'Running Man' officially shuts down: What caused sensational implosion of popular show?

The most popular variety shows ever, Running Man, will be shut down permanently by the end February 2017. Season 2 has been also officially canceled.

Running Man
The permanent cast of the SBS variety show, Running Man, includes Lee Kwang Soo, Song Ji Hyo, Kim Jing Kook, Haha, Ji Suk Jin, Gary and Yoo JAe Suk. Facebook/Runningman

After the announcement of the departure of Song Ji Hyo and Kim Joong Kook of the "Running Man" show, the show runners have decided to formally end the show. The reports came after the emergency meeting of the cast and producers on Friday, in Seoul. The show runners said they wanted to end the show on good terms.

The Running Man's Gary left the show as he wanted to focus on his music ambitions. And soon after that, this month, Kim Jong Kook and Song Ji Hyo departed. After Friday's emergency meeting, the producers officially said that they wanted to end the show.

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According to the Korea Portal, in the emergency meeting, the producers and cast members got together to clear all issues and misunderstandings. After discussing it with everyone including Song Ji Hyo and Kim Joong Kook, it was decided that it's the right time for the variety show to end.

According to the reports, the most popular variety shows ever, Running Man, will be shut down permanently by the end February 2017. Season 2 has been also officially canceled.

SBS officially said: "Running Man members and producers gathered together in Seoul today for an emergency meeting and overcame their misunderstandings and miscommunications. After deep and lengthy discussion both sides decided to end the show at the end of February 2017."

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They further added: "However, they decided that they did not want to end the show on such a sad note so therefore decided to have all 6 members, Yoo Jae Suk, Ji Suk Jin, Haha, Lee Kwang Soo, Song Ji Hyo and Kim Jong Kook."

Reportedly, the show runners promised to give their best for the remaining episodes and that is in a way of saying thank you to all their fan and viewers who all loyally followed the show since the start.

The longest-running variety shows in Korean "Running Man" was first broadcasted in 2010, July. The show is so popular that the other countries had to translate it into English, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian Thai, Chinese, Italian, French, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Arabic, Turkish and Burmese.

This article was first published on December 17, 2016