battles, upgraded mega-quests, team tactics, and strategic play that push human limits.

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What was the prize money for the previous seasons (1-2) of the Physical franchise?

Physical franchise winners, Woo Jin-yong and Amotti (Image via Instagram/@amottivation, @jdsbx)

Netflix’s Physical: Asia (season 3 of Physical: 100) heads for a November 18 finale on Netflix. In the first season, Woo Jin-yong, a snowboarder and CrossFit athlete, took home ₩300 million (roughly $230k–$240k). He rose from a 100-contestant survival pool.

Season 2 then followed the same knockout structure and ended with Amotti as the winner. The former South Korean CrossFitter and YouTuber also won ₩300 million. Notably, Amotti is one of the competitors representing Team Korea in Physical: Asia. In the current season, who wins remains to be seen. Indonesia and Thailand were the first teams to be eliminated in the first death match after the Shipwreck Transportation quest. The Philippines and Türkiye were then eliminated next in the Team Representative Match.

That left four teams, with Japan having already secured its place in the finale after an early victory in the fourth-quest Battle Rope Relay. The country now awaits an opponent for the final match. Mongolia, Korea, and Australia are currently competing in a death match. After this, two of the three will be eliminated, and one will advance to challenge Japan in the final.

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Before the Physical: Asia finale, catch up on episodes 1 through 10, which are available to stream on Netflix!

Edited by Shreya Jha