The SBS show 'Running Man,' which became a hot topic due to singer Kim Jong-kook's surprise marriage announcement, firmly maintained its position as the No. 1 program in the '2049 viewership rating' during the same time slot.
The episode aired on the 31st of last month and saw an increase in viewership compared to the previous week, recording a '2049 viewership rating' of 1.9%, becoming the top-rated entertainment show during that time, with a peak viewership rate of 5.5%. (Data from Nielsen Korea, metropolitan area, based on households)
From the start, the broadcast surprised everyone with the earlier announced news of Kim Jong-kook's marriage. Before the recording, Kim Jong-kook shared the marriage news with each member individually, making an official marriage announcement during the recording opening, saying, "I'm getting married now. I will live happily and well." Yoo Jae-suk remarked, "At first, I thought he was talking about his 30th anniversary concert, but he asked me to host his wedding. Although we have a recording that day, I will try to move it forward," hinting at 'Kim Jong-kook's wedding hosting,' which made Song Ji-hyo visibly emotional.
Kim Jong-kook noted, "Actually, I've been dropping hints all along. I'm saying this now because I was worried I'd have to put up a banner on 'Running Man' if the article came out on another day," while Haha jokingly teased, "Weren't you getting married to Chae-yeon?" Kim Jong-kook clarified about his fiancée, saying, "You all don't know her. She is not from the entertainment industry."
Meanwhile, the day's race was set up as 'Good luck as you spend! A dating show where fortune bursts,' where the top three with the most items would receive prizes. It featured guest appearances by actor Jang Dong-yoon, who is set to star in the new SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'The Mantis: Original Sin,' and actress Kim Ah-young, who is known as 'Running Man's official love interest.' As it was a couple race, more female participants were required, and coincidentally, Kim Jong-kook surprised everyone by wearing a pink wig as 'Jong-sook,' bringing great laughter.
Yoo Jae-suk stated, "If you don't want to dress as a woman today, you don't have to," but Kim Jong-kook replied, "I need to work harder now," expressing his sense of responsibility as a 'prospective husband.' After becoming 'Jong-sook,' Kim Jong-kook successfully paired up with Jang Dong-yoon, while Kim Ah-young paired with Yang Se-chan, Yoo Jae-suk with Ji Ye-eun, Haha with Song Ji-hyo, and Ji Suk-jin with Choi Daniel, forming couples for the race.
In the dating event, divided into two teams, Kim Jong-kook, true to his title of 'boxing enthusiast,' indulged in a boxing date with Jang Dong-yoon while immersing himself in the race. However, the members who took a different route hilariously deduced Kim Jong-kook's 'marriage evidence' that he had previously dropped. Yoo Jae-suk pointed out, "Come to think of it, there were signs. Didn't Kim Jong-kook buy a lot of cute keyrings?" while Yang Se-chan added, "Suddenly saying he was moving was also strange."
In the final race results, Jang Dong-yoon took first place, while the female members Kim Ah-young, Song Ji-hyo, and Ji Ye-eun faced penalties.
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