Netizens became suspicious of the supposed ban when the Chinese adaptation of “Running Man,” a popular South Korean variety show, changed its name to “Keep Running.” (Photo : YouTube/KPopn)
"Running Man" bid a teary goodbye to Gary last week and the upcoming episode was supposed to be the first one without the star. However the variety show is not ready to let him off that easily.
To the delight of fans, Gary will be returning to "Running Man" in the next episode, as a guest. Towards the end of the last episode, which aired on Nov. 6, the show dropped a subtle hint that the musician, whose real name if Kang Hee Gun, will be coming back to the SBS show.
On Nov. 11, Friday, "Running Man" producer Lee Jin Hwan also confirmed that Gary will feature on the upcoming episode, which is scheduled to air on Nov. 13, Sunday. "As seen on last week's preview, Gary will be appearing on the November 13 broadcast," Lee said in a statement to AllKPop. "We did bid him farewell but goodbye isn't forever so we were clingy to the very end."
He said that Gary will appear as the first guest in the first episode that was intended to be the one with only the remaining five cast members. Lee also added that Gary will be part of a secret mission and is excited for fans to check it out when it airs on Sunday.
In the episode, the members set off on a "deficiency" vacation, which sees them travel and survive on an incredibly low budget. The only travel essentials they have is a car with flashing dashboard warning lights and a cellphone with only seven percent battery remaining, according to Soompi.
In addition to dealing with the challenging conditions, the cast is also tasked with a special mission, for which they need some help from their former cast member Gary. Therefore, in order to complete the mission, the team tracks him down and asks him for snacks for money, revealing the true, clingy, desperate nature of their "breakup."
In October, Gary announced that he will be leaving "Running Man" to focus on his music career. The 38-year-old starred on the SBS variety show for six years, ever since the show premiered in 2010. Check out some of Gary's best moments from "Running Man" in the video below:
