8 Idols Who Have Risked Their Lives On Television
1. IU Almost Drowned On Running Man
IU almost drowned on an episode of Running Man where she dived into a deep pool thinking she could swim – but actually couldn’t.
Thanks to the scary incident, she now has a deathly fear of water and says she actually trembles thinking about it.
When she landed in the water after diving from a high board, she suddenly realized she couldn’t swim.
Luckily the Running Man team were quick to rush to the rescue!
2. TWICE Jeongyeon’s Horse Accident
Jungyeon participated in Law of the Jungle in 2016 but was forced to leave the show early due to a debilitating injury.
She was horse riding during a challenge in New Caledonia and was kicked by another horse when the animals got tangled together!
Anyone who’s been around horses will know when they start to panic, it’s a very dangerous situation.
While she escaped with only a leg injury, it definitely could have been a lot worse!
3. Wonder Girls Yubin’s Stumble
Running Man strikes again! While participating in a sports challenge in 2015, Yubin was tasked with jumping on and over a large stack of crates.
She tripped and fell off the stack, tumbling forward to lie, hurt, in front of the toppling obstacle. The stack started falling forward and almost crushed her!
Jae Suk, Gary and Kwang Soo came running to the rescue and took the brunt of the force.
4. Kim Byung Man Got Diagnosed With Hypothermia
The comedian and chief of Law of the Jungle might be expected to ensure more hardships than the younger and more inexperienced members, but when the crew battled harsh conditions in New Zealand in 2017, he got dangerously sick trying to catch fish while exposed to strong winds and freezing temperatures during the worst cyclone to hit the country in 50 years.
The entire tribe was shocked and apologetic when Kim Byung Man got hypothermia.
GOT7’s Mark even teared up while talking about it. (The team also came super close to a shark which swam up to them while they were fishing, so New Zealand was especially hard!)
5. SHINee’s Minho Broke His Nose Due To Set Failures
While filming for Dream Team season 2 in 2010, Minho ran full speed at a hanging obstacle with the intention of grabbing hold.
Instead, he lost grip and fell, flipping into the styrofoam pit and landing sharply at an awkward angle.
He was rushed to the hospital for a CT scan to ensure he didn’t have any lasting head or spinal injuries! There were rumors he broke his nose and was forced to get surgery on it.
6. After School’s UEE Got Stitches On Her Head
Law of the Jungle is not a show for the faint-hearted idol! In an episode filmed in 2014, UEE was thrown back by a massive wave from the Indian ocean and hit her head hard on the rocks below.
She needed stitches to sew up the slit in her scalp. Luckily it didn’t require further investigation after the doctor checked for more severe internal injuries. (She recovered well, and even went back to Law of the Jungle in New Zealand!)
7. MBLAQ’s Mir Almost Got Carried Away By Heavy Currents
The maknae was chief Kim Bung Ma’s right hand man in Law of the Jungle 2012’s season in the Amazon and was tasked with walking across a wide river with heavy currents to get back to the other members.
The river was mostly very shallow, but suddenly, half-way back to shore, Mir realized it became very deep.
He lost his grip on the guiding rope and was stuck fighting the strong currents alone in the middle of the Amazon.
The other members tried but couldn’t reach him, so the safety boat had to come and rescue him. Mir was so stressed he afterward was seen crying.
Bonus: Kim Hee Ae and Lee Moo Saeng while filming The World of the Married.
While they are not idols, the risk that they took for their television show should be mentioned here. During filming of The World of the Married, one scene included Kim Hee Ae’s character attempting to end her life by walking into the ocean. However, during the day of filming, the ocean conditions were unfavorable, and the actors were nearly swept out to sea.