ATEEZ’s San Is Back on Running Man After 5 Years — And the “BAD” Challenge Made Sure Everyone’s Watching
If you’ve spent any time on K-pop TikTok this summer, you’ve probably seen it: a few seconds of ATEEZ’s San popping his chest in a slick black coat, and an entire corner of the internet losing its mind.
That moment, lifted from the choreography of ATEEZ’s June 2026 title track “BAD,” turned into one of the biggest K-pop crossover moments of the year — and now it’s bringing San back to one of Korea’s most beloved institutions: Running Man.
Confirmed by SBS and multiple entertainment outlets, San will appear on the September 13, 2026 episode of Running Man, marking his first appearance on the show since 2021. He’s not showing up quietly, either.
The episode is fully built around his viral “Northern Grand Duke” nickname, with San performing his own “BAD” choreography on set and even getting playfully grilled by cast member Ji Suk-jin about whether the viral fame is translating into actual money.
Actress Han Ji-eun, returning to the show after three years, joins him as an “Imperial Princess” for what’s shaping up to be one of the more chaotic episodes of the season.
So the headline is true. But the more interesting question is what this appearance actually means for San, for ATEEZ, and for anyone trying to make sense of how a single dance move turned into a Running Man guest slot. Let’s break it down.
Wait, What Even Is the “BAD” Challenge?
For anyone who missed the run-up: “BAD” is the title track from ATEEZ’s 14th EP, Golden Hour: Part.5, released in late June 2026. Shortly after the music video dropped, one specific moment — San sharply popping his chest during a close-up shot — broke out of the ATEEZ fandom entirely and started circulating across X, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts through endless reposts, reaction videos, and fan edits.
What followed was a genuine crossover moment, the kind that happens to maybe one or two K-pop songs a year.
Idols from other groups — including NCT’s Jaemin and TWICE’s Momo — filmed their own versions of the challenge with San, each clip racking up millions of views within hours.
The trend spilled well outside the entertainment industry too: a KBO Futures League baseball player recreated the move mid-game at Jamsil Stadium, and it became a recurring bit on Running Man itself even before San showed up, with earlier guests like Lee Joo-yeon, Huh Kyung-hwan, and (G)I-DLE’s Mi-yeon attempting the choreography — badly, and hilariously — in a previous episode.
In other words, by the time San actually walked onto the Running Man set, the show’s cast and audience already knew exactly who he was and exactly what dance they wanted to see him do in person.
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View Partner Offer External Sponsor • Opens in New WindowIs Running Man Actually a Big Deal?
Short answer: yes, enormously. Running Man isn’t just another variety show guest slot — it’s arguably the single biggest stage a K-pop idol can get outside of music shows and award ceremonies.
The show premiered in 2010 and has aired continuously for 16 years without a single week off, making it South Korea’s longest-running variety show. It hit its 800th episode in April 2026, a milestone no other Korean variety program has reached.
The core cast — Yoo Jae-suk, Kim Jong-kook, Jee Seok-jin (also styled Ji Suk-jin), HaHa, Song Ji-hyo, and Yang Se-chan — are considered some of the most recognizable entertainers in the country, and the show’s chase-and-name-tag format has become a cultural export in its own right, with a massive following across Asia and beyond.
It’s also still commercially relevant, not just historically significant. Early 2026 episodes posted the show’s best ratings of the year, topping the Sunday variety time slot outright.
That combination — 16 years of cultural weight plus a still-strong, still-growing audience — is exactly why a Running Man appearance carries so much more weight than a typical talk show or music show cameo. Guests aren’t just promoting something; they’re being folded, even briefly, into a piece of Korean television history that both older and younger viewers watch religiously.
The Good: Why This Is a Big Win for San and ATEEZ
1. It puts San in front of an audience that doesn’t normally watch K-pop content.
Running Man‘s viewership skews broader and older than a typical idol fanbase — families, casual variety watchers, people who’ve followed the same six cast members for over a decade.
For San, this is a rare chance to be seen as an entertainer and a personality, not just a performer, by people who might never watch an ATEEZ music show stage.
2. It validates the “BAD” moment as more than internet hype.
Viral dance trends come and go, and plenty of them fade before they translate into anything lasting. Getting an entire Running Man episode built around his nickname and choreography is a signal that the moment has staying power — enough that one of Korea’s most cautious, long-running production teams decided to build a whole broadcast around it.
3. It reinforces San’s variety-show credibility.
This isn’t San’s first Running Man rodeo — he appeared back in 2021 — so this isn’t a green idol being thrown into an unfamiliar format. Returning after five years, invited specifically because of a moment he created, suggests the show’s producers see him as someone who can actually deliver entertainment value, not just novelty.
4. It’s good, low-risk publicity for ATEEZ as a group.
Even though San is the one on screen, appearances like this tend to spill over. Casual viewers who enjoy San’s episode are a plausible on-ramp to checking out “BAD,” the Golden Hour: Part.5 EP, or ATEEZ more broadly — free advertising delivered through entertainment rather than a promotional push.
5. The comedic framing plays well for his image.
Costume gags, in-character line deliveries, and Ji Suk-jin’s teasing about money all cast San as someone willing to be laughed at and laugh along — a trait that tends to build long-term goodwill with Korean audiences in a way that polished, serious idol interviews don’t always achieve.
The Bad: What San Is Actually Risking Here
1. Running Man has a track record of “humiliating” its guests — deliberately.
It’s part of the format. Earlier in the “BAD challenge” trend, guests on the show were shown attempting the choreography and being teased for it, with one guest even earning the joking nickname “‘Huh’ San” after botching the dance.
San performing the routine himself sets a high bar — if anything looks even slightly off compared to the original, it becomes the clip that circulates instead of a flattering one.
2. The money question wasn’t exactly softball.
Ji Suk-jin directly and bluntly asked San, gesturing at cash, whether the “BAD” fame was translating into actual earnings. Reports describe San answering “without hesitation” in a way that reportedly caught the cast off guard.
Depending on how that segment is edited and what he actually said, it has the potential to generate headlines that focus more on money and gossip than on the performance itself — a different kind of attention than a pure variety-show moment.
3. Viral fame is fragile, and pairing it with a legacy show sets expectations high.
When a show as established as Running Man builds an episode around a specific trend, there’s an implicit bet that the trend is still relevant by air date. Internet virality moves fast; if “BAD” fatigue has set in by mid-September among casual viewers, the episode risks feeling like it’s chasing a moment that’s already cooling off, even though the choreography itself is still resonating within the fandom.
4. It adds to an already packed schedule.
ATEEZ has been mid-promotion cycle with Golden Hour: Part.5 and dealing with the ongoing wave of “BAD” challenge attention across platforms.
Adding a full Running Man filming day, plus the promotional cycle around the September 13 airing, stacks onto a schedule that’s already demanding — a real, if unglamorous, cost of sustained popularity.
5. Comparisons are inevitable.
Because his 2021 appearance still exists in fans’ and casual viewers’ memory, this comeback will inevitably be measured against it. Any perceived dip in energy, chemistry with the cast, or game performance compared to five years ago is likely to be discussed just as much as the positives.
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View Partner Offer External Sponsor • Opens in New WindowWhat the Reaction Looks Like So Far
The lead-up has already generated substantial buzz. SBS’s preview clip, released August 31 on the show’s official social accounts, quickly became one of the most shared Running Man promotional videos of the cycle, with fans flooding TikTok and X with reaction clips, countdowns, and commentary on San’s “Northern Grand Duke” styling.
Fan accounts have been tracking everything from the exact air time in different time zones to predictions about which cast members will attempt the “BAD” choreography alongside him.
Some fans have even jokingly compared his all-black, long-coat “Grand Duke” outfit to unrelated internet trends, which — for better or worse — is its own sign of how much attention the appearance is generating before it’s even aired.
The Bottom Line
San’s return to Running Man is about as good a pairing as a viral idol moment and a legacy variety show can get: strong audience overlap, a proven “returning guest” trust with the format, and a built-in comedic hook that the show’s writers clearly leaned into.
The upside — broader exposure, credibility for the “BAD” moment, and a boost for ATEEZ’s promotional cycle — is real and significant.
But it isn’t risk-free. Running Man’s format thrives on exactly the kind of good-natured teasing and high-stakes performance pressure that can just as easily generate an awkward viral clip as a flattering one, and the money question already shows the show isn’t afraid to push guests into uncomfortable territory for content.
Whether the episode ends up as a highlight reel or a cringe compilation will come down to editing, chemistry, and how San handles being put on the spot — which, if his five years of idol-industry media training are any indication, is likely to be just fine.
Either way, when the episode airs September 13 at 4:50 p.m. KST, a lot of people — ATINY and casual Running Man viewers alike — will be watching.