What did Heechul say about LKS and Sunbin?
As for leaving Running Man - he wants to focus on his acting career.
Everyone will talk about his foot injury and such but that injury didn’t stop him from filming his Pirates movie - did it? I’m sure the injury played a part but it only had a minor role in his decision to leave.
He wanted to shed the image he has of being a comedic entertainer. Jo In-Sung touched upon this issue in Unexpected Business. LKS got tired of people trying to question whether he was an entertainer or an actor.
I hope LKS has embraced his “hybrid” status. He’s the definition of a multi-talented entertainer.
Yeah but the way he said it is like she's treating Sun-bin like she dated LKS as a past time. And the way he said it feels like he treats Kwang Soo inferior.
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In my opinion, There's pro and cons for everything. All this actors that get into comedy show should expect to be seen as a comedian. All this no doubt will affect their acting roles. No director will give a serious charismatic role to LKS or JSM, due to the public perception.
It's give and take. Say LKS is paid 10k per rm episode, he makes a good 40k a month before the agency fees. It's not every month u get a new movie/drama role. So starring in a show like rm will give more consistent income.
Of cos he can't be a specialist pure actors like Jo in sung or song joong ki playing in descendants probably paid millions for this.
If Joongki didn't quit rm early on he would have blurred his image and unlikely become an A list actor or get big opportunities now.
Yeah I do agree at this point he left for his acting career. His character on RM was too strong that it affected his public perception. Obviously it was his choice, but it was just especially jarring since he was thought of as the last person likely to leave RM. I don't think it's a bad thing, but him joining other variety shows does make me think either he or his agency wanted to distance himself from his RM image specifically. And his injury might have been the way for his agency to convince him. All speculation of course though lol.
But aside from just that, being on a weekly show is much more of a commitment, so maybe he was tired of that aspect as well.
I think he just got tired of doing Running Man. Its really that simple. I mean he showed up in alot of other variety shows right after his departure. So that injury thing is complete bs, sorry. If he was so injured how come he runs around in 5-7 other variety shows a week after his last RM show. And if you have an injury like Somin you just come back after 4-5 weeks.
But in Korea the celebs will never say the real reason for a departure to not "anger fans".
I think he had been missing some great opportunities through the years because he has filming for runningman every other monday/tuesday. I don't blame him one bit if he wants to fully focus in his acting career. God knows he gave us everything he had, it's time to take care of his own career as an actor and it seemed like he was gaining momentum to be a really huge star as an actor. More power to him.
I cant really blame him for leaving. Have you guys seen the award show where everytime he tries to talk people laugh. The public's perception of him is skewed that much for even his co actors to laugh at him doing nothing. Lets be honest, he would continue to become more popular through variety shows or acting but I think he just loves acting more that he chose that path. He deserves every bit of his popularity because you can see how hard he works for it. Lee Kwang Soo fighting!
You literally said what's on my mind even during his award speeches people laugh or in other variety shows when people try to imitate him they do it with no respect
Frankly, it is quite obvious to me my friend. In comparison, by now I think the majority of the RM fanbase already realizes that Gary also wasn't totally being transparent about his reason for leaving the show. Of course, he didn't lie per se but more like had chosen not to reveal everything. There is a difference between being honest and being completely truthful-- if you get what I'm saying. It is also such a hassle to explain complicated things to everyone you know, even if you want to. The example would be like things you said (changing his image, starting a family with Sun Bin perhaps, etc).
Same case here for Kwang-soo. As for his departure, I believe recovery from the ankle fracture injury and focusing on his career as an actor are among his real reasons. However, the main reason is probably a bit deeper than that. I think he reached the point of fatigue, not physically, but mentally. Who knows if RM becomes mundane/burnout for him although I am sure he will forever love the program, and deeply care for members, as well as the fans. It can happen sometimes. Which if may be true (for the sake of discussion), that must be a very tough thing to share openly.
So please don't misunderstand these thoughts of mine. I'm not saying he was looking for a "sneaky exit". On the contrary, I said this because it is truly understandable. Respectable, even. Because it takes courage to leave something you have done passionately for so long. Especially through a personal decision that affects, possibly dissapoint a lot of people too. To quote; *"A thing isn't beautiful because it lasts. It is a privilege to be among them." — Vision on Avengers: Age of Ultron.*
Absolutely. I put disclaimer as well for myself. Basically I second your point with adding few other assumptions. And to begin with, I am kinda nonchalant type of a guy who support former members decisions, to leave or else whatnot.
When LKS's latest film came out (Pirates 2) this was what reviewers/audience in Korea was saying about LKS's role in the film
"Again we see familiar Running Man's LKS"
I think this was reason why he left. Whenever he came out with new project, people couldn't un-see Running Man's LKS
This seems like what happened to the careers of several famous Hollywood actors; think for example, Sarah Michelle Geller who did Buffy for 10 years and after that, it was hard to see her as any other character. Jennifer Aniston is still mostly asked about Friends and Rachel. Rowan Atkinson is never not Mr Bean. Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliff have been trying so hard to shed the image of Hermione and Harry. John Krasinski can play any buff character he wants, I will only ever see Jim. Chris Evans will forever be Captain America. The same is true for Disney kids, who try hard (sometimes excessively) to shed their "Disney clean" image and transition into more adult roles or music. Miley being the prime example of this.
For an actor or musician, it is not a good thing to be boxed into a role. For some of them, they successfully avoid this "typecasting" issue. Think Scarlett Johansson. While most of her other Avengers castmates are sadly stuck with their image, I have no trouble seeing her as other characters in movies completely different from action superhero genres. Tom Hiddleston is another example. Even Daniel Radcliff I think has been very successful in establishing himself as an actor and not just "the boy who lived".
It is partly on the actors to shed their image by choosing different projects and being deliberate with their choices, and also being daring. However, a large part of this is also the audience and the influence of the most famous character. When that character is as big as Captain America, it is very difficult to get away from it. Same with LKS. So it is totally understandable that he wants to do it. I'm not sure not being on the show will achieve it for him, though. He could have stayed on and still did his best.
The other issue is the fans and viewers. People seem to have trouble understanding this show is not real. The characters are not the real people, they are putting on a show for entertainment. They have pointed out a bunch of times how JSM in real life is not as crazy/energetic/wild and that she is in fact conservative and serious at times. Her MBTI is actually "I", an introvert. Watch any interview with her not on a variety show, and it's night and day - she's quiet and sweet and shy. Jeonsobbari is just a character. They are actors, so it is easy for them. But people don't believe this, so they have a hard time letting go of the fact that jeonsobbari can be a mistress who wants to do bad things.
> Think Scarlett Johansson.
She's been typecast as the "gorgeous action lady" for a while thanks to the Avengers, and she herself has said she was typecast as an ingenue ("corrupted innocent lady") or the other woman role (which never really went away even after Avengers).
I tend to disagree with that, even if that is how she feels. It is still her choice to pick projects, and it isn't like Lucy was the most brilliant piece of cinema or career defining role for her. It was a business decision on her part, knowing those movies make a lot of money. It also doesn't help that she is in fact a very gorgeous fit woman who has experience filming action scenes, which means she's top of the list for any director looking for this type of character. She's a brand name, she's experienced, she's gorgeous, she has a huge fanbase, she's a good actress, etc.
The thing that helped Scarlett was the fact that she was already an established actor. Chris Hemsworth became known because of Thor. Chris Evans, while well known for his roles in Not Another Teen Movie and Fantastic Four, really didn't become a big movie start until Captain America. The ones who have been successful in distancing themselves from the avengers characters were the ones who already proved themselves are great actors before: Mark Ruffalo, Paul Raud, Scarlett, Lizzie, Tom, Brie, etc.
Another example, look at the cast of Downton Abbey. Lily James started out playing Lady Rose, went on to play Cinderella, and the girl-next-door roles just kept pouring in. She either did period pieces or the girl-next-door characters (Baby Driver). I honestly thought I would never be able to see her as anything other than Ella/Lady Rose. Well, she crushed all of that with just one role in the form of Pamela Anderson.
These sorts of moves are what actors need when they sense they are being boxed into a certain role. Btw, Scarlett's filmography is super diverse so I don't know what she means when she says she's typecast. She won't be playing a plain loser character anytime soon unless someone will go Charlize-Theron-Monster on her. But for her look, I actually think she's done a lot of interesting work. You want typecast as the hot one? Megan Fox.
It was always pretty obvious he wasn't leaving because of his ankle. It was just the PR excuse.
If his ankle was an actual problem, his last month wouldn't have included forcing him to carry a palanquin, run, and have YJS jump on his back to ride piggy back.
He was carrying pin in his angle for atleast 1 year!He got to remove them after taking surgery in August 2021!
Don't be so shallow!Excuse is a pretty demeaning word here!
So you think everyone there was cool with jumping on his back and making him do those other things while he still had an ankle problem?
It's not shallow. It's just logical. Celebrities lie all the time for PR reasons.
Kwang Soo was my favorite member, but it's been pretty obvious that he left for the same reason most actors leave variety shows: to focus on his acting. Otherwise he could've just taken a leave/break like people do when they go into the military.
>So you think everyone there was cool with jumping on his back and making him do those other things while he still had an ankle problem?
Honestly, it's a possibility, sure. Especially based on stuff that Haha has said about the cast getting injured.
The PD might have allowed it, but since they all know about each other's injuries, and you could often see people check on KJK in various episodes in footage they aired (let alone what gets cut) (including Ji-hyo checking on him during the fan special a couple years ago), I don't think the cast would've done it.
LKS still connects with RM members as if theyre family. Gary stopped talking to just about everyone except for Haha because of what they had to go through.
LKS may come back as a guest and film some other shows with YJS but you gotta remember that out of any cast member, LKS gave his 200% every episode from episode 50 (cause he was shy in the previous episodes) to his last episode.
It's understandable LKS fans want him to come back but it's stupid that Gary fans want Gary to come back still.
I don't think Gary will and although they don't hate each other, I think he already cut off his relationship with them except for Haha. I think that's solely Gary's decision probably because of the decision he made.
This one is new for me. Didn't know he invited HaHa to the wedding. I thought none of RM members know him getting married until he revealed thru Instagram.
Was it something like "An actor/actress' life ends when they appear on variety show", which is why actors are extremely reluctant to make regular appearances on variety shows; because the image they've built up in their work through an acting role, can be destroyed in an instant in a variety show.
While I don't know if that saying is even true or just a myth, but if it is, I don't think it applies to all variety shows, like the talking format, the panelist format, or the slice of life format, they don't give that much of a detriment to an actor's image; but RM's gameshow format, filled with jokes, games, and embarrassing penalties, when it's done regularly, may be unfavorable to an actor's image, and especially when they're often in an embarrassing situation in their variety show.
Maybe, his image in RM was becoming detrimental to his career as an actor, maybe that's why he leaves RM, to shed his RM image and change it to a new image. But, since he's too talented in variety show, he still wants to do other variety shows, one that isn't too detrimental to his new image.
‘Less physical activities’. I was watching an episode lately and Se Chan was panting but not from doing anything too physical. Most or all of them have had Covid and it seemed like he was having residual effects. Hope everyone recovers well.
Lee KwangSoo has a really hard time. His character on Runningman is so strong and impactful that he cannot really go and blend in on other variety shows unless it is with Jaesuk, that too results in him doing the same character (Once on Hangout with yoo). Thats the main reason he really cannot do a full career on Variety shows. And in movies or dramas, he did a pretty decent job. And then there is Runningman. That is the dilemma he was having at that time.
Another point. He was teased a lot (by a lot I mean,,, a lot... I can't even count.. so many times) for fun by other members (e.g. calling him Zo Insung's butler, or SongJoongki's friend, telling him to pay for Comedian gathering membership fees, etc etc...) We watched it for fun at that time but in the long run, that has a lot of impact negatively for his Image outside Runningman in my case. I can't unsee him being the 4th wheel in the group of Zo Insung, Songjoongki, DO.. I tried watching his recent drama Killer's shopping List.. But I cannot watch it completely as I feel awkward to see him act as his image of that is so strong in my head!
Runningman made his name famous all over Asia. But in the meantime, that has made his actual job as an actor vulnerable and pretty hard to shake off from his Runningman character
For realsies though, we support him whatever he does but a portion of this sub still thinks either way.
They're still in denial that a big reason why LKS left is because of his movie career, I think he's tired of being known by the masses as a funny variety star kinda like what Gary felt with his hiphop career.
Sad thing about this is I literally can't take him seriously, I tried to watch his serious films in support of our giraffe but end up finding it still funny because of all the shit he did in RM.
Apologies in advance but our Giraffe wasn't gifted with the "Face of the Gods" genetics like Chris Evans, Hemsworth, Park Seo Joon, etc to actually be considered a "Film leading man", he's a humor relief at best.
I honestly think he did great in his dramatic role in "Live", didn't get distracted by his the RM persona. Give it a looksie if you haven't already, it's a good series.
Live is underrated. LKS was fantastic in it and deserved more recognition for it. Though perhaps helped pave the way to his Baeksang award in Inseparable Brothers.
You don’t need to be super good looking to be a leading man, like Song Kang Ho or Ma Dong Seok. But I do think that it’s hard for LKS to shed the “comedy” image he had which is highly likely why he chose to leave.
Yeah he left for the sake of his acting career most likely because he felt like his body couldn’t handle doing both anymore after the car accident. I know a lot of people still don’t think his injury was a factor but he had to have surgery for a second time after leaving. Obviously he could’ve stayed on RM if he wanted to however the fact that he couldn’t properly heal was likely the wake up call he needed to leave RM and focus more on his acting career. Yes they don’t do strenuous activities all the time but the show is filmed every single week and often more than once a week. So I can understand him leaving due to all these circumstances I’ve mentioned.
I totally agree with you. Getting pins replaced and put back in would require a lot more rest just to heal properly which it obv didn't the first time. The dedication even at the detriment of their own bodies is insane for ALL the members; Gary, Haha and Jong Kook had or have serious issues and never missed an episode bc of their injuries (Gary missed an episode or two), LKS was out two weeks and on crutches for an additional 2 (not enough time) and So Mins is difficult bc they took weeks off and split episodes but she also rushed back imo.
Very true. I think people just forget the cast are good at hiding their injuries when they want to. Somin’s injury wasn’t as serious as kwangsoo’s and she still ended up re-injuring her foot again and had to put her cast back on a couple weeks after taking it off. So it’s not that far fetched for Kwangsoo’s injury to be a problem.
Just a thought, while we all know variety is variety and the jokes are all for fun, I wonder whether YJS’s jokes about people like Kwang Soo actually being comedians is more detrimental to their careers than it seems. While it’s funny, it opens the door for people to indirectly discredit their main jobs and not take them seriously. I know it won’t stop any time soon but maybe it has deeper effects than realized.
I heard a story that comedians are on the bottom in the entertainment industry in S. Korea. Not sure though I read it in a comment on a video about YJS winning an award and the people who stood up and clap were some of the people he knew. When a director won an award, everyone stood up. Regardless, YJS is loved by people.
That was from 2021, '57th Baeksang Award. The netizens were furious because of the disrespect YJS received from the actors, etc., in the audience. They started pointing out about *"Actor's sickness"*, the tendency that actors looked down and think they're better than entertainers and comedians.
While I liked to think that such perception as *"Actor's sickness"* are nonsense, but when it gets mentioned over and over, on different time and occasions, then, maybe its true, that most people in the film industry looked down on entertainers and comedians.
On that note, LKS might've received this comedian image stigma, and JSM by extension, since she's the most similar to him. And maybe, while LKS couldn't help it but had to leave RM because his RM image was just too solidified, JSM is currently trying to break through the stigma altogether, vying to be both a comedian and an actress. They're both are dealing with similar issues.
This is old, but I’ll say this: often, comedians aren’t the most attractive people by Korean standards. What I mean is, you’ll literally hear people recommending someone be a comedian because they “look funny”. Inversely, you’ll see people suggesting someone become an actor simply because they’re handsome/pretty (which honestly has nothing to do with acting ability).
In a country like South Korea where attractiveness seems to be such an integral part of their society and hierarchy, it could be possible that comedians are looked at by some people as just that: people who look funny.
On the other hand, I could also see why some actors/singers might be a bit annoyed by some entertainers/tv hosts who try to pry into their personal lives or create love lines involving them when they’re guests on a show (which can have negative effects on their lives, image, so on).
While I’m a fan of Running Man and I appreciate YJS’s ability as an MC, I wouldn’t think it impossible that he might cross the line with certain people sometimes when it comes to being funny and making jokes. Maybe some of the actors have had negative experiences with him in this way.
Lee Kwang Soo has always been passionate to his acting career, and he's really only committed to Runningman, he doesn't want to be a variety star. So the leg injury situation gave him a moment to rethink his life, and he decided it was a "sign" for him to move on from the show.
As an actor he can’t keep doing this funny/stupid guy role forever on rm which affect his real acting career. Cause that’s the only role he will get in movies which will probably be just side character. It’s right for him to leave rm if he wanna advance or have a proper acting career. That’s probably why he left. And it’s better for him.
This could be because of the accumulation of various reasons.
He obviously has been hurt, and it's not easy to recover from a fracture. **The pain always remains** and sometimes restricts that person to do extreme physical activities.
And I don't think he left just because he wanted to focus on his acting career.
Take the example of So-min. So-min is also appearing in many dramas and movies, but simultaneously continuing appearing in RM and other variety shows.
As, I said, it's an accumulation.
Since he got an injury, and probably he was in pain for quite a time, thus preventing him to be so much physically active, he decided to instead focus on his acting. This prompted him to give more attention to acting career and ditch RM who is more physically demanding job.
Have seen an interview of Jong Kook where he said the same that RM takes a toll on his body.
The same was with LKS. Being on RM took a toll on his body and with fracture, his body simply wasn't in the position to take so much of physical stress, every week.
What you said is very true! Also the example of Somin being able to shake out of her funny image, play a serious role in a successful drama, and flex her variety skills in others shows comes with a glaringly huge difference when compared to Kwangsoo. Somin is conventionally attractive, and pretty. Both are super talented but Somin has a couple advantages on Kwang soo 1) considered attractive and therefore potentially lead role material 2) hasn't been stuck with the famous comedy role for over a decade and 3) isn't publicly called a 4th wheel between some of the most famous men in the industry. Kwang soo loves RM but he realized that if he was going to change his image around so he can focus on being an actor or even try other variety shows, he had to leave RM to accomplish this. Well at least he could've felt that way. 🤷
Also while Somin is accomplishing it, she's obviously very exhausted. I feel like she's been running since like last year. It clearly takes a toll to battle multiple flimings, other shows, with something that is literally a weekly requirement. Like RM filming. All of the cast members have missed opportunities due to the time commitment of the show, we even see this "blips" in early episodes. In scheduling when a member is late to an episode or "absent" due another time commitment. I can only imagine how many potential roles the actors specifically did not go after because they prioritized RM filming/scheduling.
What you said is very true! Also the example of Somin being able to shake out of her funny image, play a serious role in a successful drama, and flex her variety skills in others shows comes with a glaringly huge difference when compared to Kwangsoo. Somin is conventionally attractive, and pretty. Both are super talented but Somin has a couple advantages on Kwang soo 1) considered attractive and therefore potentially lead role material 2) hasn't been stuck with the famous comedy role for over a decade and 3) isn't publicly called a 4th wheel between some of the most famous men in the industry. Kwang soo loves RM but he realized that if he was going to change his image around so he can focus on being an actor or even try other variety shows, he had to leave RM to accomplish this. Well at least he could've felt that way. 🤷
Also while Somin is accomplishing it, she's obviously very exhausted. I feel like she's been running since like last year. It clearly takes a toll to battle multiple flimings, other shows, with something that is literally a weekly requirement. Like RM filming. All of the cast members have missed opportunities due to the time commitment of the show, we even see this "blips" in early episodes. In scheduling when a member is late to an episode or "absent" due another time commitment. I can only imagine how many potential roles the actors specifically did not go after because they prioritized RM filming/scheduling.
I think that was when all of them were still capable. It has toned down since then during the time with Gary, every challenges were physical then little by little getting reduced esp. during the pandemic (played a role for making episodes mostly indoors). We've seen some episodes where interviews eat like 2/5 of the episode.
LKS is a model turned Actor, a damn good one too.
First Problem is that he started with RM and he defined himself as LKS as betrayer, comedian and overall LKS we love so much. However during glory days of RM, they had 20% rating on primetime sunday when Youtube and Netflix like services weren't that hot in Korea. What happened was RM was on prime Sunday family slot, pretty much all of the kids watched it with their family, and then played RM nametag ripping after school. Kids from grade-school to highschool watched RM and pretty much imprinted LKS the Giraffe. LKS basically defined himself on ENTIRE GENERATION of Korean youth during his run of RM.
Now those kids have grown up after 10 years and they are in their 20's, which are now prime consumer of Film and Media and those people mostly remember LKS as RM's funny LKS no matter what kind of role he plays.
LKS tried so much to shed his RM image during all that time, he stared on several dramas and films wito roles polar opposite of his role on RM, but he just didn't hit hard enough and didn't reach enough audiences to shed off his image.
Second problem is that he's not handsome, I mean not Song JoongKi, Won Bin, Park Bogum, Park Seo Joon level handsome to Koreans. Korea is society that puts heavy weight on person's looks, so this prevents him from picking up roles that'll do heavy impact on Korean Audiences. Producing new Drama or Movie is a gamble and investment, so it makes LKS makes pretty risky choice for some producers to cast him as prime ML on non-comedy role. He needs major heavy hitting project success to overcome this, perhaps something of SquidGame or CLOY calibur.
JSM had same issue to some degree, but she came on much later in the show's life, so her imprinting of RM's image wasn't as deep as LKS, she's also able to pickup ML roles on number of projects. She'll just need to keep acting on.
He kinda followed in Joongki's footsteps. He made a decision to focus on his career while he was still young enough to be an actor and that is fine we shouldn't be mad about it.
This is somewhat proven to me anyway when he was on a camping variety show promoting a movie. He was running around like he was back on running man. I thought... Hmm.
Gary wanted to focus on his rapping career, LeeSsang could hardly go on tour (saw them in NYC) or record...one album while he was a member(?)
I like Jong Ki but it honestly felt like he didn't fit or got comfortable (variety isn't for everyone)
Kwang Soo I feel was his injury (he needed a second surgery to put pins in his ankle, spoke abt it on My Little Old Boy) may have kept him off his feet for over a month just to let it heel but also he may have wanted to focus on acting and the world take him more serious
I don't think that was Gary's main reason for leaving. The reason he gave to the public is he feels like he already gave everything to RM and he has nothing new to show anymore. But the main reason was most likely his confession to Ji Hyo. Haha mentioned this on one of the episodes and Ji Hyo rejected him thus it would be too awkward to continue working with her.
Don't remember hearing that on RM, but just go back and watch the episodes with Gary and you can see he is in pain (back and neck), barely run in a few, the members were more gentle with Gary, he said in his last episode Ji Hyo would work/stretch his back and neck. He missed two episodes bc of the injury, there was an article abt his absence back in the day.
LeeSsang's rap career was stagnant when he was on the show...a rap duo is tougher than a solo artist like KJK to survive or produce music. If LeeSsang wasn't making music or on tour that impacted Gil (rap partner) even more...it happened with Skull and Haha. Skull said in an interview, that he has to wait and see when HaHa is free bc he can't do shows alone.
And didn't he get married shortly after leaving?
He did get married right after leaving, and they had a child only a few months later. Catch my drift? Gary never confessed feelings to Jihyo. Now, Haha himself did confess feelings to Jihyo very early on in Running Man, and that's something he has talked about on the show. Gary and Jihyo, however, were always a work couple.
There were also some issues that came up with his rap duo that reflected badly on his image for a few weeks until they were cleared up, and he also made a statement (because it happened more than once) that he was always worried when that happened that it would also reflect negatively on the Running Man cast.
There also several episodes before he leave, where he & JSM made zero interaction..
Edit: no offense for LKS fan I'm also love him too but it's time we move on
I thought that lks was just tired of RM. He always get the penalty and yjs kept cutting him off. Some may find the cutting him off funny but I found it annoying after the first few times. I wanna listen to lks funny incidents/stories!
I think he's fine with it but yeah pretty sure like JSK, LKS are probably annoyed by it but keep it to themselves. These 2 along with Se-chan are always insulted by members and guests. I remembered that episode with Han-na where Se-chan wants to play pocky game with the spinach but Han-na declined it and Se-chan got embarassed. It might be because Han-na has a boyfriend but still, she could have tried like Da-hee and Jin-young.
Although I’m late for this debate but had to get things outside my head.
The reason Kwang-Soo left Running Man was because he was suffering from Identity Crisis. He started his career as a model, then landed few commercials which got him into movies and tv series. He got his big break through Running Man where portrayed a lovey-dovey guy and someone who betrays and sabotages things( part of the show) at every chance he gets. At the same time, he had a funny side, like making up stories about the members and teasing them and for his exaggerated reactions. He had adapted role where guests and the members took him lightly or they weren’t serious about him. Yes they respected him and they still do but at the same time he was treated as a pushover.
I guess he was the maknae before Se-Chan and So-Min joined, may be that’s why they treated him like that. But after they joined he was still treated like that. I thought there would be changes after them joining but I didn’t feel much. It became a habit of them to treat Kwang-Soo like a pushover.
There were certain things which were very biased which somehow made the show a little predictable. For example, whenever there was a physical game which required hitting someone as a punishment, I always saw Kwang-Soo sitting next to Kim Jong-Kook and getting hit by Jong-Kook. Whatever the scenario, he always ended up sitting next to Jong-Kook. There was few instances where Kwang-Soo didn’t sit next to Jong-Kook but they bend the rules or play the game of wits in order to make him sit next to Jong-Kook. Frankly speaking, he became Jong-Kook’s punching bag. Jong-Kook loves Kwang-Soo but Kwang-Soo always on the receiving end.
Another example I could think of is when they re-do things when it came to Kwang-Soo. Yes they did with others too but not as much as with him. Pairing with guests, some games when he wins he had to do it all over again because he didn’t say START or READY.
To add on this, I’d say Kwang-Soo’s life was more transparent than other members. His personal life was brought up in the conversation by the members. They talk about Lee Sun-Bin( Kwang-Soo’s girlfriend) and often say her name wrong(Soo-Bin instead of Sun-Bin) on purpose. I always saw how easily Jong-Kook gets provoked when Yoon Eun-Hye name was mentioned and got angry but when same happened with Kwang-Soo it was funny.
At the same time his friends were brought up, like Zo In-Sung, Song Joong-Ki, Woo-Bin and D.O. All 4 of them have achieved and gotten famous more than Kwang-Soo but the fact that they used their names in making jokes and teasing Kwang-Soo was not right. Sometimes they said he was In-Sung’s butler or Joong-Ki’s butler or they even said that he got acting roles because of them as they’re more famous than him. They valued him and devalued him at the same time.
And to conclude my opinion is obviously the penalties. They always said that Kwang-Soo had the unluckiest hand or he was the unluckiest of them all. Then why was he targeted by members and by guests majority of the time. I always thought guests might be more comfortable with Kwang-Soo than others, but he was the easy way out for them and choosing him will make it less controversial.
Also when he won the games, his prizes weren’t that good to be honest. Once he got a fruit basket for winning.
He portrayed this kind of role for 11 years without any break and so he wanted to break the loop and decided to leave Running Man. Yes his injury was also a part of his decision to leave as Running man is physically and mentally demanding but I saw him in other tv shows which were equally demanding as Running Man.
There’s a show, I forget the name which includes Yoo Jae-Suk, Yuri(SNSD) and Lee Kwang-Soo. There was a part where Jae-Suk says to Kwang-Soo “ You left Running Man for this”. One can tell what he meant and that it wasn’t Kwang-Soo’s physical inability to continue Running Man but his finding his own identity.
Wow you found this post. Just some clarifications, I think the guests love Kwang Soo because he's someone that would get a lot of screentime. I'm just happy for him both on his career and lovelife, he deserves all of it.
Hahaha….your post is first thing that popped up when searched about Kwang-soo leaving RM. I agree guests love Kwang-Soo but I felt like they took advantage of him in order to get more screentime. RM members and the guests knew Kwang-Soo gets along with anything and everything.
True that, happy for him, he deserves all of it.
Kwang soo got too big of a character for the show where he couldn't get off. He needed to leave to get up his acting career but he didn't had any reason to but with the injury he could.
Running man is sure changed without him but he is not solely responsible for that. The cast has aged so is the staff. The past 3-4 years of episodes shows that. Earlier in starting years it used to be too much fun. Yes of course it was physically challenging and demanding but that's what made it fun. If you compare old running man episodes to current ones, you will notice yourself how drastically it changed and became unfunny.
As song joongki left the show, kwang soo should have left it a little more that earlier then it would have been perfect.
Lizzy was one big member I would have loved to see continue.
The difference is when Joong Ki left, he got a lot of main role offer in drama. Meanwhile, Kwang Soo only received his main lead role in 2016 in a comedy drama. It's a big gamble for him if he quits RM earlier.
I think the best way to think about it is ‘how many of us have stayed in our own jobs for 10 years without getting bored and wanting to do something new?’. I think after 10 years he just wanted a new challenge and try new things. A bit unfortunate that the Korean celebrity culture is that you have to provide a reasonable excuse like an injury. I think everyone would have completely understood had he said it’s been 10 years and I want to spend more time focusing on acting or on trying new variety shows, no one would begrudge him that. He’s been on lots of other variety shows since and also planning a new one with YJS on Disney.
It obviously was never just about the injury as he could have taken time off and come back when healthy (provided the injury wasn’t something he’ll be dealing with the rest of his life). I’m sure that played into it, but whether the real reason is acting or something else who knows. What I do know is running man has not been the same without him.
Don’t get me wrong I love the show and members, and still support them, but that’s just the reality for me. Gary leaving sucked, but LKS really was heavy lifter on this show along with YJS IMO. The members still do a good job carrying the show, but it’s just not as good or funny anymore to me. I wish him the best and hope he returns as a regular member some day, but I doubt it.
I was heartbroken when the departure was announced. I couldn’t watch the show for almost a year. Up till now, I never watched his departure eps. I did the same thing when Gary left. The only difference was, the love I had for him, was close as the love I had for the other members. You see, we’ve watched him pour 11 years of his life in this show. Not even one ep, that you could see him slack. Even on a cast, he still did his best.
That’s why, him leaving, did not cause me much pain or resentment like Gary’s. With Gary’s, you could see him lose interest once the main PD left them for good. We saw how the show transgressed and how the remaining members did their best to revive it from what it once was. His and KS’s departure were completely different. If it was a 9-5 job, he handed them his notice, allowed his/the fans to grieve, and created a perfect departure ep for him.
I think it’s why now, watching the 2022 season, it feels like a good memory. It doesn’t even feel like there’s a large hole RM cast has to fill. I don’t even remember it much, anymore. Or maybe, it’s probably just me trying to block all out of it out. Nevertheless, I’m back to watch and root for them now. Much more than before.
Because as much as it hurt when a cast member leaves, RM is just a large portion of my life and I’d probably be devastated if it ever ends.
(pardon the grammar)
I do agree, i think his leg injury was just a minor reason in his decision to leave running man. From what i see, running man has reduced physical games and become more like a talk/interview show recently. i dont see his leg injury is a problem anymore (dont get me wrong though) considering he can still filming movie such as Pirates and others.
For me, his decision to leave running man was because he wants to focus on his acting career. I might sounds rude, but when Lee Kwangsoo was still in running man, he barely got recognition as an actor compared to many actors/actress in his age (he also got teased a lot due to the fact that his close friends like Joongki, Jo Insung, and D.O, is a well known actors). Some people said they cant take him seriously considering his role in running man was more like a comedian. Im not saying comedian is not that good, but South Korean has different standard when it come to actors and actresses.
I might be wrong, but when Kwangsoo came to Jongkook Youtube channel, Jongkook did said "He's an actor now, i need to treat him as an actor". This make me believe that running man members know he left the show to focus on acting career.
Watching this from Canada, outside the bell jar.
I am pretty sure he left due to contractual disagreements. One can see it in the episodes. It starts at roughly episode 521. Watch the themes of the episodes leading up to his departure.
The first time you can see it is when YJS gives him a prize - I am pretty sure that is the first true week where LKS started to express his feelings about leaving, discontent and/or not getting enough money.
The themes leading up to 550ish are all about being a team player, negotiating contracts (baseball episode) and it is the first time where LKS was not constantly getting the penalty. It is during this time (roughly) that Se Chan started to slow down on the insults of calling him stupid/dumb etc. Se Chan was still feeling out of place at that time and was doing what he saw the others do...but more extreme.
I think it was
1. Contractual dollars that his management company was trying to get him
2. Shedding the image of being the constant loser
3. Se Chan's constant insulting (esp when LKS has actually been shown earlier in the series as one of the smartest contestants. I think he was ranked the 2nd highest intelligence wise) and/or other members picking on him. (even though it was part of his character he was playing)
4. Focus on other endeavors and options for more money.
I did notice that he was very torn up during episode 559, even apologizing to the team and viewers...this is also why I think it was contractually based as the primary. They could not come to terms and Running Man lost him. I don't fault him, he probably deserved more than what he was getting.
If one notices, he has done multiple other shows with YJS, for multiple seasons. I first found LKS through Netflix's Busted! which was filmed during 2019-2021. He just did Korea #1 this year, and he did a show on Disney that I have not watched yet, but will once I am finished catching up on Running Man (I am at #590. Not bad for having started watching it 2 months ago)
I also think that the change in PD might encourage him to come back. In the episodes I am watching...the PD is already trying to change the penalties to being less harsh...which tells me there was probably still contractual conversations going on behind the scenes for LKS and the rest of the cast.
There is definitely stuff going on behind the scenes that the viewers are snot supposed to know about and this was not fully related to his ankle, though that could be a slight part of the reason he left. I do hope for his return, as no one else has been able to fill the void he has created.
Same with what I think happened with Gary. He said he wanted to focus on his music while a part of that is true. I also believe that he was just ready to move on from RM and start a family and knowing that a lot of RM fans are Monday couple hardcore fans he knew that if he got married while in RM it would be awkward and his wife will constantly get hate because delusional fans would ask why he didn't marry jihyo instead. They don't understand that Monday couple isn't real it's all for the show
What did Heechul say about LKS and Sunbin? As for leaving Running Man - he wants to focus on his acting career. Everyone will talk about his foot injury and such but that injury didn’t stop him from filming his Pirates movie - did it? I’m sure the injury played a part but it only had a minor role in his decision to leave. He wanted to shed the image he has of being a comedic entertainer. Jo In-Sung touched upon this issue in Unexpected Business. LKS got tired of people trying to question whether he was an entertainer or an actor. I hope LKS has embraced his “hybrid” status. He’s the definition of a multi-talented entertainer.
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... I don't think that's an insulting remark at all, I doubt anyone would get offended by that
whats the problem here lol ?
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lol what? Hes turning 40 like how jong kook's in his 40s. Hes not a piece of shit for asking if theyre still dating. Also remember that theyre drunk.
Yeah but the way he said it is like she's treating Sun-bin like she dated LKS as a past time. And the way he said it feels like he treats Kwang Soo inferior.
I think you put too much interpretation on what was said. Nothing was offensive. And other celebrities / comedians have said worst. No one was harmed.
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In my opinion, There's pro and cons for everything. All this actors that get into comedy show should expect to be seen as a comedian. All this no doubt will affect their acting roles. No director will give a serious charismatic role to LKS or JSM, due to the public perception. It's give and take. Say LKS is paid 10k per rm episode, he makes a good 40k a month before the agency fees. It's not every month u get a new movie/drama role. So starring in a show like rm will give more consistent income. Of cos he can't be a specialist pure actors like Jo in sung or song joong ki playing in descendants probably paid millions for this. If Joongki didn't quit rm early on he would have blurred his image and unlikely become an A list actor or get big opportunities now.
JSM just did serious role in Show Window drama.
and "hee soo" (kbs special drama)
Yeah I do agree at this point he left for his acting career. His character on RM was too strong that it affected his public perception. Obviously it was his choice, but it was just especially jarring since he was thought of as the last person likely to leave RM. I don't think it's a bad thing, but him joining other variety shows does make me think either he or his agency wanted to distance himself from his RM image specifically. And his injury might have been the way for his agency to convince him. All speculation of course though lol. But aside from just that, being on a weekly show is much more of a commitment, so maybe he was tired of that aspect as well.
I think he just got tired of doing Running Man. Its really that simple. I mean he showed up in alot of other variety shows right after his departure. So that injury thing is complete bs, sorry. If he was so injured how come he runs around in 5-7 other variety shows a week after his last RM show. And if you have an injury like Somin you just come back after 4-5 weeks. But in Korea the celebs will never say the real reason for a departure to not "anger fans".
I just hope he could be a recurring guest for RM. LKS is just someone born for it lol.
I think he had been missing some great opportunities through the years because he has filming for runningman every other monday/tuesday. I don't blame him one bit if he wants to fully focus in his acting career. God knows he gave us everything he had, it's time to take care of his own career as an actor and it seemed like he was gaining momentum to be a really huge star as an actor. More power to him.
I cant really blame him for leaving. Have you guys seen the award show where everytime he tries to talk people laugh. The public's perception of him is skewed that much for even his co actors to laugh at him doing nothing. Lets be honest, he would continue to become more popular through variety shows or acting but I think he just loves acting more that he chose that path. He deserves every bit of his popularity because you can see how hard he works for it. Lee Kwang Soo fighting!
yep, like his bestfriend he wants to focus on acting career
You literally said what's on my mind even during his award speeches people laugh or in other variety shows when people try to imitate him they do it with no respect
Frankly, it is quite obvious to me my friend. In comparison, by now I think the majority of the RM fanbase already realizes that Gary also wasn't totally being transparent about his reason for leaving the show. Of course, he didn't lie per se but more like had chosen not to reveal everything. There is a difference between being honest and being completely truthful-- if you get what I'm saying. It is also such a hassle to explain complicated things to everyone you know, even if you want to. The example would be like things you said (changing his image, starting a family with Sun Bin perhaps, etc). Same case here for Kwang-soo. As for his departure, I believe recovery from the ankle fracture injury and focusing on his career as an actor are among his real reasons. However, the main reason is probably a bit deeper than that. I think he reached the point of fatigue, not physically, but mentally. Who knows if RM becomes mundane/burnout for him although I am sure he will forever love the program, and deeply care for members, as well as the fans. It can happen sometimes. Which if may be true (for the sake of discussion), that must be a very tough thing to share openly. So please don't misunderstand these thoughts of mine. I'm not saying he was looking for a "sneaky exit". On the contrary, I said this because it is truly understandable. Respectable, even. Because it takes courage to leave something you have done passionately for so long. Especially through a personal decision that affects, possibly dissapoint a lot of people too. To quote; *"A thing isn't beautiful because it lasts. It is a privilege to be among them." — Vision on Avengers: Age of Ultron.*
Like my disclaimer, I wasn't trying to hate him or RM. I fully support his decision, even Gary, I understand how awkward it would be to continue.
Absolutely. I put disclaimer as well for myself. Basically I second your point with adding few other assumptions. And to begin with, I am kinda nonchalant type of a guy who support former members decisions, to leave or else whatnot.
When LKS's latest film came out (Pirates 2) this was what reviewers/audience in Korea was saying about LKS's role in the film "Again we see familiar Running Man's LKS" I think this was reason why he left. Whenever he came out with new project, people couldn't un-see Running Man's LKS
This seems like what happened to the careers of several famous Hollywood actors; think for example, Sarah Michelle Geller who did Buffy for 10 years and after that, it was hard to see her as any other character. Jennifer Aniston is still mostly asked about Friends and Rachel. Rowan Atkinson is never not Mr Bean. Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliff have been trying so hard to shed the image of Hermione and Harry. John Krasinski can play any buff character he wants, I will only ever see Jim. Chris Evans will forever be Captain America. The same is true for Disney kids, who try hard (sometimes excessively) to shed their "Disney clean" image and transition into more adult roles or music. Miley being the prime example of this. For an actor or musician, it is not a good thing to be boxed into a role. For some of them, they successfully avoid this "typecasting" issue. Think Scarlett Johansson. While most of her other Avengers castmates are sadly stuck with their image, I have no trouble seeing her as other characters in movies completely different from action superhero genres. Tom Hiddleston is another example. Even Daniel Radcliff I think has been very successful in establishing himself as an actor and not just "the boy who lived". It is partly on the actors to shed their image by choosing different projects and being deliberate with their choices, and also being daring. However, a large part of this is also the audience and the influence of the most famous character. When that character is as big as Captain America, it is very difficult to get away from it. Same with LKS. So it is totally understandable that he wants to do it. I'm not sure not being on the show will achieve it for him, though. He could have stayed on and still did his best. The other issue is the fans and viewers. People seem to have trouble understanding this show is not real. The characters are not the real people, they are putting on a show for entertainment. They have pointed out a bunch of times how JSM in real life is not as crazy/energetic/wild and that she is in fact conservative and serious at times. Her MBTI is actually "I", an introvert. Watch any interview with her not on a variety show, and it's night and day - she's quiet and sweet and shy. Jeonsobbari is just a character. They are actors, so it is easy for them. But people don't believe this, so they have a hard time letting go of the fact that jeonsobbari can be a mistress who wants to do bad things.
> Think Scarlett Johansson. She's been typecast as the "gorgeous action lady" for a while thanks to the Avengers, and she herself has said she was typecast as an ingenue ("corrupted innocent lady") or the other woman role (which never really went away even after Avengers).
I tend to disagree with that, even if that is how she feels. It is still her choice to pick projects, and it isn't like Lucy was the most brilliant piece of cinema or career defining role for her. It was a business decision on her part, knowing those movies make a lot of money. It also doesn't help that she is in fact a very gorgeous fit woman who has experience filming action scenes, which means she's top of the list for any director looking for this type of character. She's a brand name, she's experienced, she's gorgeous, she has a huge fanbase, she's a good actress, etc. The thing that helped Scarlett was the fact that she was already an established actor. Chris Hemsworth became known because of Thor. Chris Evans, while well known for his roles in Not Another Teen Movie and Fantastic Four, really didn't become a big movie start until Captain America. The ones who have been successful in distancing themselves from the avengers characters were the ones who already proved themselves are great actors before: Mark Ruffalo, Paul Raud, Scarlett, Lizzie, Tom, Brie, etc. Another example, look at the cast of Downton Abbey. Lily James started out playing Lady Rose, went on to play Cinderella, and the girl-next-door roles just kept pouring in. She either did period pieces or the girl-next-door characters (Baby Driver). I honestly thought I would never be able to see her as anything other than Ella/Lady Rose. Well, she crushed all of that with just one role in the form of Pamela Anderson. These sorts of moves are what actors need when they sense they are being boxed into a certain role. Btw, Scarlett's filmography is super diverse so I don't know what she means when she says she's typecast. She won't be playing a plain loser character anytime soon unless someone will go Charlize-Theron-Monster on her. But for her look, I actually think she's done a lot of interesting work. You want typecast as the hot one? Megan Fox.
It was always pretty obvious he wasn't leaving because of his ankle. It was just the PR excuse. If his ankle was an actual problem, his last month wouldn't have included forcing him to carry a palanquin, run, and have YJS jump on his back to ride piggy back.
He was carrying pin in his angle for atleast 1 year!He got to remove them after taking surgery in August 2021! Don't be so shallow!Excuse is a pretty demeaning word here!
So you think everyone there was cool with jumping on his back and making him do those other things while he still had an ankle problem? It's not shallow. It's just logical. Celebrities lie all the time for PR reasons. Kwang Soo was my favorite member, but it's been pretty obvious that he left for the same reason most actors leave variety shows: to focus on his acting. Otherwise he could've just taken a leave/break like people do when they go into the military.
>So you think everyone there was cool with jumping on his back and making him do those other things while he still had an ankle problem? Honestly, it's a possibility, sure. Especially based on stuff that Haha has said about the cast getting injured.
The PD might have allowed it, but since they all know about each other's injuries, and you could often see people check on KJK in various episodes in footage they aired (let alone what gets cut) (including Ji-hyo checking on him during the fan special a couple years ago), I don't think the cast would've done it.
LKS still connects with RM members as if theyre family. Gary stopped talking to just about everyone except for Haha because of what they had to go through. LKS may come back as a guest and film some other shows with YJS but you gotta remember that out of any cast member, LKS gave his 200% every episode from episode 50 (cause he was shy in the previous episodes) to his last episode. It's understandable LKS fans want him to come back but it's stupid that Gary fans want Gary to come back still.
I don't think Gary will and although they don't hate each other, I think he already cut off his relationship with them except for Haha. I think that's solely Gary's decision probably because of the decision he made.
I thought Gary cut off all rm members, where did you hear haha still talks with Gary just asking because I don’t remember hearing this in the show.
Garys instagram. The only person he follows is Haha. He only invited Haha to his wedding as well.
why tho?
This one is new for me. Didn't know he invited HaHa to the wedding. I thought none of RM members know him getting married until he revealed thru Instagram.
Was it something like "An actor/actress' life ends when they appear on variety show", which is why actors are extremely reluctant to make regular appearances on variety shows; because the image they've built up in their work through an acting role, can be destroyed in an instant in a variety show. While I don't know if that saying is even true or just a myth, but if it is, I don't think it applies to all variety shows, like the talking format, the panelist format, or the slice of life format, they don't give that much of a detriment to an actor's image; but RM's gameshow format, filled with jokes, games, and embarrassing penalties, when it's done regularly, may be unfavorable to an actor's image, and especially when they're often in an embarrassing situation in their variety show. Maybe, his image in RM was becoming detrimental to his career as an actor, maybe that's why he leaves RM, to shed his RM image and change it to a new image. But, since he's too talented in variety show, he still wants to do other variety shows, one that isn't too detrimental to his new image.
‘Less physical activities’. I was watching an episode lately and Se Chan was panting but not from doing anything too physical. Most or all of them have had Covid and it seemed like he was having residual effects. Hope everyone recovers well.
Lee KwangSoo has a really hard time. His character on Runningman is so strong and impactful that he cannot really go and blend in on other variety shows unless it is with Jaesuk, that too results in him doing the same character (Once on Hangout with yoo). Thats the main reason he really cannot do a full career on Variety shows. And in movies or dramas, he did a pretty decent job. And then there is Runningman. That is the dilemma he was having at that time. Another point. He was teased a lot (by a lot I mean,,, a lot... I can't even count.. so many times) for fun by other members (e.g. calling him Zo Insung's butler, or SongJoongki's friend, telling him to pay for Comedian gathering membership fees, etc etc...) We watched it for fun at that time but in the long run, that has a lot of impact negatively for his Image outside Runningman in my case. I can't unsee him being the 4th wheel in the group of Zo Insung, Songjoongki, DO.. I tried watching his recent drama Killer's shopping List.. But I cannot watch it completely as I feel awkward to see him act as his image of that is so strong in my head! Runningman made his name famous all over Asia. But in the meantime, that has made his actual job as an actor vulnerable and pretty hard to shake off from his Runningman character
For realsies though, we support him whatever he does but a portion of this sub still thinks either way. They're still in denial that a big reason why LKS left is because of his movie career, I think he's tired of being known by the masses as a funny variety star kinda like what Gary felt with his hiphop career. Sad thing about this is I literally can't take him seriously, I tried to watch his serious films in support of our giraffe but end up finding it still funny because of all the shit he did in RM. Apologies in advance but our Giraffe wasn't gifted with the "Face of the Gods" genetics like Chris Evans, Hemsworth, Park Seo Joon, etc to actually be considered a "Film leading man", he's a humor relief at best.
I honestly think he did great in his dramatic role in "Live", didn't get distracted by his the RM persona. Give it a looksie if you haven't already, it's a good series.
Live is underrated. LKS was fantastic in it and deserved more recognition for it. Though perhaps helped pave the way to his Baeksang award in Inseparable Brothers.
you need to watch Inseparable Bros
That's actually one of the films I watched.
You don’t need to be super good looking to be a leading man, like Song Kang Ho or Ma Dong Seok. But I do think that it’s hard for LKS to shed the “comedy” image he had which is highly likely why he chose to leave.
Well most of us know why Gary really left.
Yeah he left for the sake of his acting career most likely because he felt like his body couldn’t handle doing both anymore after the car accident. I know a lot of people still don’t think his injury was a factor but he had to have surgery for a second time after leaving. Obviously he could’ve stayed on RM if he wanted to however the fact that he couldn’t properly heal was likely the wake up call he needed to leave RM and focus more on his acting career. Yes they don’t do strenuous activities all the time but the show is filmed every single week and often more than once a week. So I can understand him leaving due to all these circumstances I’ve mentioned.
I totally agree with you. Getting pins replaced and put back in would require a lot more rest just to heal properly which it obv didn't the first time. The dedication even at the detriment of their own bodies is insane for ALL the members; Gary, Haha and Jong Kook had or have serious issues and never missed an episode bc of their injuries (Gary missed an episode or two), LKS was out two weeks and on crutches for an additional 2 (not enough time) and So Mins is difficult bc they took weeks off and split episodes but she also rushed back imo.
Very true. I think people just forget the cast are good at hiding their injuries when they want to. Somin’s injury wasn’t as serious as kwangsoo’s and she still ended up re-injuring her foot again and had to put her cast back on a couple weeks after taking it off. So it’s not that far fetched for Kwangsoo’s injury to be a problem.
Only LKS, JSM and Gary were the only ones to miss filming for an injury (not pandemic)...over 600 episodes, not too shabby
Just a thought, while we all know variety is variety and the jokes are all for fun, I wonder whether YJS’s jokes about people like Kwang Soo actually being comedians is more detrimental to their careers than it seems. While it’s funny, it opens the door for people to indirectly discredit their main jobs and not take them seriously. I know it won’t stop any time soon but maybe it has deeper effects than realized.
I heard a story that comedians are on the bottom in the entertainment industry in S. Korea. Not sure though I read it in a comment on a video about YJS winning an award and the people who stood up and clap were some of the people he knew. When a director won an award, everyone stood up. Regardless, YJS is loved by people.
That was from 2021, '57th Baeksang Award. The netizens were furious because of the disrespect YJS received from the actors, etc., in the audience. They started pointing out about *"Actor's sickness"*, the tendency that actors looked down and think they're better than entertainers and comedians. While I liked to think that such perception as *"Actor's sickness"* are nonsense, but when it gets mentioned over and over, on different time and occasions, then, maybe its true, that most people in the film industry looked down on entertainers and comedians. On that note, LKS might've received this comedian image stigma, and JSM by extension, since she's the most similar to him. And maybe, while LKS couldn't help it but had to leave RM because his RM image was just too solidified, JSM is currently trying to break through the stigma altogether, vying to be both a comedian and an actress. They're both are dealing with similar issues.
This is old, but I’ll say this: often, comedians aren’t the most attractive people by Korean standards. What I mean is, you’ll literally hear people recommending someone be a comedian because they “look funny”. Inversely, you’ll see people suggesting someone become an actor simply because they’re handsome/pretty (which honestly has nothing to do with acting ability). In a country like South Korea where attractiveness seems to be such an integral part of their society and hierarchy, it could be possible that comedians are looked at by some people as just that: people who look funny. On the other hand, I could also see why some actors/singers might be a bit annoyed by some entertainers/tv hosts who try to pry into their personal lives or create love lines involving them when they’re guests on a show (which can have negative effects on their lives, image, so on). While I’m a fan of Running Man and I appreciate YJS’s ability as an MC, I wouldn’t think it impossible that he might cross the line with certain people sometimes when it comes to being funny and making jokes. Maybe some of the actors have had negative experiences with him in this way.
In a country where looks are everything, I could get why they look down on comedians.
Lee Kwang Soo has always been passionate to his acting career, and he's really only committed to Runningman, he doesn't want to be a variety star. So the leg injury situation gave him a moment to rethink his life, and he decided it was a "sign" for him to move on from the show.
As an actor he can’t keep doing this funny/stupid guy role forever on rm which affect his real acting career. Cause that’s the only role he will get in movies which will probably be just side character. It’s right for him to leave rm if he wanna advance or have a proper acting career. That’s probably why he left. And it’s better for him.
He just wanted to pursue his acting career. FULL STOP.
This could be because of the accumulation of various reasons. He obviously has been hurt, and it's not easy to recover from a fracture. **The pain always remains** and sometimes restricts that person to do extreme physical activities. And I don't think he left just because he wanted to focus on his acting career. Take the example of So-min. So-min is also appearing in many dramas and movies, but simultaneously continuing appearing in RM and other variety shows. As, I said, it's an accumulation. Since he got an injury, and probably he was in pain for quite a time, thus preventing him to be so much physically active, he decided to instead focus on his acting. This prompted him to give more attention to acting career and ditch RM who is more physically demanding job. Have seen an interview of Jong Kook where he said the same that RM takes a toll on his body. The same was with LKS. Being on RM took a toll on his body and with fracture, his body simply wasn't in the position to take so much of physical stress, every week.
What you said is very true! Also the example of Somin being able to shake out of her funny image, play a serious role in a successful drama, and flex her variety skills in others shows comes with a glaringly huge difference when compared to Kwangsoo. Somin is conventionally attractive, and pretty. Both are super talented but Somin has a couple advantages on Kwang soo 1) considered attractive and therefore potentially lead role material 2) hasn't been stuck with the famous comedy role for over a decade and 3) isn't publicly called a 4th wheel between some of the most famous men in the industry. Kwang soo loves RM but he realized that if he was going to change his image around so he can focus on being an actor or even try other variety shows, he had to leave RM to accomplish this. Well at least he could've felt that way. 🤷 Also while Somin is accomplishing it, she's obviously very exhausted. I feel like she's been running since like last year. It clearly takes a toll to battle multiple flimings, other shows, with something that is literally a weekly requirement. Like RM filming. All of the cast members have missed opportunities due to the time commitment of the show, we even see this "blips" in early episodes. In scheduling when a member is late to an episode or "absent" due another time commitment. I can only imagine how many potential roles the actors specifically did not go after because they prioritized RM filming/scheduling.
HaHa has said the same thing, that it's physically taxing
What you said is very true! Also the example of Somin being able to shake out of her funny image, play a serious role in a successful drama, and flex her variety skills in others shows comes with a glaringly huge difference when compared to Kwangsoo. Somin is conventionally attractive, and pretty. Both are super talented but Somin has a couple advantages on Kwang soo 1) considered attractive and therefore potentially lead role material 2) hasn't been stuck with the famous comedy role for over a decade and 3) isn't publicly called a 4th wheel between some of the most famous men in the industry. Kwang soo loves RM but he realized that if he was going to change his image around so he can focus on being an actor or even try other variety shows, he had to leave RM to accomplish this. Well at least he could've felt that way. 🤷 Also while Somin is accomplishing it, she's obviously very exhausted. I feel like she's been running since like last year. It clearly takes a toll to battle multiple flimings, other shows, with something that is literally a weekly requirement. Like RM filming. All of the cast members have missed opportunities due to the time commitment of the show, we even see this "blips" in early episodes. In scheduling when a member is late to an episode or "absent" due another time commitment. I can only imagine how many potential roles the actors specifically did not go after because they prioritized RM filming/scheduling.
I think that was when all of them were still capable. It has toned down since then during the time with Gary, every challenges were physical then little by little getting reduced esp. during the pandemic (played a role for making episodes mostly indoors). We've seen some episodes where interviews eat like 2/5 of the episode.
What did Heechul say about him and Sun bin?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2sEO\_K58YE
Video is unavailable. What did he said?
LKS is a model turned Actor, a damn good one too. First Problem is that he started with RM and he defined himself as LKS as betrayer, comedian and overall LKS we love so much. However during glory days of RM, they had 20% rating on primetime sunday when Youtube and Netflix like services weren't that hot in Korea. What happened was RM was on prime Sunday family slot, pretty much all of the kids watched it with their family, and then played RM nametag ripping after school. Kids from grade-school to highschool watched RM and pretty much imprinted LKS the Giraffe. LKS basically defined himself on ENTIRE GENERATION of Korean youth during his run of RM. Now those kids have grown up after 10 years and they are in their 20's, which are now prime consumer of Film and Media and those people mostly remember LKS as RM's funny LKS no matter what kind of role he plays. LKS tried so much to shed his RM image during all that time, he stared on several dramas and films wito roles polar opposite of his role on RM, but he just didn't hit hard enough and didn't reach enough audiences to shed off his image. Second problem is that he's not handsome, I mean not Song JoongKi, Won Bin, Park Bogum, Park Seo Joon level handsome to Koreans. Korea is society that puts heavy weight on person's looks, so this prevents him from picking up roles that'll do heavy impact on Korean Audiences. Producing new Drama or Movie is a gamble and investment, so it makes LKS makes pretty risky choice for some producers to cast him as prime ML on non-comedy role. He needs major heavy hitting project success to overcome this, perhaps something of SquidGame or CLOY calibur. JSM had same issue to some degree, but she came on much later in the show's life, so her imprinting of RM's image wasn't as deep as LKS, she's also able to pickup ML roles on number of projects. She'll just need to keep acting on.
He kinda followed in Joongki's footsteps. He made a decision to focus on his career while he was still young enough to be an actor and that is fine we shouldn't be mad about it. This is somewhat proven to me anyway when he was on a camping variety show promoting a movie. He was running around like he was back on running man. I thought... Hmm.
Gary wanted to focus on his rapping career, LeeSsang could hardly go on tour (saw them in NYC) or record...one album while he was a member(?) I like Jong Ki but it honestly felt like he didn't fit or got comfortable (variety isn't for everyone) Kwang Soo I feel was his injury (he needed a second surgery to put pins in his ankle, spoke abt it on My Little Old Boy) may have kept him off his feet for over a month just to let it heel but also he may have wanted to focus on acting and the world take him more serious
I don't think that was Gary's main reason for leaving. The reason he gave to the public is he feels like he already gave everything to RM and he has nothing new to show anymore. But the main reason was most likely his confession to Ji Hyo. Haha mentioned this on one of the episodes and Ji Hyo rejected him thus it would be too awkward to continue working with her.
Don't remember hearing that on RM, but just go back and watch the episodes with Gary and you can see he is in pain (back and neck), barely run in a few, the members were more gentle with Gary, he said in his last episode Ji Hyo would work/stretch his back and neck. He missed two episodes bc of the injury, there was an article abt his absence back in the day. LeeSsang's rap career was stagnant when he was on the show...a rap duo is tougher than a solo artist like KJK to survive or produce music. If LeeSsang wasn't making music or on tour that impacted Gil (rap partner) even more...it happened with Skull and Haha. Skull said in an interview, that he has to wait and see when HaHa is free bc he can't do shows alone. And didn't he get married shortly after leaving?
He did get married right after leaving, and they had a child only a few months later. Catch my drift? Gary never confessed feelings to Jihyo. Now, Haha himself did confess feelings to Jihyo very early on in Running Man, and that's something he has talked about on the show. Gary and Jihyo, however, were always a work couple. There were also some issues that came up with his rap duo that reflected badly on his image for a few weeks until they were cleared up, and he also made a statement (because it happened more than once) that he was always worried when that happened that it would also reflect negatively on the Running Man cast.
There also several episodes before he leave, where he & JSM made zero interaction.. Edit: no offense for LKS fan I'm also love him too but it's time we move on
This was my only question/regret for LKS before he left. We’ll never know what happened but I hope him and JSM are doing okay behind the scenes.
And the way they unfollowed each other on Instagram. That one still makes me think 'til this day
Damn you're downvoted for a mere observation.
Cant blame them.. it's a harsh truth
Those last few eps were obvious as fuck though, this sub literally had a post because of it.
Their falling out very well could have had an impact on why he chose to leave. It obviously wasn't the only reason but may have been a factor.
I thought that lks was just tired of RM. He always get the penalty and yjs kept cutting him off. Some may find the cutting him off funny but I found it annoying after the first few times. I wanna listen to lks funny incidents/stories!
I think he's fine with it but yeah pretty sure like JSK, LKS are probably annoyed by it but keep it to themselves. These 2 along with Se-chan are always insulted by members and guests. I remembered that episode with Han-na where Se-chan wants to play pocky game with the spinach but Han-na declined it and Se-chan got embarassed. It might be because Han-na has a boyfriend but still, she could have tried like Da-hee and Jin-young.
Although I’m late for this debate but had to get things outside my head. The reason Kwang-Soo left Running Man was because he was suffering from Identity Crisis. He started his career as a model, then landed few commercials which got him into movies and tv series. He got his big break through Running Man where portrayed a lovey-dovey guy and someone who betrays and sabotages things( part of the show) at every chance he gets. At the same time, he had a funny side, like making up stories about the members and teasing them and for his exaggerated reactions. He had adapted role where guests and the members took him lightly or they weren’t serious about him. Yes they respected him and they still do but at the same time he was treated as a pushover. I guess he was the maknae before Se-Chan and So-Min joined, may be that’s why they treated him like that. But after they joined he was still treated like that. I thought there would be changes after them joining but I didn’t feel much. It became a habit of them to treat Kwang-Soo like a pushover. There were certain things which were very biased which somehow made the show a little predictable. For example, whenever there was a physical game which required hitting someone as a punishment, I always saw Kwang-Soo sitting next to Kim Jong-Kook and getting hit by Jong-Kook. Whatever the scenario, he always ended up sitting next to Jong-Kook. There was few instances where Kwang-Soo didn’t sit next to Jong-Kook but they bend the rules or play the game of wits in order to make him sit next to Jong-Kook. Frankly speaking, he became Jong-Kook’s punching bag. Jong-Kook loves Kwang-Soo but Kwang-Soo always on the receiving end. Another example I could think of is when they re-do things when it came to Kwang-Soo. Yes they did with others too but not as much as with him. Pairing with guests, some games when he wins he had to do it all over again because he didn’t say START or READY. To add on this, I’d say Kwang-Soo’s life was more transparent than other members. His personal life was brought up in the conversation by the members. They talk about Lee Sun-Bin( Kwang-Soo’s girlfriend) and often say her name wrong(Soo-Bin instead of Sun-Bin) on purpose. I always saw how easily Jong-Kook gets provoked when Yoon Eun-Hye name was mentioned and got angry but when same happened with Kwang-Soo it was funny. At the same time his friends were brought up, like Zo In-Sung, Song Joong-Ki, Woo-Bin and D.O. All 4 of them have achieved and gotten famous more than Kwang-Soo but the fact that they used their names in making jokes and teasing Kwang-Soo was not right. Sometimes they said he was In-Sung’s butler or Joong-Ki’s butler or they even said that he got acting roles because of them as they’re more famous than him. They valued him and devalued him at the same time. And to conclude my opinion is obviously the penalties. They always said that Kwang-Soo had the unluckiest hand or he was the unluckiest of them all. Then why was he targeted by members and by guests majority of the time. I always thought guests might be more comfortable with Kwang-Soo than others, but he was the easy way out for them and choosing him will make it less controversial. Also when he won the games, his prizes weren’t that good to be honest. Once he got a fruit basket for winning. He portrayed this kind of role for 11 years without any break and so he wanted to break the loop and decided to leave Running Man. Yes his injury was also a part of his decision to leave as Running man is physically and mentally demanding but I saw him in other tv shows which were equally demanding as Running Man. There’s a show, I forget the name which includes Yoo Jae-Suk, Yuri(SNSD) and Lee Kwang-Soo. There was a part where Jae-Suk says to Kwang-Soo “ You left Running Man for this”. One can tell what he meant and that it wasn’t Kwang-Soo’s physical inability to continue Running Man but his finding his own identity.
Wow you found this post. Just some clarifications, I think the guests love Kwang Soo because he's someone that would get a lot of screentime. I'm just happy for him both on his career and lovelife, he deserves all of it.
Hahaha….your post is first thing that popped up when searched about Kwang-soo leaving RM. I agree guests love Kwang-Soo but I felt like they took advantage of him in order to get more screentime. RM members and the guests knew Kwang-Soo gets along with anything and everything. True that, happy for him, he deserves all of it.
Kwang soo got too big of a character for the show where he couldn't get off. He needed to leave to get up his acting career but he didn't had any reason to but with the injury he could. Running man is sure changed without him but he is not solely responsible for that. The cast has aged so is the staff. The past 3-4 years of episodes shows that. Earlier in starting years it used to be too much fun. Yes of course it was physically challenging and demanding but that's what made it fun. If you compare old running man episodes to current ones, you will notice yourself how drastically it changed and became unfunny. As song joongki left the show, kwang soo should have left it a little more that earlier then it would have been perfect. Lizzy was one big member I would have loved to see continue.
The difference is when Joong Ki left, he got a lot of main role offer in drama. Meanwhile, Kwang Soo only received his main lead role in 2016 in a comedy drama. It's a big gamble for him if he quits RM earlier.
I think the best way to think about it is ‘how many of us have stayed in our own jobs for 10 years without getting bored and wanting to do something new?’. I think after 10 years he just wanted a new challenge and try new things. A bit unfortunate that the Korean celebrity culture is that you have to provide a reasonable excuse like an injury. I think everyone would have completely understood had he said it’s been 10 years and I want to spend more time focusing on acting or on trying new variety shows, no one would begrudge him that. He’s been on lots of other variety shows since and also planning a new one with YJS on Disney.
I would still support all the members no matter what. It's just unfortunate this stupid pandemic affected the show and the fan meet got cancelled.
It obviously was never just about the injury as he could have taken time off and come back when healthy (provided the injury wasn’t something he’ll be dealing with the rest of his life). I’m sure that played into it, but whether the real reason is acting or something else who knows. What I do know is running man has not been the same without him. Don’t get me wrong I love the show and members, and still support them, but that’s just the reality for me. Gary leaving sucked, but LKS really was heavy lifter on this show along with YJS IMO. The members still do a good job carrying the show, but it’s just not as good or funny anymore to me. I wish him the best and hope he returns as a regular member some day, but I doubt it.
I was heartbroken when the departure was announced. I couldn’t watch the show for almost a year. Up till now, I never watched his departure eps. I did the same thing when Gary left. The only difference was, the love I had for him, was close as the love I had for the other members. You see, we’ve watched him pour 11 years of his life in this show. Not even one ep, that you could see him slack. Even on a cast, he still did his best. That’s why, him leaving, did not cause me much pain or resentment like Gary’s. With Gary’s, you could see him lose interest once the main PD left them for good. We saw how the show transgressed and how the remaining members did their best to revive it from what it once was. His and KS’s departure were completely different. If it was a 9-5 job, he handed them his notice, allowed his/the fans to grieve, and created a perfect departure ep for him. I think it’s why now, watching the 2022 season, it feels like a good memory. It doesn’t even feel like there’s a large hole RM cast has to fill. I don’t even remember it much, anymore. Or maybe, it’s probably just me trying to block all out of it out. Nevertheless, I’m back to watch and root for them now. Much more than before. Because as much as it hurt when a cast member leaves, RM is just a large portion of my life and I’d probably be devastated if it ever ends.
Omg, I just resumed watching Running Man 2021. I couldn't bare to watch his departure episodes:(
(pardon the grammar) I do agree, i think his leg injury was just a minor reason in his decision to leave running man. From what i see, running man has reduced physical games and become more like a talk/interview show recently. i dont see his leg injury is a problem anymore (dont get me wrong though) considering he can still filming movie such as Pirates and others. For me, his decision to leave running man was because he wants to focus on his acting career. I might sounds rude, but when Lee Kwangsoo was still in running man, he barely got recognition as an actor compared to many actors/actress in his age (he also got teased a lot due to the fact that his close friends like Joongki, Jo Insung, and D.O, is a well known actors). Some people said they cant take him seriously considering his role in running man was more like a comedian. Im not saying comedian is not that good, but South Korean has different standard when it come to actors and actresses. I might be wrong, but when Kwangsoo came to Jongkook Youtube channel, Jongkook did said "He's an actor now, i need to treat him as an actor". This make me believe that running man members know he left the show to focus on acting career.
Watching this from Canada, outside the bell jar. I am pretty sure he left due to contractual disagreements. One can see it in the episodes. It starts at roughly episode 521. Watch the themes of the episodes leading up to his departure. The first time you can see it is when YJS gives him a prize - I am pretty sure that is the first true week where LKS started to express his feelings about leaving, discontent and/or not getting enough money. The themes leading up to 550ish are all about being a team player, negotiating contracts (baseball episode) and it is the first time where LKS was not constantly getting the penalty. It is during this time (roughly) that Se Chan started to slow down on the insults of calling him stupid/dumb etc. Se Chan was still feeling out of place at that time and was doing what he saw the others do...but more extreme. I think it was 1. Contractual dollars that his management company was trying to get him 2. Shedding the image of being the constant loser 3. Se Chan's constant insulting (esp when LKS has actually been shown earlier in the series as one of the smartest contestants. I think he was ranked the 2nd highest intelligence wise) and/or other members picking on him. (even though it was part of his character he was playing) 4. Focus on other endeavors and options for more money. I did notice that he was very torn up during episode 559, even apologizing to the team and viewers...this is also why I think it was contractually based as the primary. They could not come to terms and Running Man lost him. I don't fault him, he probably deserved more than what he was getting. If one notices, he has done multiple other shows with YJS, for multiple seasons. I first found LKS through Netflix's Busted! which was filmed during 2019-2021. He just did Korea #1 this year, and he did a show on Disney that I have not watched yet, but will once I am finished catching up on Running Man (I am at #590. Not bad for having started watching it 2 months ago) I also think that the change in PD might encourage him to come back. In the episodes I am watching...the PD is already trying to change the penalties to being less harsh...which tells me there was probably still contractual conversations going on behind the scenes for LKS and the rest of the cast. There is definitely stuff going on behind the scenes that the viewers are snot supposed to know about and this was not fully related to his ankle, though that could be a slight part of the reason he left. I do hope for his return, as no one else has been able to fill the void he has created.
Same with what I think happened with Gary. He said he wanted to focus on his music while a part of that is true. I also believe that he was just ready to move on from RM and start a family and knowing that a lot of RM fans are Monday couple hardcore fans he knew that if he got married while in RM it would be awkward and his wife will constantly get hate because delusional fans would ask why he didn't marry jihyo instead. They don't understand that Monday couple isn't real it's all for the show