"Running Man" Sees Increase In Viewership Ratings Following Episode Commemorating Independence Movement Day In Korea

SBS’s “Running Man” aired a meaningful episode to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Independence Movement day in Korea!

March 1 was declared a national holiday in South Korea in 1949 to commemorate the Samil Independence Movement, which is a series of demonstrations that began on March 1, 1919 for Korea’s liberation from Japan.

On the February 24 broadcast of SBS’s “Running Man,” the members participated in a race called “The Great War of Money,” where the member who accumulates the most amount of money would win. At the end, Kim Jong Kook was crowned the winner.

When Kim Jong Kook opened a safe that supposedly contained his prize, he found a book.  The book explained that the episode’s race is actually called “The Great War” to commemorate the upcoming national holiday.

From the beginning of the episode, the members unknowingly participated in various missions that celebrated the Independence Movement day.

The first mission asked the members to form teams with citizens to jump rope 19 times. The mission was to commemorate the year 1919, when hundreds of people across the country joined hands to march for their national independence.

Another mission required the members to test their luck by betting their hard-earned money to various games. This was a tribute mission to independence activist Kim Yong Hwan, who gambled his own money to raise independence funds.

According to Nielsen Korea, the February 24 broadcast of SBS’s “Running Man” recorded an average nationwide viewership of 4 percent and 7 percent, which was an increase from the ratings of the previous broadcast.

The most watched minute was a scene in which Song Ji Hyo discovered Yoo Jae Suk hiding out in his car. Because Yoo Jae Suk failed to hide for 30 seconds as the mission required him to, the member was eliminated from the race. The scene recorded an average viewership of 8.1 percent.

Watch the latest episode of “Running Man” to learn more about the Korean Independence Movement below!

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