Sooyoung Crashes 'Running Man's New Year Premiere, Carries the Team; Fan Ji Ye-eun Is Adorably Starstruck

"Running Man" kicked off its first episode of the year with a smooth win.

On the Jan. 4 broadcast, the cast rang in the new year and dove into a horse-themed bingo challenge designed for maximum chaos and laughs.

To complete their bingo board, the team called in Girls’ Generation’s Sooyoung ― born in the Year of the Horse ― and she happily showed up to join the race, instantly lifting the energy on set.

Superfan Ji Ye-eun could barely contain herself when her ultimate bias walked in. Egged on by the cast, she even busted out a “for-my-bias” dance, earning big cheers.

Ji Ye-eun kept doting on Sooyoung even at mealtime ― though she accidentally delivered meat that wasn’t fully cooked, triggering a round of belly laughs.

“Did you give her the undercooked piece because you love her that much?” the members teased, before adding, “She’s still a sweetheart,” keeping the mood light.

Ahead of a mission with Sooyoung, the cast listed a horse sketch on Karrot, Korea’s popular secondhand marketplace app. As messages from interested buyers rolled in, Sooyoung ― a seasoned Karrot user ― grew impatient watching the slow texts. “Can we just call them already?” she joked.

She then shared her top resale tips and even took over the chats herself, smoothly steering the negotiation to a deal.

Next up was a rhythm-and-words game: stay on beat and say the words in the photo sequence or it’s an instant fail. Each person had five sets, and at least three of five players needed to clear it for a win.

Sooyoung came in clutch again, helping the team check off squares and push their bingo toward completion.

The crew then headed out to meet the Karrot buyer, a "Running Man" fan who received the horse drawing as a gift ― and sweetly handed over energy drinks in return.

After snapping a commemorative photo, HAHA cracked, “Please don’t put this back on Karrot,” sending everyone into giggles.

With a little help and a lot of hustle, the cast finished their bingo, slapped seven prize stickers where they wanted them, and rolled the dice.

In a dramatic turn, they landed two prizes ― meaning everyone scored goodies and dodged penalties. To top it off, producers gifted health supplements, wishing the "Running Man" family a strong, healthy year ahead. 

(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)