'Running Man' member and singer Kim Jong-kook will not only be continuing on the variety show, he is also joining South Korean music and singing competition show 'I can See Your Voice' from Mnet. He will be the third host in the show.
Website Koreaboo notes that various entertainment officials have told TV Report on January 25 that Kim Jong-kook will be replacing R&B and soul singer Kim Bum-soo, who was leaving the show to concentrate on his North America tour that will begin in February. This is in addition to being a regular cast member on the newly renewed 'Running Man.'
Koreaboo mentions that Kim Jong-kook is close with the Super Junior's Leeteuk and Yoo Se-yoon. The three hosts are expected to have a great rapport with each other and make the show a lot more fun.
Running Man' created controversy when actress Song Ji-Hyo and singer Kim Jong-kook were removed from the show without informing them about it earlier. This led to an outpour of hatred from the fans, eventually directed towards SBS Chief Producer Gong Hee-chul, who, it was reported, was the main culprit behind the rash decision.
As per Soompi, 'I Can See Your Voice' is a program which includes a lot of people, some of whom can sing while the others cannot. Professional singers are supposed to only look at hints and the outward appearance of these contestants and guess the person who can sing properly. If someone who can't sing well is chosen, they will earn a prize of 10,000,000 Won ($10 000 USD); if the one who can actually sing ends up getting chosen, they will be able to sing a duet with Jong-kook and then release it as a digital single.
The show, 'I Can See Your Voice' will be produced by Lee Seon-young. It is being produced under Signal Entertainment Group and will air on Mnet. Each episode will also see celebrity guests invited in to see whether the contestants are trained and skilled vocalists or tone-deaf and then eliminate those that cannot sing.
Meanwhile, 'Running Man' was recently renewed and will continue through 2017. Kim Jong-kook also had a successful blind date with a non-celebrity woman on the variety show where the girl expressed interest in a follow-up date. Some fans were upset that Kim Jong-kook wasn't set up on a date with Song Ji-hyo instead. Anyhow, 'I Can See Your Voice' would be the perfect show for Kim Jong-kook because he is a singer himself.
