MBN variety program 'The Man Who Became King' will address the scandal involving Lee Ru-ne and Park Hye-shin in its broadcast on the 4th at 9:40 p.m. In this episode, the TOP7 of the 'Legendary Family' and the members of the 'Park Family' face off in a battle of revenge.

The cast consists of the 'Legendary Family' side — Sung Ri, Ha Ru, Jang Han-byeol, Hwang Yoon-sung, Jung Yeon-ho, Lee Chang-min, and Lee Ru-ne — and the 'Park Family' side — Park Gu-yoon, Park Joo-hee, Park Hye-shin, Park Gun, Jun Jong-hyuk, Lee Dae-hwan, and Park Min-soo — with the two teams going head to head.

■ "Breaking news has arrived"... Lee Ru-ne and Park Hye-shin spotted together on the stairs

During the match, MCs Jang Min-ho and Yang Se-hyung receive materials from the PD, changing the atmosphere of the scene. When Yang Se-hyung announced, "Breaking news has arrived," and revealed scandal photos, Hwang Yoon-sung reacted, "It hasn't even been that long since they became TOP7 — how are they already dating?" The released photos showed Lee Ru-ne and Park Hye-shin together on a staircase.

■ From "No comment" to "an apology to the nation"... The two take the stage to explain

Park Hye-shin took the stage to explain, holding hands with Lee Ru-ne. When MC Jang Min-ho asked about their conversation on the stairs, Lee Ru-ne stated, "I will make no comment." Park Hye-shin revealed, "Right after the last recording ended, Ru-ne sent me a DM," and further revelations followed on set. In response, Lee Ru-ne said, "I'm sorry. I offer an apology to the entire nation."

■ A duet stage rated "unsuitable for minors"

On stage, Lee Ru-ne declared, "Through this performance, I will show my sincerity and definitively put an end to the scandal." Park Gu-yoon remarked, "Isn't that practically a confession?" Park Hye-shin said, "Production team, please let us stay together," and performed a duet stage with Lee Ru-ne. Regarding the performance, Ha Ru evaluated it as "unsuitable for minors," while Jung Yeon-ho said, "The song is so sultry."

■ No. 1 Wednesday variety show for three consecutive weeks... 'The Man Who Became King' proves its buzzworthiness

Meanwhile, 'The Man Who Became King' recorded an average viewership rating of 4.1% in its recent 16th episode, taking first place among Wednesday variety shows for three consecutive weeks. It also ranked fourth in the November variety program brand reputation category compiled by the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute, and first among all music programs. Lee Ru-ne and Park Hye-shin's scandal and duet stage are scheduled to air in episode 17.