Jee Seok-jin is back with 'Running Man'!

2023 was not a good year for 'Running Man' fans, as not only Jeon So-min left the cast on October 20, and Yonhap News reported that Jee Seok-jin had left the show too. But Jee Seok-jin is back in action after his break!

Image: jeeseokjin / Instagram

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Jee Seok-jin is a South Korean comedian who is best known for being the MC for the hit variety show 'Star Golden Bell'. Since the show's ending, he is now best known for being one of the founding cast members of 'Running Man', reports Osen.

Image: SBS

Yonhap News reports that Jee Seok-jin had unexpectedly come up with health issues that necessitated the star taking a break from participating in 'Running Man'. Fans were concerned since little information has been provided about his health.

Image: jeeseokjin / Instagram

Despite the unsettling news, Jee Seok-jin's agency, ESteen Entertainment, has assured fans that the comedian will return to the show after recovering from his illness, though no specific timeline has been provided.

Image: jeeseokjin / Instagram

2024 is off to a good beginning for 'Running Man' fans, as The Straits Times reports that Jee Seok-jin is back in the show after a month's hiatus.

Image: jeeseokjin / Instagram

The latest 'Running Man' episode with Jee Seok-jin's return airs on January 28, according to Channel News Asia. Jee Seok-jin has returned to the show, but he refused to reveal what caused his break. However, his return indicates that he is in better shape.

Image: jeeseokjin / Instagram

Jee Seok-jin was the second member to leave the show in 2023 as earlier on October 20, Jeon So-min filmed her very last episode of 'Running Man'. However, unlike Jee Seok-jin's case, her departure is a permanent one.

Image: jsomin86 / Instagram

SBS’s ‘Running Man’ is a South Korean variety show based around the concept of “urban action variety”. The programme sees its cast members and guests compete in multiple games around landmarks to win hints to complete missions. Its first episode was aired on SBS on 11 July 2010.

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Since its inception, ‘Running Man’ has consistently topped television ratings to become one of the highest-rated variety shows on South Korean television. The popularity of the programme has led its cast members to be well-known not only in Korea, but also internationally.

Due to negative backlash on the news of Song Ji-Hyo and Kim Jong-Kook being forced off ‘Running Man’, SBS announced that the show will permanently end in February 2017, Koreaboo reports. According to Koreaboo, SBS decided to shut down the programme after rumours of other cast members secretly planning to leave ‘Running Man’ together in solidarity with their two castmates surfaced.

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In December 2016, controversy ensued when it was revealed that Song Ji-Hyo and Kim Jong-Kook were to be removed from ‘Running Man’ without their knowledge, Koreaboo reports. According to Koreaboo, the production team of ‘Running Man’ made this decision to kick off both stars to revamp the show with a new style and format in a bid to improve ratings. They were intending to create a season 2 of the show with new cast members.

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After much controversy throughout the previous weeks, SBS announced in January 2017 that ‘Running Man’ will continue with all its original cast members, Koreaboo reports. SBS revealed that they made this decision to repay fans who have loved and supported the show over the past 7 years.

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A few months later in April 2017, ‘Running Man’ announced the addition of comedian Yang Se-Chan and actress Jeon So-Min to the show, The Straits Times reports. This means that ‘Running Man’ would now have eight fixed cast members instead of the original six. However, this changed in 2023 with Jeon So-min's departure.

(Image: SBS)

Jeon So-min is a South Korean actress who is best known for her debut on the big screen in the Korean horror film 'Cinderella'. She is also known for winning a Best New Actress Award for her work in MBC's 'Princess Aurora'.

Image: jsomin86 / Instagram

It was announced in 2017 that Jeon So-min was to join the cast of the 'Running Man' franchise. However, her entry into the series was not very well received throughout her career.

Image: jsomin86 / Instagram

Despite being on the show for six years, Koreaboo reports that Jeon So-min constantly receives hate comments for her role in 'Running Man,' with trolls often requesting her expulsion from the show.

Image: jsomin86 / Instagram

According to the same Koreaboo report, at one point in 2022, the comments on the show's official Instagram account became so negative and directed at Jeon So-min that SBS had to disable the entire comment section.

Image: jsomin86 / Instagram

In a surprising turn of events and to the delight of her haters, Jeon So-min announced her retirement from 'Running Man' on October 23. Times of India reports that the decision was made so that the actress could focus on her acting career.

Image: jsomin86 / Instagram

Despite the fact that Jeon So-min's appearance on 'Running Man' was not universally welcomed, her presence on the show eventually grew on viewers. According to Allkpop, several netizens expressed regret over the actress' departure from 'Running Man,' and were reminded of when another beloved cast member left the show in 2021.

Image: jsomin86 / Instagram

Lee Kwang-Soo is an actor and a model and was best known for being a fixed cast member on the popular variety show ‘Running Man’. According to Tatler Singapore, Lee Kwang-Soo’s popularity and character on the show earned him the nicknames ‘Giraffe’, ‘Betrayer’ and ‘Asia’s Prince’.

Lee Kwang-Soo is a South Korean model, actor, and entertainer. He was born on 14 July 1985.

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Lee Kwang-Soo started off his career in the entertainment industry by first becoming a model in 2007. He then branched out to acting before becoming a variety star on ‘Running Man’ in 2010.

Being a diverse entertainer in the entertainment industry, Lee Kwang-Soo is best known for shows which include ‘Running Man’, ‘It’s Okay, That’s Love’ and ‘The Sound of Your Heart’.

In 2011, Lee Kwang-Soo won ‘Best Newcomer in Variety’ at the 5th SBS Entertainment Awards just a year after ‘Running Man’ started. Then in 2016, he reached another milestone in his career when he won the prestigious ‘Top Excellence Award in Variety Show’ at the 10th SBS Entertainment Awards for his excellent performance on the programme.

On April 27 2021, Lee Kwang-Soo shocked long-time fans of ‘Running Man’ when he released a statement through his agency King Kong by Starship that he would be leaving the show for good, The Straits Times reports. This marks the end of his 11-year stint on ‘Running Man’, which has been ongoing since July 2010.

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According to the official statement obtained by The Straits Times, Lee Kwang-Soo made the difficult decision to leave ‘Running Man’ due to “health issues” he suffered from a car accident he had in February 2020.

Lee Kwang-Soo fractured his right ankle in the car accident last year when he was hit by a car that tried to beat the red light. As such, he underwent ankle surgery and has been receiving physical therapy since the accident, according to The Straits Times.

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Lee Kwang-Soo’s agency, King Kong by Starship, mentioned in the official statement that the actor has found it difficult to keep up with the physical demands of the show due to his injuries. As a result, he made the difficult decision to leave the show.

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According to The Straits Times, Lee Kwang-Soo filmed his last episode for ‘Running Man’ on May 24, 2021. Fans of the actor and the variety show should tune in to his final episode as a show of support.

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In April 2011, popular actor Song Joong-Ki, who was originally a fixed cast member of ‘Running Man’, left the programme to focus on his acting career. Then similarly in October 2016, Kang Gary left the variety show to focus on his music career.

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Lee Kwang-Soo's April 2021 announcement that he would be permanently leaving 'Running Man' brought sadness to many who are fans of the series. His departure is a great loss to the show as his name is synonymous with ‘Running Man’, thanks to his comedic antics and the characters he plays in the programme.

(Image: SBS)

Lee Kwang-Soo's last appearance in 'Running Man' aired on June 20, 2021. Fans who missed the actor’s appearance in the show could still support the star by catching him in his other works, such as in ‘Sinkhole’, ‘The Pirates 2’ and ‘Happy New Year’.

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