SBS’s long-running variety show Running Man unexpectedly canceled its upcoming fan meeting in Vietnam, just 10 days before the scheduled event.
According to an exclusive report published on June 30, the fan meeting, set for July 4 at Saigon Riverside Park in Ho Chi Minh City, will no longer be held.
The event was expected to feature the entire current cast of Running Manincluding Yoo Jae-suk, Ji Suk-jin, Kim Jong-kook, Haha, Song Ji-hyo, Yang Se-chan and Ji Ye-eun. The meeting was particularly anticipated because it would mark Ji Ye-eun’s first overseas fan meeting since officially joining the show.
According to the report, the organizers informed those involved that the cancellation was due to “force majeure” (“unavoidable circumstances”). However, sources familiar with the situation said ticket sales were significantly lower than expected, leading organizers to ultimately cancel the event. No official statement has been released detailing the specific circumstances behind the cancellation.
Running Man pioneered overseas variety show fan meetings when it held its first international event at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong in 2013. Since then, the cast has met fans across Asia, including Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Macao and Vietnam. The program also held online meetings with fans during the COVID-19 pandemic before resuming events overseas in the Philippines in 2023.
The canceled Ho Chi Minh City event would have marked the cast’s second visit to Vietnam following their previous fan meeting in 2019, ending a seven-year wait for Vietnamese fans. Instead, organizers have indicated that the cast hopes to return at a later date.
The cancellation comes amid a notable increase in overseas fan meetings by canceled Korean artists. Industry observers have pointed to high ticket prices as one of the main reasons behind lower-than-expected sales in several international markets, resulting in organizers canceling events ahead of their scheduled dates.
While Running Man remains one of the most recognizable Korean entertainment brands overseas, the latest cancellation highlights the growing challenges of holding large-scale overseas fan events in today’s market.
Sources: Nate News
