S13: Cook Islands
S40: Winners at WarChallenges: MPF percentile
53%
Seasons: 2 | Days played: 74 | Wins: 1 | Jury: 1
- Survivor 13: Cook Islands (2006) - Winner, 5-4-0.
- Received five jury votes to win, in Episode 15, "This Tribe Will Self-Destruct in 5... 4... 3..." (Day 39).
- Survivor 40: Winners at War (2020) - 14th place, 9th out - 6th juror.
- Voted out in Episode 7, "We're In the Majors" (Day 18).
- Cumulative time: In-game - 18 days; Edge of Extinction - 17 days.
| Challenge stats | Tribal council stats | Jury stats | Overall stats | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | ChW | ChA | ChW% | VFB | VAP | TCA | TC% | wTCR | JVF | TotJ | JV% | SurvSc | SurvAv |
| S13: Cook Islands | 2.67 | 10.57 | 0.23 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 0.99 | 3.11 | 5 | 9 | 0.56 | 1.78 | 8.86 |
| S40: Winners at War | 0.66 | 3.54 | 0.19 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0.72 | 3.00 | - | - | - | 0.91 | 3.66 |
| Career | 3.08 | 14.11 | 0.22 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 0.92 | 3.08 | 5 | 9 | 0.56 | 1.41 | 6.28 |
Yul Kwon - Performance ranks
Tribal: VFB% percentile
94%
Tribal: rVAP percentile
78%
Challenges: MPF percentile
37%
Tribal: VFB% percentile
77%
Tribal: rVAP percentile
56%
Performance ranks are a quick visual measure of the contestant's season vs. historical data from all prior contestants, in three basic (scorable) categories:
1. Performance in individual challenges (MPF), as a measure of "physical game";
2. Ability to vote people out consistently (VFB%, or VFB/TCA), or "strategic game"; and
3. Ability to avoid being voted against (rVAP, or TCA-VAP) - which scales better than a percentage would - for "social/strategic game."
See also: Full glossary for all these abbreviations.
Yul Kwon - Challenge record
Tribal/team challenge record (11-for-14):
- Cook Islands Ep. 1 RC/IC: "Lock and Load Light" - Puka wins! (1st/4).
- Cook Islands Ep. 2 RC/IC: "Tow the Line" - Puka wins again! (tie-1st/4).
- Cook Islands Ep. 3 IC: "Steeple Chase" - With new Aitu, makes an ill-advised attempt at counter-tackling; Aitu loses.
- Cook Islands Ep. 4 RC: "Strung Along" - Once again, Aitu wins!
- Cook Islands Ep. 4 IC: "Mayday" - Part of the stretcher-puzzle group, Aitu wins again..
- Cook Islands Ep. 5 RC: "Never Tear Us Apart" - Paired with Penner, first to drop his weight (30 lbs), and eventually, Aitu loses.
- Cook Islands Ep. 5 IC: "United We Stand" - Holds the poles, Aitu wins.
- Cook Islands Ep. 6 RC: "Kicking and Screaming" - With Penner, pulls Nate off his pole; Aitu wins.
- Cook Islands Ep. 8 RC: "Smash and Grab" - Smashes and grabs, as Aitu wins again.
- Cook Islands Ep. 8 IC: "Stairway to Heaven" - With Ozzy and Candice, gives Aitu a lead on the zipline; Aitu loses.
- Cook Islands Ep. 9 RC: "Barrel of Monkeys" - With Ozzy, rolls the barrel; Aitu wins!
- Cook Islands Ep. 9 IC: "Depth Charge" - Devises a superior targeting system, and Aitu wins again.
- Cook Islands Ep. 10 RC: "Make Your Point" - Paired with Sundra, and once again, Aitu wins.
- Cook Islands Ep. 10 IC: "South Pacific" - One of Aitu's four swimmers, Aitu wins one last one.
Individual challenge record (0-for-7): (Mean % finish: 57.3%)
- Cook Islands Ep. 11 IC:, "Mast Cling On" - Fifth to drop out, after 51 minutes (5th/9).
- Cook Islands Ep. 12 IC: "Recollection" - Eliminated in the first round (bottom 5/8).
- Cook Islands Ep. 13 RC: "Pass the Bucket" - Teamed with his brother, not among the leaders (bottom 4/7).
- Cook Islands Ep. 13 IC: "Flotsam & Jetsam" - Not especially close, but at least tying sticks, loses to Ozzy (2nd/7).
- Cook Islands Ep. 14 RC: "Mud Run" - Beats Adam by 0.5 lbs, gets to enjoy the reward getaway (3rd/6).
- Cook Islands Ep. 14 IC: "Cannonball Run" - Reassembling his table maze as Ozzy wins (2nd/6).
- Cook Islands Ep. 15 F5 IC: "Compass Ropes" - Does not win (bottom 4/5).
- Cook Islands Ep. 15 F4 IC: "Self-Destruction" - Second out, 1 hour in (3rd/4).
Redemption/Exile Island duel record: (0-for-0)
- Cook Islands: None.
Tribal/team challenge record (4-for-9; 1 2nd):
- Winners at War, Ep. 1 F20 IC: "Water Slaughter" - With Tyson, scores the first point; Dakal wins, 3-1.
- Winners at War, Ep. 1 F19 IC: "Blue Lagoon Bustle" - Paddles, crosses obstacles, but Dakal loses.
- Winners at War, Ep. 2 RC/IC: "Draggin' the Dragon" - Assembles, hauls and dismantles the cart; Dakal wins.
- Winners at War, Ep. 3 RC/IC: "Along the Watch Tower" - Crosses obstacles, digs and carries ladder, and Dakal wins.
- Winners at War, Ep. 4 RC/IC: "Beyond the Wheel" - Swims and tows the boat, but Dakal blows the puzzle, loses.
- Winners at War, Ep. 5 IC: "Block in a Hard Place" - Now with Sele, crosses obstacles, knocks blocks, and Sele wins (1st/3).
- Winners at War, Ep. 6 IC: "Rice Race" - Crosses obstacles, chops open the rice bags, but Sele loses.
- Winners at War, Ep. 7 RC: "Ball-istic Missiles" - (Unaired). Sele finishes second (2nd*/3).
- Winners at War, Ep. 7 IC: "Dishwalla" - Helps carry the dish across obstacles, but Sele loses by a second.
Individual challenge record (0-for-2): (Mean % finish: 51.9%)
- Winners at War, Ep. 8 RC: "Back in the Saddle" - Reaches the snake maze, but does not win (tie-2nd/8).
- Winners at War, Ep. 14 EoE RC: "Don't Call It a Comeback" - Reaches the table maze, places no balls (tie-4th/13).
Hero challenge/ duel record (0-for-0):
- Winners at War: None.
Career totals - challenges
| Wins: | 15 |
| 2nd place: | 1 |
| Played: | 23 |
| Win%: | 0.67 |
| Sat out: | -- |
| Wins: | 0 |
| Played: | 10 |
| Win%: | 0.00 |
| Mean% Finish: | 56.2% |
| Wins: | 0 |
| Played: | 0 |
| Win%: | -- |
| Mean% Finish: | -- |
Yul Kwon - Tribal Council record
Idols held/played: (1/0)
- Cook Islands, Ep. 2/3: Exiled in Episode 2 (and shown there), on the morning of Day 7 (Episode 3), follows the Exile Island clues, then finds and digs up the hidden idol.
- Cook Islands, Ep. 11: Uses the threat of being able to play his idol after the vote to swing Penner away from the Raro alliance, giving Aitu a 5-4 advantage at the first post-merge Tribal Council.
VFB - Votes for the person booted (9/9):
- Cook Islands, Ep. 3: Cecilia Mansilla (voted out, 5-3).
- Cook Islands, Ep. 6: Cao Boi Bui (voted out, 6-1-1).
- Cook Islands, Ep. 7: Jessica 'Flica' Smith (voted out, 6-1).
- Cook Islands, Ep. 11: Nate Gonzalez (voted out, 5-4).
- Cook Islands, Ep. 12: Candice Woodcock (voted out, 5-3).
- Cook Islands, Ep. 13: Jonathan Penner (voted out, 6-1).
- Cook Islands, Ep. 14: Parvati Shallow (voted out, 4-2).
- Cook Islands, Ep. 15 (F5 vote): Adam Gentry (voted out, 4-1).
- Cook Islands, Ep. 15 (F4 vote): Sundra Oakley (voted out, 2-2).
VAP - Votes against (5):
- Cook Islands, Ep. 11: Four votes, from Adam, Parvati, Candice, and Nate.
- Cook Islands, Ep. 15 (F5 vote): One vote, from Adam.
Jury votes received (5/9):
- Cook Islands, Ep. 15: Received five jury votes, from Sundra Oakley, Adam Gentry, Jonathan Penner, Candice Woodcock, and Brad Virata (winner, 5-4-0).
Idols/advantages held/played (0/0):
- Winners at War: None.
VFB - Votes for the person booted (3/4):
- Winners at War, Ep. 1 (F19 vote): Amber Mariano (voted out, 6-3-1).
- Winners at War, Ep. 4: Tyson Apostol (voted out, 7-1-1).
- Winners at War, Ep. 6: Parvati Shallow (voted out, 3-2).
VAP - Votes against (3):
- Winners at War, Ep. 7: Three votes, from Michele, Nick, and Wendell (voted out, 3-1).
Jury votes made (1/1):
- Winners at War, Ep. 14: Voted for Tony Vlachos, who won, 12-4-0.
Career totals - Tribal Council
| Idols found: | 1 |
| Idols played: | 0 |
| Votes voided: | -- |
| VFB: | 12 |
| Tribals: | 13 |
| VAP: | 8 |
| Made: | 1 |
| For winners: | 1 |
| Received: | 5 |
| Total jurors: | 9 |
Yul Kwon - Pictures
-
Cook Islands intro shot -
Cook Islands intro shot -
Bonus Cook Islands intro shot -
Paddling with Puka, opening minutes -
The first Yul-vs-Ozzy shot, opening minutes -
Designated Puka pre-intro spokesman -
Pre-challenge lecture, Ep1 RC/IC -
Paddling, Ep1 RC/IC -
Puka gets to the puzzle -
Puka, about to win -
Puka wins! Ep1 RC/IC -
Winning Pukas -
Catching chickens, early Ep2 -
Puka pre-challenge lineup, Ep2 RC/IC -
Crossing the rope bridge -
Puka working the puzzle -
Sent to Exile Island as punishment for his success -
Deciphering the idol clues, Ep2 -
Artistic rendering of the clue -
Success -
Hugs, returning from Exile Island, pre-Ep3 swap -
Ready to swap tribes -
Not the first to pick, but Penner is -
New Aitu begins to take shape -
New Aitu'ed up -
Comparing alliance news with Becky -
Starting line, Ep3 RC/IC -
Perhaps not his wisest decision -
Trying to get Cao Boi on board, Ep3 -
Checking in with Penner -
New Aitu attends their first Tribal Council, Ep3 -
With Penner, taking out Cecilia -
Strung Along, Ep4 RC -
New Aitu works its puzzle -
New Aitu wins! -
New Aitu wins! (Bonus Aitu Four foreshadowing) -
More cheering! -
Starting line, Ep4 IC -
Time for even more hugs -
Waiting for weight, with Penner, Ep5 RC -
Aitu sans exiled Penner, post-Ep5 RC -
The Aitu Four (plus Candice, minus Ozzy) begins to form -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep5 IC -
Aitu, about to win -
Victory is theirs! Ep5 IC -
More hugs, of course -
Ep6 confessional -
Pre-challenge listening to Probst, Ep6 RC -
With Penner and half-dead Candice -
Aitu wins again, Ep6 RC -
Listening to Cao Boi's plan to split the votes and flush the idol, Ep6 -
Talking strategy with Becky -
Getting ready to vote out Cao Boi, Ep6 Tribal -
Aitu gorges on lamb, while Raro starts their Tribal -
Aitu learns they get to kidnap a Raro -
Oh, yay. Nate's here now. -
The core Aitus discuss Flica's spilling the beans to Nate, Ep7 -
Aitu pre-challenge lineup, Ep7 RC -
(Chilly) starting line -
About to lap Rebecca -
Aitu wins! Ep7 RC -
Aitu climbs its staircase, Ep7 IC -
Ziplining -
With Candice, waiting for Ozzy to finish his zipline/swim leg -
Aitu, Ep7 Tribal -
Pre-mutiny discussions with Penner and Candice, Ep9 -
Aitu, in the process of losing two more people, Ep9 mutiny -
Sad trombone -
With Ozzy, trying to win anyway, post-mutiny, Ep9 RC -
Pit-stop -
Tiny Aitu, about to win -
Aitu wins! Ep9 RC -
The winners, exiling Candice -
Aitu at their Ep9 reward -
Aw -
Enjoying the letters/pictures from home -
Happy for the bonding opportunity -
More hugs! -
Aitu, ready to go, Ep9 IC -
Ready... aim... -
Another win, Ep9 IC -
Aitu with their idol -
The Aitu Four, backs to the wall again, pre-Ep10 RC -
Compass Points puzzling with Sundra -
Hauling the chest -
Puzzle time with Becky -
Another Aitu win, Ep10 RC -
Happy winners -
Aitu arrives for its village getaway reward -
Cheers! -
Enjoying the cultural exchange -
Getting dance lessons -
Starting line, Ep10 IC -
Cheering on Becky -
Aitu works the puzzle -
Aitu wins again! Ep10 IC -
We're merging? Now? Ep11 -
Aitu, about to become Aitutonga -
Checking out that new buff smell -
Yay. Merge. -
First impressions of the new tribemates. -
More merge feast -
Enjoying Nate's merge antics -
Post-merge idol talk with Becky. -
Discussing using the idol as leverage to flip Penner -
First attempts to flip Penner, without revealing the idol. -
To be continued. -
Filling in Sundra on the idol/flip Penner plan -
Solidifying the Four (plus Penner). -
Next up on the idol reveal tour: Ozzy -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep11 IC -
Holding onto a pole -
Can't. Hold on. Much longer. -
Yeah, SURE you aren't, dude. -
The big unveiling -
Letting Penner admire the idol -
Deal? Sealed. Ep11 -
Feeling pretty safe, Ep11 Tribal Council -
Phew. Ep11 Tribal. -
Psst... thanks, Penner. -
Well... that turned out pretty well. -
Auction time, Ep12 -
Oh, uh, by the way, Candice: The idol isn't on Exile Island any more. Sorry. -
Eh, go ahead and have your 420 ice cream, Ozzy. -
Auctions are stressful -
Alerting Penner to the tribe's discontent -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep12 IC -
First round -
Watching the second round from the bench -
Fielding requests from Adam and Parvati -
Not eating with/feeding the former Raros -
Getting jury management advice from Becky -
So long, Candice. -
Reacting to the loved ones RC announcement -
Greeting his brother, Ep13 RC -
Ready to go, Ep13 loved ones RC -
Blindly scooping -
Taking a shot -
I think Parvati's exiling you, Penner -
Indeed -
Yes, just imagine -
Contemplating hiding food from Adam/Parvati -
Hiding the food, Ep13 -
Starting line, Ozzy's great challenge run (here, Ep13 IC) -
On the course -
Trying to catch up to Ozzy -
Warning Penner that trouble's coming -
Ep13 Tribal, ready to vote out Penner -
Aitu Four, still solid, Ep14 -
Treemail time -
Ready to get muddy, Ep14 RC -
Just a bit ahead of Adam -
Third? I'll take it! -
The three muddy reward-goers, Ep14 -
Cleaned up, enjoying the reward -
Keeping an eye on Parvati and Ozzy -
Not fooled by Parvati's flirting -
Back in camp -
Checking in with Becky -
Double-checking with Becky and Sundra -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep14 IC -
Getting close to the lead -
Neck and neck with Ozzy -
Not close enough -
Ready for the post-IC lobbying -
Please boot Adam instead of me -
Seeing a jury management opportunity -
Penner impression -
Ep14 Tribal Council -
Still here. Ep15 -
About to head out to the F5 IC -
Pre-challenge lineup, F5 IC -
Starting line -
Everybody working puzzles -
Well done again, Ozzy -
Man, I really need a drink -
Yup, we're voting out Adam -
And now, the Aitu Four are the Final Four -
Happy to have gotten this far with his alliance intact. -
Ready for Rites of Passage and the final IC, Ep15 -
Pretend paddling -
Well. THOSE won't be going up on eBay. -
Pre-challenge lineup, F4 IC -
Still in it... -
Just about out. F4 IC -
Going over final vote options with Ozzy -
Hoping the tie vote works out -
Final four Tribal Council -
Survivor's first Final Three. -
Finale/reunion, ready for the final vote read. -
Ooh, this is close! (Except for Becky) -
The winner of Survivor: Cook Islands... Yul -
(Just won) -
Winner's chyron -
Cook Islands finale/reunion show
-
Winners at War intro shot -
Winners at War intro shot -
Preview headshot -
On the boat, Day 1 -
Watching the women arrive -
A toast to 20 years, 20 winners... -
With the newly formed Dakal tribe -
Starting line, Ep1 F20 IC -
Just scored a point -
Dakal wins! -
Talking about adjusting to the new game -
Building the shelter -
Bonding with Sophie -
She seems like a smart player -
Adding Nick and Wendell to the alliance -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep1 F19 IC -
Pushing the boat out -
Watching Wendell toss rings -
The losing Dakals -
Dakal, Ep1 F19 Tribal Council -
Listening to Kim -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep2 RC/IC -
Watching Tyson retrieve a key -
Pushing the cart -
Watching the puzzle stage -
Dakal wins! -
Talking about Tony and the shark, Ep3 -
Put it in the bucket! -
Telling Sandra about Tyson's plotting against her -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep3 RC/IC -
Carrying the ladder -
Watching the puzzle stage -
Dakal wins! -
Talking about Edge of Extinction, Ep4 -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep4 RC/IC -
Starting line -
Watching the puzzle stage -
Sure, voting out Nick makes sense, Tyson -
Heading to Tribal -
Dakal, Ep4 Tribal Council -
Talking to Probst -
Talking about Jonathan Penner and Stacy Title, Ep5 -
Sharing the story with Wendell and Sophie -
Picking new buffs -
Three new tribes -
The new Sele tribe -
Sele tribe meet-and-greet -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep5 RC/IC -
Crossing obstacles -
Knocking blocks -
Watching the puzzle stage -
Sele wins! -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep6 IC -
Starting line -
Sele, leading -
Watching the table maze -
Sele, Ep6 Tribal Council -
Talking about the awkward Tribal, Ep7 -
Having a discussion with Wendell -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep7 IC -
Moving the dish -
Sele loses by a second -
The barely losing Seles -
Not happy with Wendell's performance -
We're voting Wendell, right Nick? -
Plotting with Michele -
Talking about the plan -
Heading to Tribal -
Sele, Ep7 Tribal Council -
Talking to Probst -
Ninth person voted out of Winners at War... -
Snuffed, Episode 7 (Day 18) -
Heading to the re-entry challenge, Ep8 -
Pre-challenge lineup -
Starting line -
Untying bags of sticks -
Retrieving a key -
On the snake maze -
The non-winners, heading back to the Edge -
Reading the Edge riddle, Ep9 -
The loved ones are coming! Ep10 -
Saying goodbye -
Meditating, Ep11 -
Listening to Rob read the note for the coconut task, Ep12 -
Jogging for coconuts -
Time for the re-entry challenge, Day 35 -
Happy to spend tokens for an advantage in the challenge -
Heading to the challenge -
Pre-challenge lineup, Ep14 RC -
Starting line -
Post-challenge reflections -
Full jury, Final Tribal Council -
Full cast finale composite
Yul Kwon - Interviews
Pre-game interviews
- Jeff Probst & Harry Smith on The Early Show cast reveal at CBSNews.com (8/23/06)
Post-game interviews
- Staci Krause at IGN.com (12/20/06): "Survivor: Cook Islands Winner Interview: Yul"
- Tashi Tagg at TVSA (11/27/07): "Survivor: Cook Islands Interview: Yul Kwon"
- Dalton Ross at EW.com (4/7/12): "Survivor winner Yul Kwon talks about his new show, and whether he'll ever head back to the island"
- Rob Cesternino at RHAP (5/9/12): "Survivor Winner Yul Kwon 'Reveals' All and Checking In with Stacey Powell"
Pre-game interviews
- Sangita Patel for ET Canada (1/15/20): "Yul Kwon on Representing Asian-Americans on Survivor: Winners at War"
- Dalton Ross at EW.com (1/20/20): "Yul Kwon on why he feels liberated heading into Survivor: Winners at War"
- Mike Bloom at Parade.com (1/21/20): "Yul Kwon Is Coming Back With a Level Head and a Packed Résumé"
- Gordon Holmes at XfinityTV.com (2/6/20): "Yul Kwon - 'People Assume I'm Going to Play a Clean Game'"
Post-game interviews
- None yet.
Yul Kwon - Bios
From his official CBS Survivor: Cook Islands bio page:
"Yul Kwon was born in Queens, New York to parents who emigrated from South Korea. The family moved to the West Coast when he was six years old and he was raised in Concord, California. He attended high school at Northgate High in Walnut Creek, California, where he played varsity water polo and track and graduated valedictorian.
Kwon then attended Stanford University and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in symbolic systems (theoretical computer science). While at Stanford, he received the James Lyons Award for Service, attended officer candidates school for the U.S. Marine Corps and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Kwon went on to receive his Juris Doctor Degree from Yale Law School, where he served on the editorial board of the Yale Law Journal.
Kwon has enjoyed a diverse career straddling both the private and public sectors in law, business and technology. He practiced a mix of litigation, appellate, transactional and regulatory work at several law firms. He also served as a judicial clerk to a federal judge on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. Additionally, he worked as a legislative aide to Senator Joseph Lieberman in Washington, D.C., where he helped draft sections of the Homeland Security Bill and other technology-related legislation. Several years ago, Kwon decided to switch careers and become a management consultant at McKinsey. From there, he joined Google's business strategy group and most recently went back into consulting.
Kwon's favorite hobbies include politics, boxing, ultimate fighting and volunteering with kids. He describes himself as idealistic, compassionate and ambitious. He became passionate about creating awareness for more minority bone marrow donors in the U.S. after launching a major search to find a match for his best friend who was diagnosed with leukemia, but ultimately succumbed to the disease.
Kwon is a member of the Washington, D.C. and California State Bar Associations. He is also a member of the Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity.
Kwon currently resides in San Mateo, California. His birth date is February 14, 1975."
Excerpts from his official CBS Survivor: Winners at War cast bio page (1/15/20):
"Pet peeves: People who don't wash their hands after using the toilet. I'm a total germophobe.
When did you first watch Survivor?
Survivor: Borneo!
Who is your inspiration in life?
I once heard someone say that the richness of a person's life isn't measured by money, but by the people in it. I felt inspired by this back then, and continue to believe it today.
What does Survivor mean to you and your family?
I owe my family to Survivor. I met my wife after we were set up by Brad Virata (my tribemate from Cook Islands) and now we have two beautiful girls who just watched Survivor for the first time!
What is one way playing Survivor changed your life?
Winning Survivor gave me a platform for raising awareness of issues I care about, from diversity in media, to the need for more minority bone marrow donors, to the importance of civic and political engagement. It also gave me a lifelong aversion to eating coconuts.
As Survivor approaches Season 40 and celebrates 20 years on television, what does it mean to be a part of the legacy?
It's gratifying to be part of something that changed the media landscape and brought more diversity onscreen to mainstream audiences. Survivor showed that, regardless of gender or ethnic differences, we're all human beings who share a common capacity for connection, inspiration, and glee over well-executed blindsides.
How will you play differently than you did in your past season?
When I played on Cook Islands, I felt as though I had to walk on eggshells and monitor every word, especially in light of the surprise theme for that season. Now that I'm free of those constraints, I'm just gonna let it rip!"