Lee Kwang Soo: ‘Giraffe’ Of ‘Running Man’ Bombarded With Tons Of Gifts On His Birthday, Thanks Fans Personally On Instagram

Throughout its six-year run, Lee Kwang Soo has become one of the most popular cast members on the most popular variety show in South Korea, Running Man. It is even safe to say that he may indeed be the most popular cast member in general, which surprises the other members, including Kim Jong Kook and Song Ji Hyo.

Possible reasons why “Giraffe” is so popular may have to do with his goofy character personality, one that many Running Man fans love to mess with, especially on an episode Kwang Soo had to depend on SNS to accomplish a mission. Maybe it is because Kwang Soo often sets himself up for insult and turmoil, including when he asked Ji Hyo to rank her fellow Running Man cast members as husband material in which he learned, to his disdain, that he was dead last.

Whatever the reasons for Lee Kwang Soo’s popularity, fans are always willing and able to support him nevertheless. As proof of that, many fans — especially those who are devoted to watching Running Man — bombarded Kwang Soo with a ton of gifts and well-wishes for his birthday. In return, Lee Kwang Soo thanked them all personally through his official Instagram account.

For those who do not know about Lee Kwang Soo’s birthday, it took place on Thursday, July 14. He officially turned 31-years-old, but in Korea, he is technically 32-years-old because their culture considers newborns to be 1-year-old. According to AllKpop, Lee Kwang Soo surrounded himself with numerous gifts and well-wishes for a post he uploaded on his official Instagram.

For those who are unable to read the Korean alphabet Hangul, a translation of what Lee Kwang Soo wrote in his Instagram post is quoted below. It is surprising Kwang Soo came off more serious than comedic, though.

“To everyone who wished me a happy birthday. I thank you sincerely. For the love that you give me, even though I’m lacking in many ways. With a better image, a more hardworking image, I will repay you. Again, thank you.”

From what the post image attached above shows, Lee Kwang Soo received a lot of love from his fans. From what can be discerned from the image, Kwang Soo received numerous posters, pictures, paintings, clothing, toys, and figurines from the Star Wars franchise and other gifts. There also seems to be numerous giraffe figurines and toys, given the fact one of his nicknames on Running Man is “Giraffe,” which was given to him obviously for his height in which he towers over people at 196 centimeters (about six-foot-five in English measurement).

As for Lee Kwang Soo’s promise for a “better and more hardworking image,” which he will repay his fans, he is living up to his promise already. Because he is considered the most popular cast member of Running Man, Kwang Soo has been given many opportunities, especially in hosting, guest appearances on other variety shows and concerts, and acting. The latter is probably receiving the most attention, given that Kwang Soo is showing his many sides of acting, sides nobody would think he would pull off.

For example, in It’s Okay, That’s Love, Kwang Soo played Park Soo Kwang, a cafe waiter with Tourette syndrome. Many thought his role would be comedic, but he actually came off serious, which, in turn, put forward the seriousness of the disease itself. In Puck, he played Jo Joon Man, a thug for a loan shark who finds solace from his situation through hockey.

For future endeavors, Lee Kwang Soo will play the role of Cha Joon in Entourage, the Korean remake of the popular American series centered on Mark Wahlberg’s early career in acting.

To see more of Lee Kwang Soo, Running Man airs on Sundays on the Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) as part of their “Good Sunday” lineup at 6:30 p.m. KST. For those who do not have access to Korean channels, Running Man can be watched for free, with ads, on both DramaFever and Viki.

[Image via Running Man Screen Capture]