'Lovely Runner' star Byeon Woo Seok, the heartthrob actor, has made waves on SBS’s ‘Running Man’, causing the show’s ratings to skyrocket!

The episode of ‘Running Man’ aired on May 12th scored a nationwide rating of 4%, according to Nielsen Korea. That’s a jump of 0.8%P from the previous week’s 3.2%! The peak minute viewership also shot up to a whopping 6.3%, showing a significant increase from last week.

The last time ‘Running Man’ hit over 4% viewership was way back on February 4th, when it recorded 4.1%. It’s been a solid three months since then, and the show is back on track!

When it comes to the target demographic, the 2049 viewership, ‘Running Man’ nailed it with a 2.2% rating (based on Nielsen Korea’s metropolitan area, household basis).

The show held its ground as the top dog in its time slot, ranking in the TOP 2 of the ‘2049 viewership’ among the variety shows aired that day, alongside ‘My Little Old Boy’.

As we all know, Byeon Woo Seok, who’s been stealing hearts in the hit drama ‘Lovely Runner’, graced the episode, turning heads left and right.

Making his first appearance on ‘Running Man’ in two years, Byeon Woo Seok spiced things up by taking on a situational play in a school uniform, playing the character ‘Seon Jae’.

In a scene where he had to go to school, he received a confession from a high school girl and responded with, “I got it, I like you too. Then let’s date,” making viewers’ hearts flutter.

The members couldn’t hide their excitement for Byeon Woo Seok’s appearance. Yoo Jae Suk commented, “How good is it to be popular,” and HaHa, upon meeting Byeon Woo Seok, humorously said, “Carry me,” causing a wave of laughter.

HaHa even took a selfie with Byeon Woo Seok and looked after him throughout the race, earning cheers from the members and the production team.

The day’s race was titled ‘The More Amazing Godly Ratio Part 2’, introducing foods from restaurants with unbelievable godly ratios. The first place, a Chinese restaurant, shocked everyone with a 2,000 won Jjajangmyeon, and a full set of octopus samhap was introduced for just 29,000 won.

However, Byeon Woo Seok had a hard time guessing the price and ended up watching the members enjoy their meal. Yoo Jae Suk started ‘hunting’ the foods with his unique playfulness, and Byeon Woo Seok, unable to resist, joined the ‘hunt’, causing laughter.

The members couldn’t stop admiring Byeon Woo Seok’s visuals that day. Yoo Jae Suk, looking at the back of Byeon Woo Seok’s head, said, “He’s handsome even when you only look at the back of his head,” and when he looked at the back of Ji Suk Jin’s head, he added, “Oh, you’ve had a hard time. A tough life,” causing everyone to burst into laughter.

In the final mission, Byeon Woo Seok teamed up with HaHa and Yoo Jae Suk and performed brilliantly. He carried Yoo Jae Suk based on the given hint at the end and crossed the finish line to win. Byeon Woo Seok said, “I had fun coming here after two years,” expressing his gratitude.

Source[1]

Actor Chun Jung Myung has opened up about a devastating betrayal by his former manager, who swindled tens of billions of won from his family. The former manager, who had been trusted like family, is now serving prison time for his actions.

In the December 8 episode of SBS’s My Little Old Boy, Chun Jung Myung shared the shocking details of his financial fraud ordeal with fellow cast members Lee Sang Min and Kim Heechul.

He explained, "I was financially defrauded by the manager I had worked with for 16 years since my debut. He forged documents to steal money and even caused huge financial losses for my parents."

A close source confirmed on December 9, "The manager mentioned on the show ultimately couldn’t repay the damages and is now serving his prison sentence for fraud."

The source also revealed that Chun Jung Myung suffered losses in the tens of billions of won. The emotional toll was severe, leading to social anxiety, and he even considered retiring from the entertainment industry due to the devastating betrayal.

Chun Jung Myung debuted in 1999 with the drama School 2 and became a household name with roles in Beijing, My Love, Fashion 70s, and What's Up Fox? However, after his role in the 2019 drama Urban Cops: KCSI, he suddenly disappeared from the spotlight, sparking concerns from fans.

An entertainment agency CEO weighed in, saying, "Celebrities, especially those with limited real-world experience, are vulnerable to scams because of their public status. Some get trapped and lose vast amounts of money after being used as figureheads."

An entertainment law expert added, "Fraud cases are tricky because proving the intent to steal is difficult. If someone makes an enticing offer, always ask, ‘Why me and not them?’ Skepticism is key."

Source: [1]