Yul Kwon, or “the puppet master” as many of his fellow contestants referred to him, won the $1 million prize during Sunday’s finale of Survivor: Cook Islands.

The 31-year-old took the win in a surprise closer that saw him facing two other finalists. Previous seasons of the show have ended with only two contestants vying for votes from the jury of ousted players.

Though Kwon, a management consultant, was joined by both Becky Lee and Ozzy Lusth in the final three, only himself and Lusth received votes in their favour. Kwon won in a 5-4 decision.

In the finale, Kwon mentioned that he wanted to win the show not only for the cash, but also to break stereotypes about Asian males. Kwon is South Korean, and this year’s season initially divided teams by race.

The next season of Survivor is set to take place in Fiji.






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