Following the news of Song Ji Hyo's exit from "Running Man" together with co-star Kim Joong Kook, it is revealed that the actress did not take her removal lightly and was devastated by the news.
Song Ji Hyo's agency revealed that she had a difficult time after learning that she would be leaving the show. It was also said that she cut off all lines of communication and just cried hard.
"The members loved 'Running Man' a lot, and they were like family for the past 7 years. She was hurt deeply by what happened," her agency said, as quoted by allkpop.
It was belatedly revealed that Song Ji Hyo and Kim Jong Kook were forced out of "Running Man" without any prior notice. It was revealed that both stars were shocked that they would no longer be part in the new season of "Running Man" that's coming out in January 2017.
It was initially believed that Song Ji Hyo and Kim Jong Kook's exit from the show was a mutual decision that involved them and SBS. Following Gary's departure from the show to focus on his music career, it was believed that Song Ji Hyo would be busy with her movie schedule and Kim Jong Kook would invest more time on his activities as a singer and member of Turbo.
According to a report from Koreaboo, Song Ji Hyo and Kim Jong Kook were not actually made aware about the SBS' decision to kick them out of "Running Man" and that the decision was one-sided.
Song Ji Hyo's agency said while they were aware that SBS was planning to make changes to "Running Man," they only found out that the actress was not coming back through reports. "It is true there was a lack of active communication from the production crew in the steps leading up to Song Ji Hyo leaving the show," her agency said.
As for Kim Jong Kook he was informed a couple of weeks prior that he would no longer be part of the show, but the decision was one-sided.