`Chief Byung-man` jumps off plane 25 times in single day

"I return from jungles with a healthier and clearer mind. On the return flights, I have great expectations for me in next shooting, wondering what wonderful things will wait for me. I think now I understand what explorers think."

Kim Byung-man, a South Korean comedian starring in SBS TV`s popular survival show "Law of the Jungle," is now called "Chief." He held a news conference in Seoul on Wednesday after returning from his ninth survival trip in Belize, a small Central American country bordering the Caribbean Sea.

"I`ve become much older since 2011 when I first left for Namibia in Africa. When I compare my faces before and after I joined this program, I sometimes regret why I am going through all this trouble," he said jokingly.

For the latest survival trip, Kim won skydiving and free-diving licenses after six months of training. For the skydiver license, he jumped 65 times in Korea and succeeded in his 66th diving over waters off Belize.

"I belatedly learned that in foreign countries, skydiving over the sea requires at least 50 landing experiences. In order to exceed 50 landings before departure, I had to jump from an airplane 25 times in a single day."

With a viewing rate of 13 percent, "Law of the Jungle" is the highest rated TV show among programs aired in the same time block. Considering last year`s controversies over alleged manipulation of the reality show, such performance is amazing. The CEO of the agency for actress Park Bo-yeong, who was then a member of the program, claimed in a social networking service posting that the survival show was a "lie." The claim pushed the program to the verge of being abolished.

With an emphasis on the "original intention" and "reality," Kim continued his rigorous explorations. "I wish there was a way to show actors and staffers in real time. I tried very hard to look as real as possible. Please assess us one more time," he said.

How long can he and the program continue such high performance after overcoming the crisis?

"Every time, I take my challenges, thinking that this is my last time," he said. "If the day comes when our strenuous efforts to change are not recognized by audiences, I think that would be the end."