Huh Jae, who was expelled from the basketball world due to the 'Day One incident,' made his return to entertainment after two years with 'Running for Life.'
On 19th, during the first broadcast of MBN's new entertainment show 'Running for Life,' Huh Jae challenged a marathon. 'Running for Life' is a program that captures stars from various fields who, each with their own compelling stories, challenge their first marathons to overcome their wounds and limits.
Among them, Huh Jae appeared under the keyword 'the terrifying three meals.' He felt awkward about the expression referring to someone who eats all three meals at home, saying, "It refers to husbands who don't go out and eat at home after retirement."
"If I actually go out, there's nothing to do," Huh Jae lamented and empathized with Bang Eun-hee, who complained about 'menopause.' Huh Jae said, "(With Bang Eun-hee) it's almost similar. At my age, almost everyone has retired, and there's little social life left." He also confessed, "Because of inactivity, I feel depressed and like my life is losing vitality."
Regarding his marathon challenge, Huh Jae was also worried about his physical abilities. More than 20 years after retiring as a basketball player, he admitted, "(My physical ability) is almost worse than that of an average person. I might even be worse than Chef Jeong Ho-young." Huh Jae specifically mentioned, "My heart isn't good, and I visit the hospital. I have something like arrhythmia. It seems that running a marathon won't be easy."
In the actual preview of 'Running for Life,' scenes of Huh Jae running while expressing pain as if he were out of breath were shown. Nevertheless, he said, "If I overcome expectations and run, my challenge might bring hope to those around me. I thought it might become a new source of vitality for my life."
Meanwhile, Huh Jae's participation in 'Running for Life' has drawn some backlash from netizens. Although he was beloved in the past as the 'President of Basketball,' he is currently expelled from the basketball world.
Previously, Huh Jae served as the president and owner of the Goyang Day One Jumpers basketball team at Day One Sports. The newly formed Goyang Day One Jumpers became known to the public thanks to Huh Jae's prominence, and Huh Jae showcased his presence as an owner by appearing in KBS 2TV's entertainment program 'The Boss's Ears are Donkey Ears.'
However, in 2023, Goyang Day One Jumpers became the first team in Korea Professional Basketball to be expelled. The team's parent company, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, faced mismanagement, and they failed to properly pay the KBL registration fee of 1.5 billion won, causing two delays. Shockingly, it was revealed that they were nearly six months behind on wages owed to the players, who had fought hard to reach the playoffs, as well as to team staff and partner firms.
During this process, Huh Jae also faced criticism for attempting to cover up the poor management of the team with his fame. Thus, he was not seen on broadcasts for a while. He made his return to entertainment through 'Running for Life' after two years. Even now, there are critical perspectives regarding Huh Jae's comeback. It remains to be seen whether Huh Jae can overcome such controversies in 'Running for Life.'
[Photo] OSEN DB, MBN provided.
[OSEN]