KBS2’s ‘2 Days & 1 Night Season 4’ (hereafter ‘2 Days & 1 Night’) is shaking things up with another member change! Yu Sun-ho is leaving the team, and actor Lee Ki-taek will be stepping in to fill the void. This marks the sixth member change since Season 4 launched in 2019.
The news of Yu Sun-ho’s departure comes just five months after Jo Se-ho left the team. According to the production team, Yu Sun-ho, who has been with the show for three and a half years, will graduate from the program in the episode airing on the 31st. To minimize the gap left by consecutive departures, the crew quickly searched for a new member, and Lee Ki-taek is reported to join starting with the recording on the 22nd.
Lee Ki-taek, a model-turned-actor born in 1994, is a rising star who recently gained attention as the second male lead in the JTBC drama ‘Efficient Meeting of Unmarried Men and Women’. He has been expanding his reach by appearing in variety shows like Coupang Play’s ‘Bonjour Bakery’, though many viewers still find him to be an unfamiliar face.
Fan reactions to Lee Ki-taek’s joining have been mixed. On online communities, some cold reactions have surfaced, with comments like “I’m not sure who he is” and “It feels like the show has become a promotional tool for actors.” On the other hand, some are hopeful, noting that “Na In-woo and Yu Sun-ho were also unfamiliar at first, but they eventually became variety show gems.” Since the production team has prioritized potential over name value, the key will be whether Lee Ki-taek can bring fresh energy to ‘2 Days & 1 Night’.
Since starting in December 2019, Season 4 has seen an unusually high number of member changes over the past seven years, each for different reasons. In 2021, Kim Seon-ho was the first to leave following a private life controversy. In 2022, Ravi left due to his military enlistment. In 2024, the eldest member Yeon Jung-hoon and Na In-woo both chose to leave to focus on their primary careers in acting.
The show attempted to find stability in August 2024 by adding Jo Se-ho and Lee Jun, but that didn’t last long. Jo Se-ho stopped his broadcasting activities in December 2025 after being swept up in rumors of gang involvement, about one year and four months after joining. Currently, more than half of the original Season 4 members have been replaced, leaving only Kim Jong-min, Moon Se-yoon, and DinDin.
‘2 Days & 1 Night’ is also struggling with its ratings this year. While it maintained ratings in the 7 to 8% range last year, it hit a Season 4 all-time low of 5.4% this past April. Although it has risen slightly recently, it remains in the 6% range. Analysis suggests that while repeated member changes are an issue, viewers are gradually turning away due to the predictability that comes with a long-running program.
Ultimately, the challenge for ‘2 Days & 1 Night’ is not just filling seats, but achieving a sense of stability. All eyes are on whether the unfamiliar face of Lee Ki-taek can become the new gem that turns the current slump around.
