One of the most talked about participants is Choi Mina Sue (26), Miss Earth 2022, who quickly attracted controversy after joining the pageant. At first, Mina Sue was labeled as the season “rascal” for openly stalking multiple men at once and even asking if it would be possible to leave the show with two of them. His bold and unconventional behavior left both viewers and the hosting panel visibly stunned.
His actions sparked heated debates online, dividing fans into opposing camps. Some criticized her for being calculative, while others praised her honesty and confidence. As the show progressed, however, a softer and more vulnerable side of Mina Sue emerged, leading to a notable change in public opinion. The show’s MCs also later apologized, admitting they had judged her too hard.
Beyond her personality, Mina Sue has also attracted attention for her unique fashion sense. In her first appearance, she wore a yellow Zara dress priced at around 59,000 won (about $40), paired with Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry worth around 20.9 million won (14,200 dollars). The contrast has fueled speculation about his privileged background. It was later revealed that he comes from a wealthy family and has lived in several countries, including Australia, the United States, Canada, and China. She is also known as an environmental activist and devoted animal lover, especially fond of dogs and dolphins.
Another rising star is Kim Min-gee (29), a professional track and field athlete whose sweet images earned her the nickname “the Karina of the track”, due to her resemblance to Karina from Aespa. Already quite well known in Korea before the show, Kim Min-gee’s popularity skyrocketed afterward Single’s Hell on air, with his Instagram following rising to 1.1 million.
Her background as an athlete gave her a calm, grounded presence that viewers widely praised. Fans were particularly impressed when she directly confronted Mina Sue about her feelings for Song Seung-il during an intense love triangle, applauding her frankness and emotional maturity.
Song Seung-il (24), the man at the center of that love triangle, also went viral. In episode 8, she set social media abuzz with a playful moment where she checked out her reflection using a glass during a date with Mina Sue. His actions in fixing his hair, putting on his glasses and even his walk were widely shared online, with humorous comments suggesting he was “killing” more than his female counterparts.
Often dubbed “the most fascinating man in the history of Single’s Inferno,” Song Seung-il works in fashion marketing and as a model. Since appearing on the Netflix show, his online presence has grown rapidly and he now boasts over 689,000 followers on Instagram.
Lee Sung-hoon (27) stands out for completely different reasons. Known as the “brilliant brain” of the season, he impressed viewers with his elite academic and professional background. He works as a quantitative trader in New York, a notoriously competitive field where acceptance rates for entry-level positions are often less than 1%. A graduate of UC Berkeley with a concentration in computer science, he previously worked as a software engineer at Google. Interestingly, after the show aired, Sung-hoon deleted all of his social media accounts, including LinkedIn, further fueling curiosity about him.
With her mix of beauty, wealth, intelligence, athleticism and unpredictable romance, Single’s Inferno Season 5 has proven to be one of the most talked about installments yet, dominating conversations both on screen and on social media.
Sources: Znews
