SBS Plus·ENA reality dating program ‘I Am SOLO’
Romance has vanished in ‘Solonara’.
Season 31 of the SBS Plus·ENA reality dating program ‘I Am SOLO (I am Solo)’ has been mired in the worst controversy since it began airing, as bullying among contestants, allegations of biased editing by the production team, and various unverified rumors have piled up. As discord continues not only in specific episodes but across the entire cohort, viewer fatigue and anger appear to have reached a peak.
The biggest point of contention is the blatant exclusion and ridicule directed at a particular contestant. According to the broadcast and unaired videos, Ok-soon made over-the-line remarks to a dejected Sun-ja, such as “Did someone pass away” and “It feels like a funeral,” placing herself at the center of the controversy.
SBS Plus·ENA reality dating program ‘I Am SOLO’
The conflict was laid bare before and after the footrace for the Super Date voucher. On the May 13 broadcast, Ok-soon drew criticism for, together with Young-sook and Jung-hee, adopting an attitude that seemed to exclude Sun-ja. Even though Sun-ja took first place, Ok-soon, back at the lodging, said, “In our hearts, first place is Young-sook,” praising her. Young-sook then said, “It seems my leg got caught on someone else’s leg and I fell,” a statement that did not reflect the facts, and, hearing this secretly from behind a door, Sun-ja burst into tears.
On top of that, Kyung-soo went to Sun-ja and made a selfish request that she use the Super Date voucher for Young-sook’s sake, after which Sun-ja complained of extreme stress and ultimately was taken away by ambulance due to a severe gastric spasm. Yet even as Sun-ja was being transported to the hospital, Young-sook showed a seemingly sneering attitude, saying, “Should I sob once too?”, and Jung-hee likewise turned away from the suffering Sun-ja. As cross-cut footage showed the male cast members laughing, chatting, and drinking, viewers poured out fierce criticism, saying, “They have lost their humanity.” One netizen even left a comment, “It feels like watching ‘The Glory’.”
Public outrage spilled over to the production team, whose response seemed to shield the contestants accused of wrongdoing. The producers abruptly deleted an unaired ‘Chonjang Entertainment’ YouTube video containing Ok-soon’s inappropriate remarks; they also reuploaded the preview after editing out all of Ok-soon’s segments and added a caption reading, “Please refrain from excessive criticism toward the cast members.”
SBS Plus·ENA reality dating program ‘I Am SOLO (I am Solo)’
In the May 13 main broadcast as well, Ok-soon’s screen time was drastically reduced, prompting repeated criticism that the acts of perpetration were minimized through editing while only the victim’s suffering was highlighted. In response to the biased editing policy, some viewers are even moving to file complaints with the Broadcasting Communications Deliberation Commission.
Outside the broadcast, excessive speculation and unverified rumors are spreading uncontrollably. Even before airing, there were claims that Ok-soon and Young-ho of Season 31 would become the final couple and, due to a premarital pregnancy, marry in September, and some enraged netizens launched a ‘review bombing’ attack on the dental clinic Young-ho runs, ultimately leading him to quietly close the review section.
Furthermore, on an anonymous community for office workers, there even appeared a shocking claim that Ok-soon cited a diagnosis of pregnancy and nervous breakdown to demand that the producers edit the footage, saying, ‘We will hold you responsible if there is a problem with the baby,’ and, when this was refused, issued a threat implying an extreme choice, which ultimately resulted in an all-out edit. The authenticity of the post has not been verified, but, intertwined with the peak of viewer anger, it is spreading far and wide through communities as if it were an established fact.
As the fallout grew, those at the center of the controversy took divergent steps. Ok-soon set her social media (SNS) account to private and has remained silent. By contrast, Jung-hee posted an apology that read, “All the while watching, I was ashamed of myself and engaged in much self-reflection. I offered a sincere apology to the person concerned, and we are doing well,” then suddenly deleted it. She later explained in an additional post, “I deleted it because every single word felt precarious. I will think more deeply and post a formal statement later.”
Behind the report card of record-high ratings, public attention is focused on how ‘I Am Solo’ will resolve this situation, having been left with the heavy tasks of neglecting cast protection and showcasing provocative aggressiveness.
