Former “Running Man” talks about Kim Jong-kook’s frugal image on “GYM JONG KOOK”

Producer Lee Hwan-jin, who was in charge of "Running Man" in the past, expressed his thoughts on Kim Jong-kook's frugal image.

On February 17th, PD Kim Hwan-jin, who previously directed SBS’s program “Running Man,” appeared on Kim Jong-kook’s YouTube channel “GYM JONG KOOK.”

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When Kim Jong-kook said “Honestly, he received a lot of hate during ‘Running Man’” and asked, “Why do you think people did that?” PD Lee said, “It’s included in our salary to not make excuses.”

Kim Jong-kook admitted he liked PD Hwan-jin ever since he first got employed, saying “Because he said he loved MMA (Mixed martial arts.) So it was so nice to see you. We played a game while filming for a show. And wow, he was as strong as paper. I was shocked. Can he be anymore fragile?” he revealed.

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Kim Jong-kook also recalled going to Universal Studios in the U.S. with Haha and Kwang-soo in the past and said, “We rode the Harry Potter ride as soon as we got there, which was the best ride at the time. There were seven of us and I said ‘We should show them what us seven Asians got. We got the best one – An express pass. And 200 something thousand won per person. I paid for them. Hung the ID around our necks. You guys stand in line while we don’t.”

Accordingly, PD Lee talked about Kim Jong-kook’s frugal image, “He appears frugal but I know two people who eat without looking at the price. That’s Lee Dong-woo and Jong-kook. Lee Dong-ho is my dad,” drawing laughter once again.

Meanwhile, Kim Jong-kook made his debut as a member of the duo Turbo in 1995. As a solo singer, he has released numerous hit songs such as “One Man.” He opened the YouTube channel “GYM JONG KOOK” in June last year to share his gym tips.