SBS Plus, ENA

The 30th cohort of ‘I Am SOLO’ (I Am Solo) opened the door to full-fledged romance.

On the episode of the real dating program ‘I Am SOLO’ that aired on the 4th (Wed) on SBS Plus and ENA, the 30th cohort that entered ‘Solonara No. 30’ held the first-ever ‘men-women reverse’ barbecue party, and a ‘self-introduction time’ unfolded, sparking interest.

On the first evening at ‘Solonara No. 30’, the single men struggled even to light the barbecue. Youngsik sent an SOS to Youngja, asking, “What do we do without quick-lighting charcoal?” and Youngja coolly demonstrated, saying, “Fan it hard.” She also grilled the meat skillfully, prompting Youngsu to marvel, “My eyes sting a lot (because of the smoke), so how did you grill?” Youngja brushed it off with, “I am wearing contacts so it does not sting. Heh heh heh~.” Impressed by Youngja’s ‘unexpected tough-soft charm’, Youngsu said, “I thought that person was cool,” and his interest rose.

After dinner, the results of the single men’s first-impression choices were revealed. When the single women danced to hit songs such as ‘Gangnam Style’ and ‘Abracadabra’, the single men approached the woman they liked to do a ‘couple dance’ together. First, Youngsu went to Youngja, saying, “Because your smile is beautiful,” Youngho chose Youngsuk, and Youngsik chose Youngja, who had picked him in the first-impression round. Youngcheol also went straight to Youngja, while Gwangsu chose Oksun, saying, “Your eye smile is pretty,” and Sangcheol picked Hyunsuk, who had selected him earlier. With this, Youngja earned three votes and rose to ‘popular woman’ status, while Sunja and Jeongsuk remained at zero.

Once all first-impression results were out, Youngja found herself surrounded by Youngsu, Youngsik, and Youngcheol, who were interested in her. At that moment, Youngsik asked for a ‘1:1 chat’ with, “Shall we take a short walk?” and confessed, “Unless there is a big twist, I think my heart will keep going to you (Youngja), but I hope you do not feel burdened.” Youngja admitted, “I originally did not like very caring men, but here I want to drop my criteria,” adding that she was curious about Youngsu and Youngcheol too. Back at the table, as if hoping Youngsu would strike up a conversation, Youngja said, “The person I am interested in is always not interested in me, so it is frustrating,” but Youngsu quietly listened without speaking. Eventually, a tired Youngja returned to her room, and Youngsu revealed a cautious mindset, saying, “I want to listen to the self-introductions tomorrow and then set a clear direction.” Meanwhile, when Hyunsuk stood up, Sangcheol immediately followed and appealed, “You are so beautiful that I tried to make eye contact on purpose.” When Hyunsuk asked, “Are you the leading type?” he replied, “Not at all.” After talking with Hyunsuk, Sangcheol told the production team, “Our vibe matches well,” showing his interest, but Hyunsuk signaled hesitation about Sangcheol, who seemed the opposite of the type she wants.

On the morning of day two, Oksun and Youngsik won the ‘lucky pouch benefactor date’ and went to have breakfast together. Choosing ‘morning shabu-shabu’, the two had an easygoing conversation. After the date, Oksun said in an interview with the production team, “He is delicate and nice, but he is not for me,” drawing a line. Youngsik likewise said, “I felt our code matched better when talking with Youngja.”

Once everyone finished getting dolled up, ‘self-introduction time’ began. Born in 1992, Youngsu had worked at H Heavy Industries and S Duty Free and was now on the new brand planning team at a fashion company. With a home-work-exercise lifestyle, he ‘certified’ himself as an affectionate type by saying, “On weekends I like chatting with a cafe owner.” Also born in 1992, Youngho was in charge of piping design at H Power Engineering. With cute idol-like looks, he showcased a ‘reverse macho resume’ of graduating from the Naval Academy and serving five years as an officer. He added, “My strength is toughness within softness. Long distance is a matter of will,” revealing he once had an ultra long-distance relationship between Baengnyeong Island and Busan. Also born in 1992, Youngsik was a real estate specialist lawyer, describing his strengths as, “I am busy but responsive, and my emotions are stable.”

Youngcheol said, “Born in 1991, I worked as a math teacher and am now preparing to take over my father’s electrical safety management and solar power company.” He added with a laugh, “In dating, I tailor my preferences to my partner. I do not prefer fights and usually end up being the one who gets scolded.” He then fired up the room by singing Fin.K.L’s “White” for his talent. Gwangsu, also born in 1992 like Youngsu, Youngho, and Youngsik, was a semiconductor design engineer at S Electronics. He confessed, “I prefer a relationship that finds a middle ground. I usually follow rather than lead.” Lastly, Sangcheol, the ‘eldest’ born in 1989, was a tax accountant who said, “I want to meet someone who can pull me out of my homebody tendency,” and showed unexpected charm with the ‘smooth-smooth challenge’.

Born in 1991, Youngsuk was a marketer at a foreign pharmaceutical company and a former pharmacist. Explaining that she left the stable job of ‘pharmacist’ to achieve professional fulfillment at a company, she named as her ideal type “a person who has hope to make a better tomorrow than today.” Born in 1993, Jeongsuk was a police officer working at a provincial police agency in Gyeonggi-do. “I am proud that I have lived righteously,” she said, emphasizing, “I want to pour the effort I have lived with into this as well. I want to meet someone who is a ‘tough-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside type’ in appearance and an ‘affectionate type’ in personality.” Born in 1995, Sunja was a project manager who plans health foods at a large conglomerate affiliate. A boxing hobbyist with an amateur record of 14 fights, 10 wins, and 4 losses, Sunja chose a calm, taciturn man as her ideal type.

Born in 1992, Youngja was a building systems engineer at a major domestic construction firm and a ‘hobby-rich’ person who has skills in camping, fishing, and using a sewing machine. Due to the nature of her job, a long-distance weekend marriage is essential, and she said, “By working step by step, I also managed to secure an apartment in Seoul,” drawing applause. Born in 1992, Oksun had followed an ‘elite dance track’ and now ran a Pilates center. Saying, “My parents are having a fun married life like friends,” Oksun added, “I want to meet someone I can respect and live like my parents.” Lastly, Hyunsuk, born in 1992, was a Canada-born accountant and a ‘global charm woman’ who enjoys sports such as camping, swimming, and skiing while traveling the world. Hyunsuk smiled, saying, “I like someone who has a clear goal and knows exactly what he wants.” In the teaser released right after, Youngsu was seen calling out to Youngja to confess, “Honestly, my number one was you,” while Youngsik was shown urgently searching for Youngja. Next, a single man shouted, “I am lonely,” as he moved to make the first date request, heightening curiosity for the next episode.

The first date choices of the 30th cohort can be confirmed on the ‘I Am SOLO’ episode airing at 10:30 p.m. on the 11th (Wed) on SBS Plus and ENA.