Hearing the news at first i was fine and thankful that they have stayed on for this long, as fans we have many episodes to rewatch and enjoy. KHD is a negative for me because i dont like his sense of comedy. people might disagree but he just- shouts too much.
but then came the second news and i am in great shock. apparently this was a one sided decision on RM's side. can't imagine how it must feel to leave a show you have been on for 7 years and learning of it from the f'ing news!
i was thinking of giving the 2nd season a chance and see how it is with KHD but now i'm not so sure. I hope the rest of the members show some sort of disagreement to this news as well. The show which was so unwilling to let kang gary leave, how come they pretty much fire SJH and KJK?
I get that this is business at one point but RM always felt like a family to me with the members the staff and the PDs. Really, what is this mess?

Say what??? Sad to hear three of my favorites leaving but to hear they weer told via news article rather than the show it's like wt..

If it is true that they've been kicked off the show... I AM MAD! Especially Ji Hyo was always a fave and seriously... You can't TALK to your cast beforehand?!

Also...I am really not liking the idea of Kang Hodong joining. I just can't with his hosting style a lot of times. He annoys me easily so, I rather he does not join.

I am aware that the show needs some new and fresh ideas but getting it like this leaves a very bitter aftertaste :(

I will of course check the new (and improved?) RM out but this might be my time to say goodbye to the show.

Gotta find me a new variety regular in case I really drop it though since RM was the only one I watched every week^^

It will definitely be a huge change once Hodong joins the cast. Well, with KJK out of the show, he can now be a guest on 1 night and 2 days.

SJH have a new beauty talk show that required most of her time and she also want to ficus on her acting. KJK back pain must be too hard for him to stay in RM. Rather than KHD, I prefer if they add Yang Se Hyung since he show huge potentiol as a runner and brainer in Asura Infinity challenge episode.KHD too loud for me.he always shout in random moment and ruining the flow.

RM has been losing its steam for quite some time now. Nevertheless, it was one of the variety shows that I still enjoy. Gary's departure was heartbreaking for me. If Kim Jong Kook and Ji Hyo leaves the show, then sadly, I'll have to say goodbye to my favorite variety show of all time. I love Yoo Jaesuk, Gwang-soo, Suk-Jin, and Haha, but there's a huge gap left by the other members. To replace them and revamp the show is a big sign... and if it's true that they got kicked off the show, then I must say, shame on you, SBS.

I've also stopped watching it religiously unless it has interesting guests. Now if Kang Ho Dong is joining, I will totally swear off it. His style of hosting is rather annoying.

Ultimate betrayal to 1박2일

Since Song ji hyo will no longer be in the show with Jong kook, they might as well rename it to RUNNING MEN S2.

The best thing for the show would be work with a whole new set of cast and drop all the original members. As much as I like KHD as a show host, he is just wrong for this kind of show format. He is only going to get trashed if the revamp does not do well. I hope for his own sake he says no, and does not take it up.

Nothing Lasts Forever!
RIP Original Running Man!

???????????????
- faithful viewer

Kim Jong kook and song Ji hyo aren't leaving the show voluntarily - they've supposedly been let go of by running man with close to no notice given: http://www.allkpop.com/article/2016/12/kim-jong-kook-and-song-ji-hyos-labels-confirm-they-were-blind-sided-by-running-man-producers

It's terribly disrespectful and smacks of such bad etiquette. Not to mention it's the members who have been keeping the show afloat when the games and concepts have increasingly lacked clarity and purpose.

Also, Kim Jong kook's good friend Tiny's Twitter for anyone who's interested: https://mobile.twitter.com/JKT1ny

Yeah, I don't think this show is trying to hold on to its former glory but to regain some of it. Either way, this show was probably getting the ax. They could have told the cast in a better way, but you could see the writing on the wall for this to happen for awhile. I think a new direction and cast might help. And KHD is on a roll lately and doing well, so I think most of the Korean audience will accept this pretty easily. The ratings can't be much worse.

SBS what an ass! They fired Ji Hyo and Joong Kook? They should have just given Running Man an honourable end. When the RM crew has stayed on for so long together, it makes no sense to try and remake the group. Get a new show SBS. Shame on you!

kang hodong is obnoxious, self cantered, and not in the least bit funny. I've still been watching running man now even though the episodes are getting boring, and I'm bent on staying with them till the end, but I'm not so sure with kang hodong :/

the show is a rating disaster domestically. this is the reality of television everywhere in the world. it's a ratings game. saying you won't watch will not really matter to them, unless you are a domestic viewer. sad but this is the truth.

Next is girafe

Anyone know if there is a tidal wave of outrage from Korean RM fans with news that Ji Hyo and Joong Kook were kicked out in such an unkind manner after all the years of loyalty to the show? Did Jae Sook not protest? He must have known beforehand that JH and JK was going to be axed, why didn't he do anything? If he leaves RM the show is over for sure.

I rather they'd cancelled the show as OT7 than kick out people like this. Let us end it with positive memories. The cast is getting older and there are too many injuries. End Running Man on a high note and create a new variety show that requires less physical activity. Don't dirty the Running Man brand name by doing this.

I was ready to accept them leaving and was contemplating to give the new cast a chance come January.. but after reading what they did to the two, and that they didn't give them much of a choice, I can't will myself to care anymore.

The show could have ended peacefully with lots of fond memories to remember but can't do that now.

I was one of the people who favoured 7012. Obviously, there's been talk since the ratings drop of changing out the cast - I originally was in favour of *not* doing so, but given that Gary left, that was pretty much sunk.

That being said, I think most people - whether or not they bought into 7012 or wanted to see a cast change - can agree that firing KJK and SJH and letting them find out this way is disrespectful, unprofessional, and really just a really nasty/ugly move, on the whole. And that's my beef with it: at the end of the day, I can accept having to give up 7012 (as I said, once Gary left, that was pretty much gone), but I would've preferred...just a better ending. They deserve as much.

I get that there are doubts on the reporting, but I'm seeing it all over news sites other than Soompi. Perhaps the worry is that they're drawing from the same sources, but SJH's and KJK's agencies have commented. How much more do you want? A close friend of KJK has been instagramming and tweeting angrily about the whole affair - unless countervailing evidence shows up, I think it pretty much does look like they got fired and SBS really dropped the ball hard on this one. And let's not forget that in June, Zaobao [read: not your grandma's tabloid] already reported an interview with a producer (read: not PD) who stated that if RM ratings don't perk up by autumn, there will be a cast change. The writing was on the wall. And so there was a cast change.

Sure, I'm not happy about KHD's inclusion, but that's because it seems to signal (for me) a further move away from the physicality of RM. But that's neither here nor there. What really leaves a bad taste in my mouth is the situation the entire existing cast has been put in, and I'm honestly not really sure I want to tune in to Season 2. (And no, I'm a television viewer, so I'm damn well paying to watch, if only through the local licensing company...)

I'd be happy if I find out it can reach a better resolution, but at this point, I don't see it happening. And you know the worst part? Now it casts doubt on the extent to which Gary's own leaving was his own choice - how much of that was pressure and how much of that was him deciding he wanted to focus on music?

I feel that Gary's departure was the driving force in their dismissal (not that it had merit). Without Gary, what kind of "line" does she have with any of the other members? There's no more Monday Couple. (Note: I haven't been watching consistently since 2012 so I'm not too knowledgeable of the current "lines" she has with the other cast members in the show) Though, I'm more than surprised at Kim Jong Kook's dismissal, I just hope he has something as back-up because it seems that he appeared on this show as it was his main thing. To kick Kook Jong out just because of his depleting health is the very testament to how heartless this industry is. He should just open up a gym and start charging people for personal training sessions.

Every original member of RM was a testament to how great and ubiquitous the show is today. China's censorship possibly has to do with the fact it has its own version. :/ Everything's changing.

So depressed reading the news last night, I'm grateful, that Dramabeans/Girl Friday wrote about it though. I've watched RM from the very first episode and it has been a constant in my life. I did not generally care all that much about the games, or if the cast was doing enough "running". I tuned in for the cast interactions, and out of all the K-variety shows (I watch), RM seemed to me to have some of the best chemistry. What a crappy way for SBS to behave towards the cast, crew and all the world-wide fans. I feel that the original RM show/cast should end/stop, & if the variety competition is too strong in that time slot maybe they need to look at doing a drama series or something different.
Last night there was alot of buzz about YJS and KHD reuniting a la Xman, but since I'm assuming it was canceled (anyone watch the original show and know what the story is?) I'm not sure why anyone thinks them teaming up again is going to bring in the ratings.

Due to low rating since late 2015 they change the PD
Now they change the members : the ultimate spartace
Okay fine, there still so much entertaining variety shows to watch such as 1N2D, Knowing Brothers,etc

this is so ridiculous and what a joke. they couldn't even properly tell them and they fired the only woman on the show. so disrespectful! i feel horrible for them. i used to watch this show religiously but I'm so behind right now (prob around 80 eps)but i do plan to finish until kjk & jihyo leaves. it used to be really good and was the one variety show i was really into after family outing ended. they really need to cancel it cuz I'm hearing all they do is eat, play boring games, and it isn't as interesting anymore.

i also don't like kang ho dong. he isn't funny and is just... loud. he was okay on xman & love letter but that was awhile ago but i remembered watching an ep of barefooted friends cuz hyori was in it and he was terrible. i can't.

7012! I am devastated by the news of them leaving and knowing that they were forced out makes me angry. Especially Ji Hyo Unni, she has a soft spot in my heart, seeing her tough and vulnerable sides in running man for 7 years. And Kim Jong kook, that Sparta! That has been so classic for so many years.

Seriously, the management up there made the worst decision that could be made and how they treated them is totally not wise! Surely there will be a backlash unless they are so sure of themselves. I will not support RM after they are forced off. What kept me loyal to RM all these years, and I believe for most fans, was the 7 members. Their chemistry is unique and strong.

I like Kang Ho dong's style, I have enjoyed watching him in 2d1n and the journey to the west. Yes, he is loud but he is funny and the way he overrides Na pd is hilarious. And it is obvious how much he is a Hyung to all his colleagues and how close he is with the staff.

They should have handled this better. Most importantly, I hope Ji Hyo Unni is okay, though I doubt so, she must have been so hurt by the news, or lack of notification.