Running Man will have one of the original cast leave the show after 11 years. Lee Kwang Soo is set to exit next month and will be filming his last episode on Monday, May 24.

The 35-year-old actor made a difficult decision to withdraw from Running Man due to his health. In February of last year, he got involved in a car accident and suffered from a fractured right ankle as a result. He was placed in a cast and took a break from the show to recover.

He eventually returned to the show after a month of absence, although he came with crutches. Since then, he did not miss any filming day again. However, it turned out that Lee Kwang Soo was actually having a hard time while filming for episodes of Running Man because there were still some discomforts on his ankle even though it has been more than a year since his accident.

The show is known for games and activities that are physically exhausting, and a lot of running is involved as well. Because of this, it was revealed that despite treatments and therapies, his ankle is not fully healed yet. His active participation in the activities in the show slowed down his healing process as he constantly had to run or walk during filming.

It was in April when Lee Kwang Soo's departure from Running Man was announced. His agency stated that the actor will focus on his health and will use his break to recover fully.

"It was not easy to decide to leave the show Lee was with for 11 years, but we agreed that physical time is needed to help him show better performance later," Yonhap News Agency quoted King Kong by Starship, as saying. "He is sincerely grateful for all the love, and support Lee has received through 'Running Man.'"

Now, since Lee Kwang Soo will be leaving a huge void in the program, WikiTree reported that actress Kang Hana and actor Kim Ji Suk had been tapped to replace him. Based on the report, both artists have shown great performances in variety shows, and they have also appeared on Running Man several times already, and they see potential in them.

It was said that this speculation was first posted on social media by a netizen, so it means there is no real confirmation for this news as of today. Still, they say that SBS funE already cast Kang Hana for a Running Man special and suggested that this is like confirming that she will be a fixed cast member soon. Meanwhile, an official announcement has yet to be made by the show or SBS Network to verify this speculation once and for all.

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