Shocking backlash is brewing around longtime Running Man member Song Ji-hyo, with viewers renewing “calls to step down” after claiming her presence all but disappeared in a recent broadcast.
The controversy sparked with the March 8 special, 'Run & Fun Company: Spin the Roulette.' In the episode, members became event company staff and tackled a series of missions. But after it aired, some viewers argued that Song Ji-hyo’s performance was barely visible.
Across the roughly 90-minute runtime, there were almost no moments where she took the lead, and she appeared mostly in group shots or brief reaction cuts. Some even complained that “Song Ji-hyo had barely 10 seconds of screen time,” voicing their frustration.
The next day, critical comments flooded the highlight video on SBS’s official YouTube channel. Reactions ranged from “It’s a variety show, but she barely talks,” and “I didn’t even realize she was there,” to pointed takes like “The program needs to change for its own good.” A portion of netizens even demanded that Song Ji-hyo voluntarily exit the show.
Many also pointed to the show’s evolving format as a key factor. One viewer noted, “In early Running Man, the focus was on physical missions, but now it leans more on talk and skits,” adding, “There’s a mismatch between Song Ji-hyo’s action-driven character—like the famous name-tag ripping—and the current format.”
A similar debate surfaced in 2023. At the time, Yoo Jae-suk mentioned on a web variety show that “There was an episode where I thought, ‘Ji-hyo didn’t talk much today,’” adding, “Ji-hyo was upset about that and said she should’ve worked harder.” He continued, “Instead of making excuses, we can just try harder on the next broadcast,” standing up for his teammate.
As a core member who has sustained the program for nearly 16 years, attention is now on whether this flare-up will pass as a brief hiccup—or trigger bigger changes.