The SBS variety show Matching to get married: With parents places 10 single men and women who want to get married together with 10 mothers eager to see their children get married, all living under the same roof for five nights and six days. Hosted by Seo Jang-hoon, Lee Yo-won and Kim Yo-han, the program features a surreal dating reality format where parents closely observe their children’s romantic decisions in real time.
With its unique premise that parents directly participate in a dating show, Matching to get married: With parents attracted strong attention even before its premiere. By its fourth episode, the show recorded ratings peaks of 3.1% nationwide and 2.3% in the Seoul metropolitan area, continuing its steady upward trend. According to Nielsen Korea, it also reached a demographic peak in 2049 (viewers aged 20-49) of 1.2%, ranking first in its timeslot.
However, just as the program was going swimmingly, it ran into an unexpected obstacle. On January 20, a woman in her 40s, identified as A, appeared as a whistleblower on JTBC Scandal supervisorclaiming that competitor B gives Matching to get married: With parents she had been involved in an affair with her ex-husband. A said she divorced her husband in 2022 after discovering the affair and filed both a divorce case and a civil suit against the third party, ultimately winning the case.
According to A, the court ruled that the responsibility for the breakdown of the marriage lies with both the husband and B, ordering them to jointly compensate 30 million won. He said he has yet to receive any compensation and that the property division remains unresolved. Expressing his distress, A said yes shocked to see B appear on a reality dating show and I added it the experience continues to cause her anxiety and emotional pain. She complained about it While living separated from her children due to circumstances, the person who allegedly contributed to her family’s collapse appears on television looking for a new partner while hiding his past.
Following the report, the controversy intensified. The production team released a cautious statement explaining this cast contracts include clauses requiring participants to guarantee that they have not been involved in crime, business, school violence or other social controversies, with sanctions provisions for violations. Despite these measures, the problem persisted. The producers added that regardless of the fact-checking results, they intend to minimize B’s screen time in the remaining episodes and are considering legal action for damages.
Despite the controversies, the program continues its run towards the finale. On the January 29 broadcast, the mothers, who had temporarily disappeared, returned, triggering an unexpected “formal family meeting” before the final selections. Emotional tension increased not only among the contestants but also among the parents.
The dates were determined by the men’s choices, pairing Jo Eun-na-rae with Seo Han-gyeol, Jang Min-cheol with Kim Hyun-jin, and Kim Myo-jin with Moon Se-hoon and Lee Seung-hak. What initially seemed like normal outings turned out to be formal meetings attended by the mothers of both families. Among them, the meeting between lawyer Seo Han-gyeol, born in 1995, and announcer Jo Eun-na-rae, born in 1988, attracted particular attention for its chill atmosphere. While Jo’s mother greeted Seo warmly, Seo’s mother appeared visibly reserved, adding to the tension.
After the meeting, Seo Han-gyeol and her mother argued in the car. Seo expressed it he wanted to take responsibility for decisions regarding the age difference himselfwhile his mother insisted he had the right to express his concerns. Jo Eun-na-rae also appeared emotionally shaken, admitting she felt hurt by her mother’s attitudewhich she perceived as the positioning of their side “weaker”.
Later that night, Seo Han-gyeol and Jo Eun-na-rae shared an honest conversation. Seo admitted it Your mother’s ideal criteria for your future spouse may not align perfectly with realitywhile Jo tried to lighten the burden by encouraging him not to consider their choice too heavily. However, Seo confessed it the decision seemed anything but lightadding in an interview that he feared that prolonged reflection on marriage might waste more of Jo’s time than his own.
Dubbed a potential game-changer in the reality dating genre, Matching to get married: With parents airs every Thursday at 9pm on SBS.
Sources: Daum
