Kim Jong Kook shows playful aegyo on Running Man after marriage
Kim Jong Kook surprised the Running Man cast with rare playful aegyo during the Aug. 23 SBS broadcast, prompting members to link his sillier mood to life after marriage. Eating pork ssam rice, he made an "ang-ang" sound that sparked teasing from Haha and Yu Jae-seok—and showed a softer side fans rarely see.
Key Takeaways
- Kim Jong Kook displayed unusual aegyo on the Aug. 23 episode of SBS Running Man while eating pork ssam rice.
- Castmates, including Haha and Yu Jae-seok, tied the playful shift to his post-marriage demeanor.
- The same episode featured a Son Heung-min lookalike dart challenge and a candid talk about stock losses.
- Haha personally spent 500,000 won on wild ginseng for longtime director Kang Chan-hee.
What did Kim Jong Kook do on Running Man?
According to Chosunbiz, the members were enjoying pork ssam rice when an unusually excited Kim Jong Kook broke character from his usual "Kkooki" image.
He opened his mouth wide and made an "ang-ang" sound, suddenly showering the cast with aegyo. The rare sight immediately reminded the members of his marriage, and they marveled that he seemed to have developed aegyo after getting married.
That softer energy stood out because Running Man audiences usually see him as the competitive, tough "Kkooki" persona rather than someone delivering cute variety bits over a meal.
How did the Running Man cast react?
Haha teased whether Kim Jong Kook always had aegyo like that and asked why he was acting so silly and cocky. He added that if he had acted the same way, the others would have reacted differently, drawing laughs over the unfair double standard.
Yu Jae-seok recalled their past work on the variety show X-Man, joking that if Kim had acted like that back then, X-Man would have continued for five more years. Jee Seokjin noted how easygoing he seemed with food, saying one serving of pork left him with no complaints as Kim kept refilling his ssam rice.
The members kept teasing him about the unexpected post-marriage appearance, treating the aegyo burst as proof that married life had loosened his on-screen guard.
What else happened on the same Running Man episode?
Sports Chosun reported that the cast also ran a "Cheer Up, Manager Kang" race for director Kang Chan-hee, who has been with Running Man since episode one. Professional darts player Lee Se-hyun appeared as an opponent, and Kim Jong Kook blurted out "Son Heung-min?" over the lookalike resemblance.
Lee recreated Son's signature "camera click" celebration on request. The members lost the dart gifts—including joint supplements, gift certificates, and wild ginseng—but Haha later paid 500,000 won out of pocket for wild ginseng for Kang, who also received a director's chair from the production team.
Separately, actor Ji Ye-eun revealed a -47% return on her first stock investment, saying everyone told her not to buy after she jumped in because "everyone around me was talking about stocks." Kim Jong Kook framed the urge as FOMO, while Ji Seok-jin joked he had gone numb after repeated losses—a celebrity money beat we also cover on our Net Worth & Wealth hub.
Together, the aegyo moment, the warm gift race for a 16-year staffer, and the frank investing chat made the Aug. 23 Running Man episode feel both lighter and more revealing than a standard race show.