Some controversies don't go away. They just take a break.
Song Ji-hyo, one of the original cast members of SBS's long-running variety show "Running Man," is once again at the centre of online debate after viewers said she appeared largely disengaged during the March 8 episode. The segment, themed around an office roulette game where cast members competed to leave work early, drew attention not for what Song did, but for what she didn't.
{img}While the rest of the cast threw themselves into improvised skits and back-and-forth banter, Song mostly sat to the side. During a bus ride to lunch, the other members kept the energy going while she sat quietly, smiling but not joining in. Viewers noticed — and not for the first time.
The comparison that stung most was with Ji Ye-eun, the show's youngest cast member, who kept trying to jump into conversations and actively worked to fit into the group's rhythm. The contrast made Song's stillness harder to overlook.
This is not new territory. In June 2023, similar criticism surfaced after an episode where Song struggled to join an improvised scene with fellow members Jun So-min, Kim Jong-kook, Haha, and Yang Se-chan. In another moment, the cast exchanged comments over kongguksu — a cold soybean noodle dish popular in Korean summers — while Song stayed silent.
{img}When that 2023 controversy went public, Song addressed it on the YouTube talk show "Pinggyego." She said she hadn't seen the articles at first, and that it was her co-star Yoo Jae-suk who called to let her know. After looking up the coverage herself, she called Ji Seok-jin and said she'd try harder. Many viewers felt she did — and the criticism quieted down.
Now it's back.
The timing is awkward for "Running Man," which debuted in 2010 and remains one of Korea's most recognized variety shows internationally. The programme has recently been getting stronger reviews under producer Kang Hyung-sun, which makes the recurring Song controversy more visible rather than less. As talk segments and improvised interaction take up more of each episode, cast members who don't thrive in that format become easier to spot.
{img}Song has been with "Running Man" for over a decade. Whether she'll respond to this round of criticism the way she did in 2023, or whether the calls for a lineup change will grow louder this time, is something fans are actively debating.