On the March 15 episode of SBS’s "Running Man", Team Korea’s short track athletes Choi Min-jeong, Noh Do-hee, Lee Jun-seo, Lee Jung-min, and Shin Dong-min joined as guests.
They took on the “Spring Special: Is Speed the Secret to Recharging?” race with the athletes.
It was a spring food-course race where speed decided everything. After each mission, “penalty balls” were handed out in different amounts. After the final tally, only the team with the fewest balls escaped punishment.
Producers split the cast and guests into three teams, and members were allowed to switch teams after each mission, keeping everyone on their toes.
After the first mission, Ji Ye-eun swapped places with Ji Seok-jin. Surrounded by Millennial-Gen Z national team stars, Ji Seok-jin struggled to keep up. The athletes’ rapid-fire banter―“If we keep this up, we’ll have to use our balls. At this rate, you’ll get all the votes. Relax, but you still have to do well”―left him spinning and the set in stitches.
Teamed up with Yoo Jae-suk, Choi Min-jeong, and Noh Do-hee, Ji Ye-eun headed to the next location. On the way, Choi Min-jeong exposed her, saying, “Ye-eun unnie told me and Do-hee to funnel our balls to Yoo Jae-suk sunbae. She said to do it like when she was on HAHA’s team. But that’s not our vibe, right?”
Impressed, Yoo Jae-suk said, “Min-jeong’s got loyalty,” while scolding Ji Ye-eun. Flustered, Ji Ye-eun waved it off: “Min-jeong, when did I say that? That’s not me. We’re one team.”
Members kept switching right up to the final mission. Ji Seok-jin swapped with Lee Jun-seo, then Ji Ye-eun swapped with Lee Jun-seo again, and finally HAHA and Yoo Jae-suk traded places, flipping the board completely.
HAHA, who had struggled earlier because of a special “reflect” power on Yoo Jae-suk’s team, switched over and told the remaining teammates, “No matter what, just target Jae-suk.”
As a result, Ji Seok-jin landed on Kim Jong-kook, Song Ji-hyo, and Yang Se-chan’s team with a mountain of penalty balls, locking in his punishment.
Then the team including Ji Ye-eun and Yoo Jae-suk finished last, making two people face the penalty. With Ji Ye-eun holding the most penalty balls and Yoo Jae-suk selected by chance, both became the punished duo―prompting cheers from HAHA.
At the end, a teaser announced actor Park Shin-yang’s upcoming appearance. “Hello, detectives of "Running Man", I’m Park Shin-yang,” he said. “One of the masterpieces sent from around the world has disappeared. Please find it.” He previewed a “Detective Agency: Find the Authentic” race with the members, raising anticipation for the next episode.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)