These days Korean dating shows have seen a rise in popularity. Many different Korean reality shows deal with romance and romantic connections. Shows like "Heart Signal", "Change Days", "I'm Solo", "Transit Love", "Single's Inferno", "Eden", "His Man", "Romance Before Debut", and many more are all the rage!
Dating shows have been around for a long time, even in the Korean entertainment market. However, in recent years (especially since 2022) they are experiencing newfound popularity. Fans of all things K and the Hallyu wave (the Korean wave) have fallen for the charm of Korean dating programs and the non-celebrities that they feature. These programs are vastly different from their Western counterparts and Western standards, winning over fans with a new unique charm.
Some of the key differences between Korean and Western dating shows include less 'skinship' (physical contact)/intimacy, different standards/personal requirements when choosing a partner from contestants, and more. To learn more about what makes these shows stand out, read this article.
In today's article, we'll take a look at Korean dating shows' rise in popularity recently and the potential reasons why.
Potential Societal Factors That Contribute to Korean Dating Shows' Rise in Popularity
In most cases, people watch dating programs for the fun of commenting on other people's love lives and pursuits from a distance or even imagining what they would do if they were in a participant's situation.
Some people believe that the increase in dating show interest stems from a combination of boredom during the pandemic and the fact that the pandemic made dating so much harder, forcing people to enjoy it vicariously onscreen. One professor, Lim MyungHo, has even compared this vicarious viewership phenomenon to the experience of being active in a metaverse.
Declining Dating and Marriage Rates in South Korea
Some fans of these programs assume the sudden increase in Korean dating shows might be to promote the ideas of dating and marriage, which have become less popular practices in South Korea.
"74.2% of men and 64.3% of women reported that they are not dating."
- Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs survey of 2,464 single men and women (conducted in 2019)
If a large majority of single people are not dating, that will naturally affect the marriage rate and subsequently the birth rate of a country, as well.
"190,000 couples were married in 2021, a 9.8 percent decrease from 2020 when 213,500 couples were married. The number of marriages has been steadily falling since the 1980s."
- Statistics Korea
As you can tell from the quote, the number of couples getting married in Korea is also seeing a steady decline, which could be a great concern for the citizens of the country. Of course, there are a number of factors included in the results of these statistics - which would be a whole different article altogether.
However, on the topic of Korean dating show production specifically, one can assume that Korean dating shows (especially the longest-running ones shown on broadcast channels and not just on OTT platforms) might be getting renewed as they encourage their viewers - in this case targeted to Koreans - to date more and later get married.
The influence from shows like "I'm Solo" where several seasons have ended with couples from the show getting married, might definitely have a positive influence on citizens who might have doubts about dating or getting married.
Unique Korean Dating Show Formats and Growing Representation
A number of different formats for Korean dating shows have emerged over the years. Some of the variables include show length, the types of people who participate, the concept, and more.
For example, shows like "Single's Inferno" and "Heart Signal" all feature singles who are either students, professionals in a specific field, or even creatives and influencers. Whereas shows like "Change Days" feature existing couples that have been dating for a while and need to re-evaluate their relationship.
Some shows have a fixed format but a flexible concept with each season. One example is the show "I'm Solo".
"I'm Solo" focuses on regular single people but sometimes has a special season with a specific concept. For example, they've had seasons where they feature only divorcees or even foreigners.
Format Variable: Information Revealed About Contestants
There are different variables in these shows' formats that makes each of them unique. One variable is how much information about the contestants is revealed on the show.
Shows such as "I'm Solo" use pseudo/fake names for the contestants and only reveal their occupations and ages after they have gotten to know each other a little bit. This approach not only protects their privacy but also removes any bias that may be associated with a contestant because of their age or occupation. Additionally, their names are only revealed to the partner that they end up choosing in the end through a whisper. Ideally, this should protect their identities from the public but people tend to find the contestants on social media anyway.
"Singles Inferno" takes a similar approach by hiding the backgrounds of contestants and only revealing them to contestants who end up going on a private date to 'paradise' together. It remains a secret to the other contestants until the final episode, too.
These shows are refreshing because they allow participants to get to know each other without being influenced by certain external factors. However, it sometimes seems to backfire as contestants who are interested in each other may change their minds after eventually finding out the background of their love interest.
Format Variable: Caliber of and Level of 'Fame' of Contestants
Korean dating shows often feature a mix of regular contestants or sometimes people who are influencers or people who are in the entertainment industry already.
Shows like "Singles Inferno" are especially well-known for including a mix of ordinary professionals, influencers, models, and/or actors. Thus, fans can anticipate the new contestants with each new season. Recently, the show was announced for a third season that will be airing soon with new rules and contestants.
You can check out the background info of the contestants from Season 1 in the article below.
The information about the Season 2 contestants is in the article below, too.
In some cases, rookie actors/actresses/idols also participate in these shows. For example, Choi SiHun from "Singles Inferno Season 1" is an actor who has recently acted in "The New Employee" and Bae YoonKyung from "Heart Signal Season 1" is an actress who acted in "The King's Affection". Coincidentally, she gained a lot of popularity from the show and made her acting debut in the same year that she appeared on it.
Additionally, Lee SoE from "Singles Inferno Season 2" is an actress who acted in "The Glory" and Min HyoGi from "Change Days Season 2" is an actor who acted in the "Color Rush" BL franchise. There have also been idols on these shows. JungHoon from "Change Days Season 2" is a former K-Pop idol from the group TST, for example.
Do you know any other actors, actresses, or idols who have appeared on Korean dating shows? Let us know in the comments!
Some fans have had mixed opinions about these types of contestants going on dating shows as it gets perceived to be part of a publicity stunt to get them public recognition. Depending on how much the actor or idol's image benefits from the show and depending on their behavior, the fans feel that their intentions may be disingenuous to the purpose of the program. Meanwhile, other fans are just glad that celebrities are finally seeming to be encouraged to live regular lives where dating is not considered taboo. These days it has become more common for Korean actors/actresses and even some K-Pop idols to date publicly and be open about their relationships with their fans.
One prime example of this changing perspective is none other than the new Korean dating show "Romance Before Debut". The show consists of actors, models, and singers in training who have yet to debut. Before they debut, they get the chance to experience romantic love on a teenage dating show. The show has appealed to the public due to the prospect of future big stars finding love openly. Dating is usually taboo among K-Pop idols. However, this show flips that notion on its head to encourage romantic relationships before the idols even debut.
Nonetheless, regardless of their level of fame, the mix of contestants on these programs adds an interesting layer to the viewing experience as fans find themselves invested in their romantic lives.
Format Variable: Global and LGBTQI+ Representation
It seems that despite showcasing the Korean dating style (with typical Korean values), these programs are opening up to include more global contestants and more liberal perspectives.
As we mentioned earlier, shows like "I'm Solo" have encouraged foreigners to participate in their program. There has also been an increase in foreign contestants on different shows, too. This representation spreads to sexuality, as well.
Case in point, there is a rise in queer Korean dating programs these days. The program "His Man", for example, features queer men looking for love. The program "Merry Queer" also looks into the lives of romantic queer couples.
The announcements of both these shows received mixed responses at first, though. Queerness is still a slightly taboo topic in conservative Korea, despite slowly but surely becoming a more open topic of discussion and accepted by the general public. If you'd like to read more about LGBTQI+ representation in Korea, check out this article.
For example, one viral moment on the dating show "Love Alarm Clap! Clap! Clap!" exposed how queerness is still a subject that many Koreans think conservatively about. One of the female contestants 'Jasmine' chose to go on a date with another woman 'White Rose', leaving the other contestants on the show and the panelists shocked. When this happened, panelist Hong SeokCheon (one of the first openly gay celebrities in Korea) was visibly moved and complimented 'Jasmine' on being brave and cool for following her heart. However, one of the male contestants later questioned Jasmine on how she could possibly choose another woman and told her to stop joking around. This only showed how some Koreans still find queer relationships baffling.
Regardless of that, the ability of global audiences and minorities to feel represented by Korean dating shows can also be a contributing factor to their success.
Bonus: The Impact of Appearing on Korean Dating Shows for Participants
Lastly, one might have to consider that Korean dating shows can remain popular/gain popularity thanks to the participants who take part in them and the growing interest in those participants from the public. So, we have to ask the question... Besides love, what's in it for the participants?
Participants' Boost in Influence: Are They Considered To Be Celebrities After Appearing on the Show?
You might notice that it is difficult to find many (if any) official photos of your favorite contestants from these Korean dating shows posted directly by the broadcasting channels/OTT platforms on social media. You might only see some video clips or screenshots from the edited show. This is mostly because the contestants are still considered ordinary people by those channels and by the general public.
Of course, there is no denying that due to the nature of these programs and the fast nature of social media, viewers can easily find these participants in real life and follow them thereafter. After the shows air, many participants in these shows will experience a huge increase in social media following and popularity especially.
Nonetheless, as we mentioned before, Korean dating shows feature a mix of regular people and sometimes influencers or people in the entertainment industry already. In the case of the former, the contestants might enjoy an elevation to influencer status. In regards to the latter, those up-and-coming influencers/stars may get a boost in their entertainment careers.
For example, Song JiA from "Singles Inferno Season 1" was already a YouTuber/influencer when she went on the show. However, she gained so much attention from being part of the show that she went viral and instantly gained thousands of followers. Before the show started airing, she already had 470,000+ followers on Instagram but quickly rose to 1 million followers after the show aired and is now on 4.2 million followers (as of Feb. 16, 2023).
However, it is still debatable by viewers of the show whether this kind of increase in following elevates the status of these ordinary people/influencers to celebrities.
One "Singles Inferno" couple, Jo YoongJae and Choi SeoEun, recently faced backlash for attempting to host a fanmeeting following the final episode of season 2. Not only was there an outcry about the fact that they tried to hold a paid event, with tickets that fans felt were 'too expensive', without engaging with fans for free first... But their sincerity was also brought into question. Fans questioned whether the couple was not sincere and were just trying to take advantage of gained popularity from the show. Fans of the couple also wondered if the appearance of non-celebrities on a televised show justified their behavior as celebrities after the fact. Many were adamant that the concept of regular people holding a fanmeeting was far-fetched.
Do you think that the people/influencers (who are not interested in acting or singing careers) who participate in Korean dating shows should be considered celebrities if they gain a certain amount of popularity from the show? Let us know in the comments!
The Difference in Korean Viewer Fan-Favorites vs. International Viewer Fan-Favorites
As an extra point, it's also interesting to note the difference in reactions from Korean and international viewers regarding the contestants on the show.
It is no doubt that Korean fans and fans from different cultures (that are not similar to Korean culture) may have different preferences/likes when it comes to people, especially in regard to dating.
Hence, it is always interesting to see how differently both audiences react to these dating programs. For example, the most difference in dating culture can be seen in the fan-favorite contestants that Korean viewers like or root for compared to global viewers.
"Singles Inferno" is, yet again, the easiest show to make an example of in this case. In Season 1, the fan-favorite girl of many Korean viewers was Song JiA. Whereas, the fan-favorite girl of many global viewers was Kang SoYeon. These two women are polar opposites and admirable for different traits. It was clear that different aspects appealed more to the respective audiences, hence the difference in preference.
The same can be said for Season 2 with Shin SeulKi being the Korean fan-favorite and Lee Nadine being the global fan-favorite.
Of course, this is not to say that these specific people only appealed to one specific audience. All of these contestants received love from both Koreans and international fans to different degrees. It is simply food for thought. Perhaps the casting crew makes sure to cast contestants who would appeal to different preferences from both audiences.
These are only a few of the reasons why these Korean dating shows could be experiencing a rise in popularity. We've looked at two potential reasons why and even evaluated some alternatives.
Which Korean dating show is your favorite? What do you love the most about these shows? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
