Actress Jeon So-min, who brought positive attention to the crisis-ridden show “Running Man” by introducing a new change, decided to leave the program
On Oct 23rd, Jeon So-min‘s agency King Kong by Starship announced, “We would like to inform you that Jeon So-min will withdraw from SBS’s ‘Running Man’ after the upcoming recording on Oct 30th.” Jeon So-min made this decision after careful consideration and plans to continue her career with acting activities in the future.
Jeon So-min solidified her image as an indispensable “comedy character” on “Running Man“. With her cheerful and lively personality, she made viewers laugh heartily each week and earned various nicknames like “Female Lee Kwang-soo”, “Talkative Queen”…
Jeon So-min is credited with contributing to the rise in ratings for “Running Man”. She joined the show alongside Yang Se-chan in April 2017. Following their addition to the cast, “Running Man” began to see an upward trend, consistently maintaining the number one spot in the 20~49 age group ratings for its time slot.
Despite being an actress, Jeon So-min actively participated in various activities without holding back. Her absence from “Running Man” is a source of great regret.
The “Running Man” team expressed their respect for Jeon So-min’s decision and called her an “eternal member”. The show’s PD Choi Hyung-in told Ilgan Sports “Regarding new members, we are currently discussing various possibilities“, displaying a cautious response.
Following Jeon So-min’s departure, “Running Man” is expected to actively search for new members, which will be a significant turning point for the program.
In 2021, actor Lee Kwang-soo’s departure brought a crisis to “Running Man”. Lee Kwang-soo left the show on June 13th, 2021. This episode recorded a 6% viewership rating, and afterward, “Running Man” failed to exceed 6% until its final broadcast that year.
Besides Jeon So-min and Lee Kwang-soo, another core member of “Running Man” left in the past. Gary departed after 7 years in 2016. He cited the need to invest more time in music as the reason for his departure and later announced his marriage in 2017.
Song Joong-ki, an original member of “Running Man”, left the show after 10 months in 2011 to focus on his acting career. However, he made guest appearances and demonstrated close friendships with the cast members.
Attention is now focused on how the “Running Man” production team will navigate the show’s direction following Jeon So-min’s departure. “Running Man” airs on SBS every Sunday at 6:20 PM.
Source: Daum
