Single Inferno 5 PDs Praise Choi Mina Sue’s True Personality Despite Backlash

Season 5 of Single’s Hell concluded on February 10 with 12 episodes, returning about a year after season 4. The final episode achieved the highest performance in the series’ history, recording 3.1 million views (calculated by dividing total viewing hours by the show’s length) and 45.1 million viewing hours from February 2-8. The show ranked No. 2 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 (Non-English TV) for three consecutive weeks and reached No. 1 in countries including South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. It also entered the Top 10 in 18 countries, such as Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Much of the season’s buzz centered on Choi Mina Sue. He formed a complex four-way romantic dynamic with multiple male contestants while also engaging in a tense but compelling rivalry with female contestant Kim Min-ji. His “rascal” bow — a staple in reality dating shows — fueled online discussion and increased the program’s popularity.

Choi Mina Sue has already gained recognition as the “Sun” of Miss Korea 2021 (runner-up) and became the first Korean to win Miss Earth, one of the four major international beauty pageants in the world.

PD: “The popularity of the fifth season is thanks to Choi Mina Sue”

Producers Kim Jae-won, Kim Jung-hyun and Park Su-ji credited Choi Mina Sue as a key contributor to the season’s success in a February 13 interview with Star News. “We are extremely happy that season five ended with record-breaking results. We are hearing reactions that we have never received before,” they shared. “Many people say, ‘The popularity of season five is all thanks to Choi Mina Sue,’ and we totally agree.”

The producers revealed that tweaking its plot felt less like work and more like watching the show as viewers themselves. His dynamic with Kim Min-ji, in particular, became one of the most entertaining aspects in the editing room. Although their relationship began as conflict, international fans have reportedly seen it through a “Romantic comedy between enemies and lovers” objective, appreciating the evolving chemistry and eventual sense of genuine camaraderie.

Producer Kim Jae-won even promised to treat Choi Mina Sue to an expensive meal as a sign of appreciation. He humorously added that during a recent cast meeting, he gave her a deep formal bow in gratitude. “She’s actually very cheerful and even a little shy,” he said. “When I bowed to her, she got embarrassed and tried to bow back. Every time I meet her, I feel that she is incredibly charming and funny.”

“He never blamed the production team”

Despite her growing popularity, Choi Mina Sue has faced harsh criticism and malicious comments. On February 13, he shared his reflections on social media, writing, “Watching my immature sides on the show, I reflected a lot, learned, realized and grew. It was a time to deeply understand that my actions and words could make others uncomfortable.” When asked if she expressed resentment towards the production team for the editing choices, PD Kim Jae-won responded firmly: “He never blamed us.”

She explained that they spoke often during the broadcast period, as she sought advice on the intense criticism. “She asked, ‘When will things calm down?’ I told her it would get better around week 3 and that she should start reading the comments then. But I miscalculated: it was more like the fourth week,” he joked.

He added that public reaction has since softened, with more viewers recognizing his bright and genuine personality. “There were a lot of critical opinions during the broadcast, which is understandable. But now that it’s over, we hope viewers will send her a lot of support.”

The final couples and the question of reality

The fifth season ended with five final couples: Choi Mina Sue and Lee Seong-hun, Kim Min-ji and Song Seung-il, Lim Soo-been and Park Hee-sun, Lee Ju-young and Kim Jae-jin, and Kim Go-eun and Woo Sung-min. However, a final on-screen pairing doesn’t necessarily translate into a real-life relationship. According to Star News coverage, Choi Mina Sue and Lee Seong-hun are currently not dating in real life.

Responding to ongoing discussions about the lack of publicly confirmed real couples on the show, PD Kim Jae-won admitted his disappointment. “There’s a lot of talk about ‘*Single’s Hell it doesn’t produce couples in real life.’ But I think the question is more about whether participants choose to make their relationships public. It’s something we struggle to understand.”*

He revealed that during casting, the team also considered adding a public dating clause to their contracts and consulted a lawyer, only to be told it would violate their right to privacy and be unconstitutional. This ultimately led them to create the spin-off concept The reunion of the individual’s Hell to share behind-the-scenes updates.

With the sixth season already confirmed, the producers have promised to return with a greater balance between entertainment and authenticity, carefully considering both cast members and regular participants.

Sources: Daum

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