One of the most talked-about participants is Choi Mina Sue (26), Miss Earth 2022, who quickly sparked controversy after joining the show. Early on, Mina Sue was labeled the season’s “villain” for openly pursuing multiple men at the same time and even asking whether it would be possible to leave the show with two of them. Her bold and unconventional behavior left both viewers and the panel of hosts visibly stunned.
Her actions ignited heated debates online, dividing fans into opposing camps. Some criticized her as calculating, 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 noticeable shift in public opinion. Even the show’s MCs later apologized, admitting they had judged her too harshly.
Beyond her personality, Mina Sue also drew attention for her distinctive fashion sense. In her first appearance, she wore a yellow Zara dress priced at around 59,000 won (approximately 40 USD), paired with Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry worth about 20.9 million won (14,200 USD). The contrast fueled speculation about her privileged background. It was later revealed that she 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 a devoted animal lover, especially fond of dogs and dolphins.
Another breakout star is Kim Min-gee (29), a professional track and field athlete whose sweet visuals earned her the nickname “the Karina of the track,” due to her resemblance to aespa’s Karina. Already somewhat well-known in Korea before the show, Kim Min-gee’s popularity skyrocketed after Single’s Inferno aired, with her Instagram following surging to 1.1 million.
Her background as an athlete has given her a calm, grounded presence that viewers have 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 straightforwardness and emotional maturity.
Song Seung-il (24), the man at the center of that love triangle, has also gone viral. In Episode 8, he set social media abuzz with a playful moment in which he checked his reflection using a glass during a date with Mina Sue. His gestures fixing his hair, putting on glasses, and even his walk have been widely shared online, with humorous comments suggesting he was “slaying” more than his female counterparts.
Often dubbed “the most charming man in Single’s Inferno history,” 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 Instagram followers.
Lee Sung-hoon (27) stands out for entirely different reasons. Known as the “genius 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 below 1%. A graduate of UC Berkeley with a major 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 its 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 across social media.
Sources: Znews