Laughter Ensues as Running Man Cast Cleans Up Kim Jong Kook's House

In the latest episode of SBS's Running Man (런닝맨), the cast visited Kim Jong Kook's (김종국) home for a cleaning session, leading to some hilarious moments. On February 23, during the show, Yoo Jae Suk (유재석) expressed concern about Kim's living conditions, stating, "Kim Jong Kook has become strange; we need to help him out." Kim defended himself, saying, "I’m just setting things up for a move. Everything is perfect; what needs organizing?" Yoo countered, questioning if he even had a new place lined up, to which Kim replied, "I’m looking into it; I’ll be moving by June."

Upon arriving at Kim's house, Yoo noted it had been two years since their last visit and was surprised to find a one-million-won air purifier still in its box at the entrance, along with piles of moving boxes. The cast then initiated a light-hearted interrogation about Kim's clutter. When asked why he had collected plastic bags on the balcony, Kim explained, "I reuse them for recycling." When questioned about the numerous side dishes he had stored, he admitted, "I write 'please don’t give me side dishes' on the containers, but people still give them to me. I feel bad throwing them away, so I keep them, even if some are over a year old." The cast reacted with disbelief, exclaiming, "You can’t eat that!" Kim humorously responded, "If I wash them to throw them away, I have to use water," which left everyone astonished, wondering about his utility bills.

As they navigated through a wall of clothes, Yoo joked, "This is really like 'My Ugly Duckling' (미운우리새끼); I can’t throw things away either, but this is excessive!" Ji Ye Eun (지예은) chimed in, saying, "But there’s no trace of a woman here; he must really be single!" This episode comes after Kim Jong Kook has been the subject of forced marriage rumors, often teased by fellow cast members about having a girlfriend and planning to get married. While he hasn’t outright denied these rumors, he has played along, fueling speculation about his love life.