Kim Jong Kook is under fire for his remarks towards women some people deemed sexist. During the episode of "Running Man" aired on April 30, Kim Jong Kook described physical attributes of his ideal woman that resulted in various reactions from netizens.
"Running Man" viewers were shocked when Kim Jong Kook said men would prefer to date short women over the tall ones when SISTAR's Hyorin asked what his ideal type was. He added he doesn't consider tall women as a woman, which obviously draws controversy. Netizens argued such remarks shouldn't even come out from the mouth of a public influencer like Kim Jong Kook.
According to Allkpop, many viewers particularly women took Kim Jong Kook's remarks as an offense, stating that it was a form of discrimination towards women. However, "Running Man" members didn't think Kim Jong Kook made a sexist remark when he was just saying that to hitting on Hyorin.
Meanwhile, Soompi cited "Running Man" has recorded lowest viewership ratings lately since it started in 2010, following the recent alterations on the cast, game, and time slot. On March, the new PD decided to add two new permanent members, Yang Se Chan and Jun So Min, yet it doesn't do much to boost the ratings. Instead, viewers though it was unnecessary in the first place to add new members.
The "Running Man" viewership in April was the lowest in the history, especially when it was compared to its competitors in the same time slot. As per April 9, the show only recorded 2.8 percent, which was significantly shorter than the previous episodes.
Fans have also noticed that "Running Man" is not as fun as it used to be. Some of them are hoping the show should've ended beautifully earlier this year, instead of making some alterations that would only make the show worse. "Running Man" airs every Sunday on SBS.
