Song Ji-hyo, a South Korean actress and entertainer, has sparked a new online debate after viewers noticed that she didn't appear much on a recent episode of the long-running variety show Running Man.
The SBS show that aired on March 8 lasted about 90 minutes, but some viewers said that Song only appeared for a short time during the show. The observation quickly spread on social media and online forums, where both fans and critics talked about how little she was in the episode.
A report from Allkpop says that some viewers thought the actress was on screen for only about 10 seconds during the show. Most of the time, she was only in reaction shots or group scenes, not leading games or talking to other cast members.
After the show aired, people started posting their thoughts about it online. Some people who didn't like the show questioned why the actress was in it. "Isn't this a lack of professionalism?" Another viewer wrote, "She's a regular member but her presence is too weak."
However, not every response was negative. Some individuals speculated that the editing process, rather than any shortcomings in her acting, might have contributed to the actress's reduced screen time.
Others speculated that she may have been in poor shape during filming and advised against making hasty conclusions.
Throughout the show's lengthy history, people have previously raised the issue of Song's screen time. The Chosun Biz said that similar complaints came up in 2023 when some viewers questioned her participation in certain episodes.
At the time, Yoo Jae-suk, another cast member, talked about it on the web show Pinggyego. He talked about how Song felt when she saw episodes where she didn't have much to say or do on screen.
Yoo said during that talk that the actress had been working hard behind the scenes all along. He also said that she was upset after watching episodes where she didn't talk as much or appear as often in segments.
Song has also made it clear what she wants to do with the show. In 2024, she talked about rumors that she might leave the show during a YouTube appearance. She said in the interview that she wouldn't step down unless the production team chose to end the show.
Song joined Running Man in 2010 and has been a main cast member for more than ten years. In 2016, she and Kim Jong-kook, who was also in the cast, were told for a short time that they would be taken off the show. Viewers were outraged about the decision, so the production team had to apologize and bring back both actors.
Even after the most recent argument, the actress is still known as one of the show's longest-serving members.
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