''Running Man'' () is a South Korean
variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical theatre, musical performances, sketch comedy, magic (illusion), magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is ...
, formerly part of
SBS' ''
Good Sunday
''Good Sunday'' ( ko, 일요일이 좋다) is a South Korean reality-variety show shown on the SBS network, which competes directly against MBC's '' Sunday Night'' and KBS2's ''Happy Sunday'' line-up. The program has suffered from the competit ...
'' lineup. It was first aired on July 11, 2010.
''Running Man'' was originally classified as an "urban action variety"; a genre of variety shows in an
urban environment
An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, ...
. The
MCs and guests were to complete missions at a
landmark
A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances.
In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...
to win the race. The show has since shifted to a more familiar
reality
Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...
-
variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
show concept focused on
games. It has garnered attention as being the comeback program for
Yoo Jae-suk
Yoo Jae-suk (; or ; born on 14 August 1972) is a South Korean comedian, host and television personality. He has hosted several variety television shows in South Korea, including ''Infinite Challenge'', '' Running Man'', '' Happy Together, and ...
, the main MC of the program, after leaving ''Good Sunday''s ''
Family Outing
''Family Outing'' (; also known as ''Family Outing Season 1'') was a South Korean comedy-variety show; part of SBS's ''Good Sunday'' lineup, along with ''Gold Miss is Coming'' (골드미스가 간다). It first aired on June 15, 2008, and was ...
'' in February 2010.
The show has become popular in other parts of Asia, and has gained online popularity among
Hallyu fans, having been
fansub
A fansub (short for fan-subtitled) is a version of a foreign film or foreign television program, typically anime or dorama which has been translated by fans (as opposed to an officially licensed translation done by paid professionals) and subtitl ...
bed into various languages, such as English, Persian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, Burmese, Arabic, Russian, and Turkish.
The show has made it to the list of ''
Business Insider
''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German publ ...
''s 20 TV Shows of 2016.
Since April 2017, ''Running Man'' is airing as the first part of ''Good Sunday'' at 4:50 pm
KST and competing against
KBS2
The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters.
KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...
's ''
The Return of Superman'' and
MBC's ''
King of Mask Singer
''The King of Mask Singer'' () is a South Korean singing competition program presented by Kim Sung-joo, with introductions by voice actor . It airs on MBC on Sunday, starting from April 5, 2015 as a part of MBC's '' Sunday Night'' programming ...
''. ''Running Man'' previously aired at 6:25 pm KST on Sundays, as the second part of ''Good Sunday'', competing against KBS2's ''
2 Days & 1 Night''. The show had its special episode on Sunday, July 12, 2020, in celebration of their 10th anniversary.
Format
Current
As of episode 48, the members have taken part in a series of missions to become the winner(s) at the end of the race. Missions form the basis of ''Running Man'' as members try to avoid punishment in earlier episodes or to win prizes. Multiple missions are presented in each episode, with the highlight of ''Running Man'' being ''race missions''. The format of the show has veered away from the "race mission + others" to "one continuous race + missions".
Previous
Personnel
Cast members
Current
*
Yoo Jae-suk
Yoo Jae-suk (; or ; born on 14 August 1972) is a South Korean comedian, host and television personality. He has hosted several variety television shows in South Korea, including ''Infinite Challenge'', '' Running Man'', '' Happy Together, and ...
(Episode 1–present)
*
Haha
Haha or ha ha is an onomatopoeic representation of laughter.
Haha and variants may also refer to:
People
* Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (born 1992), American football player
* Haha (entertainer) (born 1979), Entertainer
Places
* Saint-Louis-du ...
(Episode 1–present)
*
Jee Seok-jin
Jee Seok-jin (, born February 10, 1966) is a South Korean comedian, singer, television presenter, actor, and broadcaster. He graduated from Ajou University with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration.
In 1992, Jee Seok-jin debuted as a ...
(Episode 1–present)
*
Kim Jong-kook
Kim Jong-kook (; born April 25, 1976) is a South Korean singer, entertainer, and actor. Kim debuted as a member of South Korean duo Turbo in 1995. The duo was considered to be one of the most popular idols in that time and sold out millions of ...
(Episode 1–present)
*
Song Ji-hyo
Cheon Soo-yeon (born Cheon Seong-im on 15 August 1981), professionally known by her stage name Song Ji-hyo, is a South Korean actress and model. Song is one of the regular cast members of the South Korean variety show '' Running Man'' since 201 ...
(Episode 6–present)
*
Jeon So-min
Jeon So-min (; born April 7, 1986) is a South Korean actress, model and author. Jeon made her debut in 2004 with sitcom ''Miracle''. In 2006, she made her big-screen debut through the film, ''Cinderella''. Jeon played her first leading role in ...
(Episode 346–present)
*
Yang Se-chan
Yang Se-chan (born December 8, 1986), is a South Korean comedian and singer. As of April 2017, Yang, along with Jeon So-min, was added as a regular cast member of South Korean variety show '' Running Man''.
Personal life
He is also famous for t ...
(Episode 346–present)
Former
*
Lizzy (Episode 18–25)
*
Song Joong-ki
Song Joong-ki (; born September 19, 1985) is a South Korean actor. He rose to fame in the historical coming-of-age drama ''Sungkyunkwan Scandal'' (2010) and the variety show '' Running Man'' (2010–2011) as one of the original cast members. S ...
(Episode 1–41)
*
Gary (Episode 1–324)
*
Lee Kwang-soo
Lee Kwang-soo (, born July 14, 1985) is a South Korean actor, entertainer, and model. He made his acting debut in the sitcom ''Here He Comes'' (2008) and received further recognition for his roles in medical melodrama ''It's Okay, That's Love'' ...
(Episode 1–559)
Timeline
The original cast members consists of
Yoo Jae-suk
Yoo Jae-suk (; or ; born on 14 August 1972) is a South Korean comedian, host and television personality. He has hosted several variety television shows in South Korea, including ''Infinite Challenge'', '' Running Man'', '' Happy Together, and ...
,
Gary,
Haha
Haha or ha ha is an onomatopoeic representation of laughter.
Haha and variants may also refer to:
People
* Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (born 1992), American football player
* Haha (entertainer) (born 1979), Entertainer
Places
* Saint-Louis-du ...
,
Ji Suk-jin
Jee Seok-jin (, born February 10, 1966) is a South Korean comedian, singer, television presenter, actor, and broadcaster. He graduated from Ajou University with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration.
In 1992, Jee Seok-jin debuted as ...
,
Kim Jong-kook
Kim Jong-kook (; born April 25, 1976) is a South Korean singer, entertainer, and actor. Kim debuted as a member of South Korean duo Turbo in 1995. The duo was considered to be one of the most popular idols in that time and sold out millions of ...
,
Lee Kwang-soo
Lee Kwang-soo (, born July 14, 1985) is a South Korean actor, entertainer, and model. He made his acting debut in the sitcom ''Here He Comes'' (2008) and received further recognition for his roles in medical melodrama ''It's Okay, That's Love'' ...
and
Song Joong-ki
Song Joong-ki (; born September 19, 1985) is a South Korean actor. He rose to fame in the historical coming-of-age drama ''Sungkyunkwan Scandal'' (2010) and the variety show '' Running Man'' (2010–2011) as one of the original cast members. S ...
.
Song Ji-hyo
Cheon Soo-yeon (born Cheon Seong-im on 15 August 1981), professionally known by her stage name Song Ji-hyo, is a South Korean actress and model. Song is one of the regular cast members of the South Korean variety show '' Running Man'' since 201 ...
was originally a guest for the second (episode 2–3) and third landmark (episode 4–5). She officially joined the program in the fourth landmark (episode 6) but was unable to attend until the fifth landmark (episode 7). In April 2011, Song Joong-ki recorded his last episode (episode 41) in May, and has left the program to focus on his acting career but returned on episode 66 as a guest after leaving for almost half a year, and later made cameo appearances in several episodes.
After School's
Lizzy was initially a guest for episode 13 and 14, and would later join in episode 18 as official member. However, she left show from episode 26 due to schedule conflicts with her group activities. She later returned as a guest in episode 292, 5 years since her last appearance.
On October 25, 2016, Gary announced his departure from the show to focus on his music career after being with ''Running Man'' for 6 years, but later returned as a guest, a week after his final recording.
On April 3, 2017, it was confirmed through various media outlets that ''Running Man'' is adding actress
Jeon So-min
Jeon So-min (; born April 7, 1986) is a South Korean actress, model and author. Jeon made her debut in 2004 with sitcom ''Miracle''. In 2006, she made her big-screen debut through the film, ''Cinderella''. Jeon played her first leading role in ...
and comedian
Yang Se-chan
Yang Se-chan (born December 8, 1986), is a South Korean comedian and singer. As of April 2017, Yang, along with Jeon So-min, was added as a regular cast member of South Korean variety show '' Running Man''.
Personal life
He is also famous for t ...
.
On April 27, 2021,
Lee Kwang-soo
Lee Kwang-soo (, born July 14, 1985) is a South Korean actor, entertainer, and model. He made his acting debut in the sitcom ''Here He Comes'' (2008) and received further recognition for his roles in medical melodrama ''It's Okay, That's Love'' ...
announced his departure, becoming the third original cast member to leave the show.
Production staff
The staff run the games, often showing up on camera either by actively participating in the game or influencing the outcome of various missions.
This includes the personal cameramen (VJs), production directors (PDs), floor directors (FDs), stylists, boom operators, etc.
Chief producer, Nam Seung-yong, is responsible for the production of the program, with PD Jo Hyo-jin, Im Hyung-taek, and Kim Joo-hyung (also known as Myeok PD) mainly responsible for the directing and production of the recordings of the program since inception. Other PDs have joined the program to assist as the program shifts from a single landmark to multiple locations for recording, notably Hwang Seon-man, Jeong Cheol-min, and Lee Hwan-jin. FD Go Dong-wan assists in the recordings of the program and is known to be shown on camera many times, as well as delivering and assisting the members in missions. Producer Kim Joo-hyung has left the show as of episode 182 as he was reassigned to ''
Inkigayo
''Inkigayo'' ( ko, 인기가요; English title: ''The Music Trend'', previously ''Popular Song'') is a South Korean music program broadcast by SBS. It airs live every Sunday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who p ...
''.
Each member has their own personal cameramen who follow them around exclusively during recordings. Notable cameramen include Ryu Kwon-ryeol (Yoo Jae-suk's primary VJ), Kim Yoo-seok (Jee Seok-jin's primary VJ), Choi Yoon-sang (former primary VJ for Lee Kwang-soo), Yoon Sung-yong (Haha's primary VJ), Sung Gyu (Song Ji-hyo's primary VJ), Jo Seong-Oh (Gary's primary VJ, now Yang Se-chan's primary VJ), Kim Ki-jin (Kim Jong-kook's primary VJ), and Ji Bong-jo (Jeon So-min's primary VJ).
On November 19, 2014, the show's head director, Jo Hyo-jin, announced his departure from the show after working with the members for four years.
On March 20, 2016, the show's main PD, Im Hyung-taek left the show (as of episode 291) as he became the producer of ''
Hurry Up, Brother'', resulting in new generation PDs to take over, notably PD Lee Hwan-jin, PD Jeong Cheol-min, and PD Park Yong-woo. FD Go Dong-wan also announced his leave via his
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
.
On July 3, 2016, SBS confirmed the return of producer Kim Joo-hyung to the show. That same month, it is confirmed that he will be the new main PD of the show. However, it didn't last long as PD Kim Joo-hyung announced that he is leaving the show shortly after. Subsequently, PD Lee Hwan-jin took over as the main PD of ''Running Man'' until March 2017. In April 2017, PD Jeong Cheol-min took over from PD Lee Hwan-Jin as the ''Running Man'' main PD.
In July 2018, PD Jeong Cheol-min took a break and PD Lee Hwan-jin temporarily took over as main PD of the show. PD Jeong returned in May 2019 replacing PD Lee, leading the show till February 5, 2020, where he left the show and SBS. His role was taken over by PD Choi Bo-pil.
On August 1, 2022, SBS announced that PD Choi Bo-pil would be leaving the show, with PD Choi Hyung-in taking over the role, making her the first female production director in the show's history.
Guests with the most appearances
During its run, some of the guests were occasionally featured or invited to the show. The following list are guests who appeared the most often as of November 27, 2022.
List of episodes
List of guests
Many guests have taken part in ''Running Man''. The following is a compilation of guests and the number of times they have been on the show.
With regards to guest-turned-members (Song Ji-hyo, Jeon So-min, Yang Se-chan) or former members of the show (Lizzy, Song Joong-ki, Gary, Lee Kwang-soo ), only the times they were a guest are counted. The guests were sorted according to their appearances and the number of episodes appeared.
Reception
The first episode of the show received mixed reviews. According to ''Asiae'', the show concept was promising, but the crew could not use the location to full potential, and the pace was not fast and dynamic enough.
Despite a slow start, ''Running Man'' became increasingly popular in South Korea and throughout Asia.
In its home country the show is watched by 2.1 million people on average. Due to the existence of
fansub
A fansub (short for fan-subtitled) is a version of a foreign film or foreign television program, typically anime or dorama which has been translated by fans (as opposed to an officially licensed translation done by paid professionals) and subtitl ...
s, it is watched outside of Asia as well, being translated into English, Spanish and Arabic, among others.
According to ''
The Straits Times
''The Straits Times'' is an English-language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore and currently owned by SPH Media Trust (previously Singapore Press Holdings). ''The Sunday Times'' is its Sunday edition. The newspaper was established ...
'' (an English language daily newspaper in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
), the popularity of the show is due to its unpredictability, the comedy involved, the celebrity guests and the chemistry between the regular cast members.
Assistant professor Liew Kai Khiun at the
Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) attributes the appeal of ''Running Man'' to the ability of using public space in a creative way: "Running Man is about taking audiences to the various corners of not only South Korea, but the region as well. In the rather fast-paced urban societies in Asia, the show helps to provide release from the daily tensions that such streets and buildings are associated with."
Liew thinks that the cast members are not particularly good looking, thus have nothing to lose, even if they "wrestle with one another like children".
According to producer Jo Hyo-jin, the show is popular because the concept of having to choose a winner is culturally easy to understand. He also named the good relationship between the regular members as one of the reasons for the show's success.
Celebrity guests like
Super Junior
Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their prominent ...
,
Girls' Generation
Girls' Generation (), also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Originally a nine-piece ensembl ...
and
f(x) play an important part in the success as well, although they sometimes induce criticism. For example, after the airing of the
Big Bang episodes, some viewers complained that the band won too easily. Jo Hyo-jin, however, denied any special treatment of the celebrities. Jo explained that fans are also highly critical of the games, therefore it is not possible for the crew to reuse games without changing them.
The regular members of ''Running Man'' have held several fan meetings throughout Asia. In October 2013, their Singapore fan meeting drew a crowd of 3,000. When the cast arrived for shooting in Vietnam and other countries, they were greeted by thousands of fans at the airport.
Discography
In conjunction with the 9th year of show, the show held their first ever fan-meeting in South Korea. During the fan-meeting, they collaborate with the different singers. On September 22, 2019, the extended play titled ''Running Man Fan Meeting: Project Running 9'' was released.
Ratings
In the ratings below, the highest rating for the show is in , and the lowest rating for the show is in each year.
* ''Good Sunday'' divides its program into two parts, ''Running Man'' airs as ''Good Sunday Part 1''.
* Ratings listed below are the individual corner ratings of ''Running Man''. (Note: Individual corner ratings do not include commercial time, which regular ratings include.)
* Ratings listed below are the individual corner ratings of ''Running Man''. (Note: Individual corner ratings do not include commercial time, which regular ratings include.)
* Ratings listed below are the individual corner ratings of ''Running Man''. (Note: Individual corner ratings do not include commercial time, which regular ratings include.)
* Ratings listed below are the individual corner ratings of ''Running Man''. (Note: Individual corner ratings do not include commercial time, which regular ratings include.)
* Ratings listed below are the individual corner ratings of ''Running Man''. (Note: Individual corner ratings do not include commercial time, which regular ratings include.)
* Ratings listed below are the individual corner ratings of ''Running Man''. (Note: Individual corner ratings do not include commercial time, which regular ratings include.)
* Note for TNmS ratings, the ones listed here is the higher ratings chosen amongst ratings for each episodes.
Tours
Other works
Merchandising
In order to "relay the feeling of ''Running Man''", ''Running Man'' has made merchandises available on sale since 2015. The products ranging from stickers, socks, hats, shirts, and shoes.
On May 26, 2015, a special project called the "''Running Man'' Challenge" was made in collaboration with a footwear co-created platform, ROOY. Its main objective is for the fans to design a shoe that "would unify and coordinate between the cast members." 777 submissions were made, and in June 2015, a design made by a fan named Noh Seung-soo was selected to be the official design for the shoes. The shoes went on sale on February 22, 2016. Currently, a second "''Running Man'' Challenge" is held. The winner for this challenge will have their design to be the new shoes.
In 2016, ''Running Man'' collaborated with
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
to make a 300th Anniversary special hats and shirts.
Animation
On June 14, 2017, it was announced that ''Running Man'' will be adapted into a half-hour animated show. It features the original seven members, including former member Gary, in animal form. The show will have 24 episodes and
EXO-CBX
Exo-CBX ( ''Exo-Chen-Baek-Xi''; stylized as EXO-CBX) is the first official sub-unit of South Korean–Chinese boy band Exo. Formed by SM Entertainment in 2016, the group is composed of three Exo members: Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin. Their debut e ...
will provide the theme song for it. Additionally, the animated show will be the first to be broadcast in
UHD in South Korea. On August 11, 2018, the animated show premiered on
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
in Southeast Asia as an English dub.
On December 5, 2018, the "Running Man, 2018" animated series was released in theaters. On December 19, 2020, an animated movie, originally serving as a six-episode preview of the new season, premiered on Cartoon Network in Southeast Asia as an English dub with the title "Running Man: The Ultimate Challenge".
Comic book
In March 2013, a comic book adaptation of the series was published. The series, titled ''Running Man: How do I Find the Kidnapped Idol?'', is written by Hong Yong-hoon and illustrated by Kim Moon-shik. The comic book, which is aimed for children, was released on March 25, 2013.
Musical
On March 30 and 31, 2019, a play which was titled, "The Musical Running Man" was performed at Busan Citizen's Hall.
Other appearances
International versions
Running Man had first sold the franchise to China which became ''
Running Man China'' in 2014. They later sold the franchise to Vietnam and Indonesia in 2019.
As of June 6, 2019, there have been aired 9 seasons within 3 franchises of ''Running Man''.
: Currently airing (2)
: An upcoming season (2)
: Status unknown (0)
: No longer airing (0)
}''
''Hurry Up, Brother''
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Zhejiang Television
Zhejiang Television (ZJTV, ) is a satellite television channel owned by Zhejiang Radio and Television Group serving Zhejiang Province. It was launched on October 1, 1960.
History
January 1, 1994, Zhejiang TV program first started to use satel ...
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Keep Running
Keep Running is a song written by Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes for the fourth studio album ''Let It Break''. It was the second single release from the album.
Background
The song was previously titled 'Tokyo' and some of the lyrics feat ...
''
''奔跑吧''
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, ''
Running Man Vietnam''
'' vi, Chạy đi chờ chi, labels=no''
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HTV7
HTV7 is a entertainment sociocultural TV channel in Vietnam, broadcast by Ho Chi Minh City Television since 1987.
History of formation and development
* Before January 27, 1973, this was the channel serving the US Army stationed in Southern V ...
, style="text-align:left" ,
Season 1, 2019:
Ninh Dương Lan Ngọc
Ninh Dương Lan Ngọc (born April 4, 1990), short name Lan Ngọc, is a Vietnamese actress. She gained popularity with her lead role in '' The Floating Lives'', for which she won the Best Leading Actress award at the 2010 Kite Awards.
Early ...
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, -
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Running Man Vietnam''
''Chơi là chạy''
, style="text-align:left" ,
Season 2, 2021:
Ngô Kiến Huy
Lê Thành Dương (born 29 June 1988), better known by his stage name as Ngô Kiến Huy, is a Vietnamese singer, actor and television host.
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Running Man Philippines
''Running Man Philippines'' is a 2022 Philippine television reality show broadcast by GMA Network. The series is based on a South Korean television variety series of the same title. It stars Mikael Daez, Glaiza de Castro, Ruru Madrid, Bubo ...
''
,
GMA Network
GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...
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, ''Running Man Indonesia''
, TBA
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, TBA
Spin-off
''Outrun by Running Man'' is the first official spin-off series of the long running programmme, featuring original cast members
Haha
Haha or ha ha is an onomatopoeic representation of laughter.
Haha and variants may also refer to:
People
* Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (born 1992), American football player
* Haha (entertainer) (born 1979), Entertainer
Places
* Saint-Louis-du ...
,
Jee Seok-jin
Jee Seok-jin (, born February 10, 1966) is a South Korean comedian, singer, television presenter, actor, and broadcaster. He graduated from Ajou University with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration.
In 1992, Jee Seok-jin debuted as a ...
and
Kim Jong-kook
Kim Jong-kook (; born April 25, 1976) is a South Korean singer, entertainer, and actor. Kim debuted as a member of South Korean duo Turbo in 1995. The duo was considered to be one of the most popular idols in that time and sold out millions of ...
. The show premiered on November 12, 2021, and is available for streaming on
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
platform.
Controversy
Gary's departure
In September 2012, Gary made a surprising announcement on social media about his intention to leave the program. It is believed that his intention came from the recent criticism concerning the "Super 7 Concert" which his company, Leessang Company, was producing. Gary decided to take responsibility for its failure by resigning himself from any activities. Due to this, ''Running Man'' production staff and the members decided to postpone their filming schedule on September 24–25, 2012 to convince him to stay in the program. A week later, Gary officially apologized for the controversy he created and confirmed his decision to remain as a member of the program. In 2016, Gary again announced his departure from Running Man to focus on his music. This caused Running Man to have a 6-member cast for a few months before casting two new members, Yang Se Chan and Jeon So Min. Gary returned on episode 336 as a surprise guest.
Season 2 proposal
On December 14, 2016, it was announced that Kim Jong-kook and Song Ji-hyo were leaving the show, as a new season with a new format starring the remaining cast members and new member
Kang Ho-dong
Kang Ho-dong (born June 11, 1970) is a South Korean television host and comedian, who first became known to Koreans as one of the top Korean traditional wrestlers.
In 2008, Kang Ho Dong became the first comedian in history to win the Baeksan ...
would air in January 2017. Initial reception was mixed. However, it was revealed that Kim Jong-kook and Song Ji-hyo were not given any notice about their removal, resulting in an overwhelming negative reaction. In addition, news of Kang refusing the offer to join the new season resulted in a possible cancellation of Season 2 of ''Running Man''.
On December 16, 2016, an emergency meeting was held with the consensus reached that all members would leave, ending the program altogether in February 2017
with a subsequent program taking its place.
However, on January 24, 2017, SBS announced that the show will continue airing with all of the remaining cast members. The decision came after Nam Seung-yong, the new Vice President of SBS Entertainment Headquarters, who was involved in conceiving ''Running Man'', had further conversations with every member in regards to the show's future. Subsequently, after apologizing to Kim Jong-kook and Song Ji-hyo for all of the issues regarding the program, the former then became actively involved in convincing the other members to continue working on the program.
Webtoon Plagiarism
On April 28, 2019, Running Man was criticized for plagiarizing Naver webtoon “Money Game”. The aired episode showed cast members put into a studio and given money to spend as a group. The fans of the "Money Game" webtoon pointed out the similarities between the episode concept and the webtoon's storyline. “Money Game” writer Bae Jin-Soo and Naver Webtoon, the platform in which the webtoon is published, both stated that they never received prior notificafion or requests for consent to be able to adopt the "Money Game" storyline into a Running Man episode. In response, producers of Running Man issued an apology to both parties.
Depiction of Taiwan
During an episode aired on December 7, 2020, the show depicted
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
as separate countries when playing a board game, which caused outrage and call for boycotts in China.
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Awards and nominations
References
External links
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{{Good Sunday
Seoul Broadcasting System original programming
South Korean variety television shows
South Korean game shows
2010 South Korean television series debuts
Korean-language television shows
Television game shows with incorrect disambiguation