After it was announced that “Running Man” (런닝맨) will be ending its run in February 2017, many fans are curious about the cast’s future plans.
According to Koreaboo, Kim Jong Kook (김종국) will be going on an Asian tour as the show’s “capable man” (aka Sparta) starting January 2017. Kim’s label, Maroo Entertainment, has also confirmed that Turbo (터보) is currently working on an album.
They said, “Turbo’s album is nearing completion but as Kim Jong Kook’s Asia tour will take place from January to March he will be active overseas during the early part of the year.”
Apparently, the group has been working closely with Duble Sidekick, a popular South Korean music producer-songwriter duo, and has recorded a few songs. The title track has yet to be finalised but it is said that the album is slated for release in early 2017.
In other news, it was speculated that the decision maker behind the dismissal of Song Ji Hyo and Kim is allegedly PD (producer) Gong Hee Chul, the Chief Producer (CP) of SBS’ Variety Team 4. An old friend of Kim, who goes by the name of James “Tiny” Kim, cryptically tweeted Gong’s name on his account. The tweet reads, “#?⚽HeeChul” (#FireGongHeeChul). In case you didn’t know, Gong means ball in Korean, hence the football emoji.
Though the tweet has since been deleted, fans of the show were able to take screenshots of it quickly. In addition, the hashtag is currently trending on Twitter and Instagram.
Are you excited for Turbo’s return next year? Do you think that Gong Hee Chul is the main reason why Song Ji Hyo and Kim Jong Kook were “forced to leave” the show? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
