Shim Eun-kyung Reveals Trauma from Running Man on 'What Do You Do When You Play?'

On the February 15 episode of MBC's What Do You Do When You Play? (놀면 뭐하니?), actress Shim Eun-kyung opened up about her traumatic experiences from participating in Running Man (런닝맨). During the show, hosts Yoo Jae-suk and Lee Yi-kyung explored Seoul's culinary scene alongside Shim Eun-kyung and Japanese actor Matsushige Yutaka.

In a previous episode, Yoo Jae-suk and Joo Woo-jae created a buzz at a highway tollgate, while this episode featured Ha Ha, Lee Yi-kyung, Park Jin-joo, and Lee Mi-joo working hard at a highway rest area. On the last day of the holiday, Ha Ha and Lee Yi-kyung formed a ramen team, while Park Jin-joo and Lee Mi-joo made up the snack team. The snack team quickly prepared tteokbokki, fish cake soup, whole potatoes, hot bars, and slushies, adapting to customer demands.

Ha Ha and Lee Yi-kyung took charge of various ramen types, including regular ramen, tteok ramen, and hangover ramen. They were determined to compete with the rice noodle section, having memorized the manual for the different noodles, water, and soup quantities. Their efficient division of labor allowed them to work smoothly, earning praise from staff who called them 'A-grade.' However, as customers flocked in, Ha Ha humorously suggested that 'udon is delicious,' causing laughter.

As lunchtime approached, both teams became overwhelmed with orders. The ramen team made several mistakes, including burning pots and receiving complaints about overly concentrated broth. Despite the chaos, Ha Ha confidently declared, 'We are the GD & Taeyang of the ramen world.' By the end of their shift, the ramen team earned 2.73 million won, while the snack team made 2.41 million won.

Later, Yoo Jae-suk and Lee Yi-kyung met with Shim Eun-kyung, who reflected on her challenging experience on Running Man after 11 years. She shared, 'I struggled a lot during Running Man. It was my first variety show, and I wanted to do well, but we started at 5:30 AM. Right after waking up, I was asked to sing, and after the opening shoot, we kept running. I was shocked when the writer woke me up for dozing off, saying, 'You can't sleep.' And when I needed a break, I was told, 'You can't rest; you have to keep running.'

Yoo Jae-suk explained that the concept of Running Man at that time involved a lot of running. Shim Eun-kyung, who debuted as a child actress and is now in her 22nd year in the industry, mentioned her shyness as a child, which made her anxious about acting. She recalled traveling every Sunday morning between Gangneung and Seoul for acting classes, motivated by the belief that it would help her gain confidence.

Currently active in Japan, Shim Eun-kyung won the Best Actress award at the 2020 Japanese Academy Awards. She expressed her long-standing desire to work in Japan, initially wanting to pursue music and form a band. However, she ended up acting after meeting a talent agency. Her film 'The Journalist' gained significant attention, topping the buzz rankings.

The trio later visited a record shop, reminiscing about the past, and Yoo Jae-suk treated Lee Yi-kyung and Shim Eun-kyung to gifts. They then moved to a restaurant to meet Japanese actor Matsushige Yutaka, who was warmly greeted by Yoo Jae-suk as 'Goro-san.'