BIGBANG’s long absence from Running Man has remained a curious mystery for fans, but Yoo Jae Suk may have finally revealed the unexpected reason behind it.

During the September 6 broadcast of SBS’s Running Man, the cast arrived dressed up after being instructed by the production team to “dress carefully.” However, it was Haha who immediately stole attention when he appeared wearing a T-shirt featuring the BIGBANG logo.

Explaining his choice, Haha proudly revealed that he had attended BIGBANG’s concert the previous day. He then described the concert as “chaotic,” prompting Yoo Jae Suk to recall the close relationship between the Running Man cast and the legendary group.

“We have a close relationship with BIGBANG,” Yoo Jae Suk said.

That was enough for Haha to make a direct appeal to the cameras.

“BIGBANG, please appear on the show at least once,” he said, openly calling for the group to make another appearance on Running Man.

But Ji Suk Jin then asked the question many longtime viewers may have wondered about: “Why doesn’t BIGBANG appear?”

Yoo Jae Suk’s answer immediately changed the mood.

According to Yoo Jae Suk, the reason may have something to do with G-Dragon’s previous experience on the program.

“G-Dragon struggled a lot back then. It was pretty intense at the time,” Yoo Jae Suk recalled.

Haha then joined in, joking that G-Dragon had “some not-so-good memories,” before bringing up one of the most memorable moments from BIGBANG’s previous Running Man appearance — the notorious mud-field challenge.

BIGBANG previously appeared on Running Man in 2015, when the members were thrown into the intense competition alongside the regular cast. Rather than simply making a guest appearance, G-Dragon and the other members fully committed themselves to the physical games, including a brutal mission in a muddy field.

The footage became memorable precisely because of how far the celebrities were pushed. Covered in mud and battling through the difficult terrain, G-Dragon’s struggle became one of the moments that fans continued to remember years after the episode aired.

Now, almost a decade later, Yoo Jae Suk’s comments have given that old footage an entirely different context.

His description that the experience was “pretty intense,” combined with Haha’s joking reference to G-Dragon’s “not-so-good memories,” immediately had the cast laughing. It also provided a humorous explanation for why BIGBANG has not returned to the program despite maintaining close relationships with several Running Man members.

Of course, Yoo Jae Suk’s comments were delivered in a lighthearted manner and do not establish that G-Dragon or BIGBANG have deliberately avoided the show because of that experience. The remarks instead appeared to be a playful recollection of how physically demanding the group’s previous appearance had been.

Still, Haha was clearly not ready to give up.

“I want to see BIGBANG. Please come out,” he repeated, once again making his request directly to the group.

Even the Running Man production team seemed to encourage the idea, displaying a caption essentially promising that BIGBANG would receive a warm welcome if they ever decided to return.

For fans, the exchange was more than just a nostalgic joke. BIGBANG’s 2015 appearance remains one of the group’s memorable variety-show moments, and the idea of seeing G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung back inside the Running Man arena has naturally reignited excitement.

After more than ten years without another full-group appearance, Yoo Jae Suk and Haha have now made their position unmistakably clear: the door is still wide open for BIGBANG, and Running Man appears more than ready to welcome them back.