Kim Jong Kook interview - I Weekly

Q: In the recent episode, you were defeated by Park Shin Hye. It was obvious that you let her win. Therefore, are female opponents your weakness? 

KJK: Yes, I will only go all out towards guys, but I will be gentle towards women. If I give the same treatment for both men and women, I will feel sorry. I have also never want to solve this "weakness" because I only want to defeat guys. Upon meeting with a female opponent, I will let her win.

Q: "Commander" is too strong, but it also has its negatives?

KJK: Yes, because of the need to keep the Commander's strong image, I need to win the competition. When meeting strong male opponents, I need to work even harder and spend more energy. When everyone allies up and attack against me, I only can put in more effort to win. Sometimes there's mentally-tiredness and burden. Because it's too tense, I can get hurt easily. But even though I get hurt, because of the strong image I possess in the show, I also can't tell anyone...

Q: But actually you want to show more of your gentle side?

KJK: Yes, actually I'm a very gentle person. Haha! (ㅋㅋ) But because the strong character that has been fixed, I can only show more of the "strong" side.

Q: Because Lee Kwang Soo is weak, the audience thinks you are bullying him. Do you feel that this is unfair to you?

KJK: No. Haha! I really don't want to bully him. In real life, I am really close to Kwangsoo. But the audience likes to see our fixed characters in Running Man, that's why Kwangsoo also understands that is because of the show, knows that I need to "bully" him.

Q: I heard that you are training your body, so you're drinking this weird "Chicken Breast Milkshake", is this true?

KJK: Yes, because chicken breast meat is hard and dry, it is very difficult to chew , therefore I mix them with banana, milk, sweet chilli powder and honey. At night, I try not to consume starch and take in more protein. This milkshake I usually drink after I exercise at night. "Nice to drink or not?" It doesn't matter, I only want to fill my stomach...

Q: You once said in a show that because you spend too much time on exercising that your girlfriend left you?

KJK: Yes, they were attracted to my body and because I'm hardworking initially, but later they think I train my body too much, that is one of the reasons why they want to break off with me. If there is a girlfriend who can exercise with me, that'll be perfect.

Q: Do you coach the Running Man members on how to train their body often?

KJK: Yes, Yoo Jae Suk, Lee Kwang Soo, Gary and I exercise together. I have also arranged a series of exercising sequence, but up till now none of them has accomplished it, maybe... it's too difficult?

(Translated from I-Weekly Issue 835, page 32 - Kim Jong Kook's solo interview when he was in Singapore for 'Watsons' Race Start! in Singapore' on 131018, translations by KJKINTL)