Actress Ji Ye-eun made a touching return to SBS Running Man after taking a three-week break due to health issues. Its return was featured in the October 26 episode, which focused on a challenging mission that required the cast to match the correct time without using their phones.
The episode saw the members narrowly miss their target by just 1 minute and 30 seconds, leaving them visibly frustrated. During the chaos, cast member Ji Seok-jin mocked the younger idols, saying: “Hey, all you idols, step up!” arousing laughter and curiosity from spectators. Haha he added, “You can’t live without your iPhone, but we are survivors: we come from the era of pagers,” while Yoo Jae-suk ironically questioned the casual challenge against idols.
The episode was full of lighthearted banter, including playful insults from Haha and Yang Se-chan. At one point, Yang Se-chan joked, “Are you calling someone in their forties ‘Young Forties’? No, they’re the ones who act over the top,” sending the audience into fits of laughter.
Amid the fun, Ji Ye-eun’s return was highlighted in a pre-released segment titled “Weekly Keywords,” with the cast giving her a warm round of applause. Overcome with emotion, Ji Ye-eun admitted, “It’s so touching to come back after three weeks” showing his sincere gratitude to his colleagues.
When Yoo Jae-suk asked her to share what she wanted to eat to celebrate her return, Ji Ye-eun, embodying the spirit of the MZ generation, enthusiastically listed several dishes, including yangjangpi, raw fish, and beef soup. Yoo Jae-suk jokingly urged her to narrow it down to three, eliciting laughter from the audience.
Ji Ye-eun had temporarily retired from activities after being diagnosed with hypothyroidism during a health checkup in August. After treatment and recovery, his return to Running Man was warmly received by fans and cast, marking a triumphant return after a nearly two-month absence.
Sources: Netizenbuzz
