Following the record-breaking success of Season 5, which reached No. 2 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 TV (Non-English), the production team confirmed that Season 6 is already locked in. On February 13, producers Kim Jae-won, Park Su-ji, and Kim Jeong-hyun sat down for interviews at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul to discuss the season’s “all-kill” buzz, their editing decisions, and what viewers should expect next.
The “Mina-sue Effect”: From Criticism to Gratitude
The producers credited a major share of Season 5’s impact to Choi Mina-sue, whose candid choices drove intense debate and constant discussion online. Kim Jae-won revealed that he even bowed deeply to her at a wrap dinner to thank her for what she brought to the show.
“I can feel the positive response,” PD Kim Jae-won said. “Many people voiced the opinion that it is ‘thanks to Choi Mina-sue.’ I agree. I met her at a company dinner a few days ago and bowed deeply to her. I said, ‘Let’s have a meal together,’ and I plan to treat her to an expensive restaurant.”
He emphasized that her on-screen image did not capture the full picture.
“When you see Choi Mina-sue in person, she has a shy side, but is also social and cheerful,” PD Kim Jae-won noted. “When I bowed to her, she was incredibly embarrassed saying, ‘No, no,’ and bowed together with me.”
He also described how his impression of her became more complex once the team finished editing.
“She tried to bow as well,” he said. “When I first met her, my impression was that she was someone with very high social skills. She’s so bright and warm. After we finished editing everything, we realized there were many sides that felt different from that first impression too. She seems like a three-dimensional person. It’s not easy for someone on camera to be three-dimensional. People usually want to show only the good side in front of the camera. It’s like you only saw the front side of the moon, but when you watch Mina-sue, you realize the moon has a back side too, and that there are many sides. Most people are contradictory to some extent, and there are times they are emotionally vulnerable. She showed herself more honestly than anyone in front of the camera. That might be why there was so much criticism.”
Kim Jeong-hyun said they anticipated she would bring expressive reactions and strong chemistry, although the scale still surprised them.
“Since she lived abroad, her character and facial expressions were rich,” PD Kim Jeong-hyun said. “I thought she would have good chemistry with the men. I didn’t expect the chemistry to overflow that much. You could already see her character from the meeting.”
Kim Jae-won also framed her as the cast member who revealed what would have been easiest to hide.
“I think she showed the most honestly the kind of side that she might not have been able to be honest about,” he said.
The producers said they stayed in close contact with her while episodes aired, especially when public reaction turned harsh.
“She asked, ‘When will the reaction get better?’ I told her, ‘It will probably get better around the third week,’ but I think it was actually around the fourth week,” Kim explained. “Now that many people are saying, ‘It wouldn’t have been fun without Mina-sue,’ her mental state seems to have recovered a lot. I think Choi Mina-sue is a person who gave interesting stories to a boring daily life.”
He described the same timeline in another exchange, including how often they talked during broadcast.
“During the broadcast we talked a lot and discussed things,” he said. “She asked me, ‘When do you think the reaction will get better?’ I told her, ‘Around the third week it should be okay,’ but I think it was more like the fourth week. Now that many people are saying, ‘It wouldn’t have been fun without Mina-sue,’ I think she’s recovered a lot mentally. Criticism can happen while it’s airing, but now that it’s all over, I hope people support her a lot, too.”
Editing Mina-sue: “We Didn’t Make a Villain”
Park Su-ji said Mina-sue’s most talked-about moments were not fully visible on set.
“I knew on set that Mina-sue was having conversations with various people, but I didn’t know exactly what actions she was taking,” she said. “She spoke a lot of English too. From our perspective, following her conversations was interesting.”
Kim Jae-won said the cast’s dynamics made post-production unusually enjoyable.
“Going to edit didn’t feel like going to work, it felt like going to enjoy a hobby,” he said. “I think we had more varied characters than any other season.”
When criticism framed Mina-sue as a deliberately “edited villain,” the producers pushed back and explained their standard.
“We didn’t edit it to intentionally create a villain,” Park Su-ji said.
“As we film up to Season 5, everyone says or does something that could become an issue to some extent,” Kim Jae-won added. “Our editing rule is only one thing. We cover only the love lines. Mina-sue seems like someone whose emotions in romance are very varied. So it could look that way. But the Mina-sue we know is very social, friendly, cute, bright, that kind of person.”
He also pointed to her dynamic with Kim Min-gee as a relationship that sparked attention, including from overseas viewers, and said the reunion shows how it evolves.
“Even though it’s between two women, it feels like a ‘hate relationship,’ and some overseas fans were even rooting for their dynamic,” he said. “There was conflict, but if you watch the reunion, you’ll be able to see real friendship too.”
Panel Controversy and Hong Jin-kyung’s Dinner Apology
When asked about comments that Hong Jin-kyung was “called in” by production, Kim Jae-won said it was playful phrasing, then took responsibility for panel balance.
“Of course we can’t scold Hong Jin-kyung,” he said. “I think she expressed it playfully. There are times we ask them to speak honestly, and there are times we ask them to speak from the contestants’ perspective without getting too emotional. I know there’s feedback that panel opinions can feel excessive. Panel remarks are the PDs’ responsibility. Since we asked for honesty, failing to control the balance is on the production team. Next season, we’ll need to adjust better between entertainment and balance.”
The producers also described how Hong Jin-kyung addressed Mina-sue directly at a dinner.
“She probably came having thought about it in advance because so much was being said,” Park Su-ji said.
“As soon as she arrived, she hugged Mina-sue and said, ‘I’m sorry for everything,’” Kim Jae-won said. “She suggested we take a photo together cheerfully so people wouldn’t misunderstand.”
Key Scenes: The Truth Game, Episode 7, and Why the Double Date Exists
The interview highlighted specific moments the producers believe carried the season, starting with a rule change that forced honesty.
“For this Truth Game, we introduced a rule that you must answer unconditionally, there is no ‘pass,’” PD Kim Jae-won explained. “But that won’t necessarily go in a good direction only, right. Even if we prepare ambitiously, the cast could make it boring. Fortunately, Mina-sue actively utilized it and showed interesting choices, so we cheered. We were excited and even clapped. I think the aftermath of that went all the way to the end.”
Another major internal debate centered on the Episode 7 conversation between Mina-sue and Lim Su-been.
“There was a lot of debate internally regarding the conversation between Su-been and Mina-sue in Episode 7,” Park Su-ji said. “We debated ‘Mina-sue/Su-been’ versus ‘Park Hee-sun/Su-been.’ It was the scene we talked about the most while editing.”
Kim Jae-won said that split response is the core fun of the genre.
“I think viewers felt the same way. People split over who they were rooting for,” he said. “The biggest fun in a dating program is that the audience divides and thinks about who will end up as the final couple. After that conversation, the question of who Mina-sue would go to Paradise with, that may have been the point that viewers found most interesting.”
Asked whether the double date was designed to intensify love lines, he framed it as a deliberate test.
“Real love has to succeed even after overcoming obstacles, so I think there should be trials,” he said. “You overcome the awkward situation of a double date. I think it worked out because they overcame that trial well.”
Defending the Cast: Screen Time, “Villains,” Prior Dating Show Experience, and a Rumor
The producers rejected “villain” labels applied to contestants, including Kim Go-eun.
“I don’t think so,” Kim Jae-won said. “If you meet her in real life, she is so kind. That is why she has a personality where she struggles to refuse. Viewers might feel frustrated, but people’s personalities vary.”
They also addressed discussion about Jo I-geon having prior dating reality experience.
“From our perspective, it was a point of consideration/concern,” Kim Jae-won said. “Of course it’s not an element we would like. We had to think carefully about, but he was so handsome that we had no choice but to cast him. People who have done a dating show once often do better. They know that if they act or perform here, it won’t come across in a good way. Because of that, a rough side may have come out. We’re grateful for the parts where he participated honestly.”
The producers also addressed complaints about uneven screen time, including criticism that Ham Ye-jin appeared less than others.
“I told her, ‘I am sorry the screen time is small,’” Kim Jae-won said. “She was disappointed too, but it doesn’t seem right to act either. I tried to capture the moments when they felt real emotions. Other than that, I think it is courtesy to the viewers to cut it out sharply, even if I am sorry to the performer.”
When rumors spread that Lee Sung-hun was related to former president Lee Myung-bak, Kim Jeong-hyun said production checked and found it false.
“We checked, and it is said to be untrue,” Kim Jeong-hyun stated. “He’s in the U.S., so the reply came late, but he said it’s not true.”
He added in another excerpt: “When we checked, it really was completely unfounded. The person involved is baffled by it.”
Kim Jae-won explained why they addressed it at all.
“I wondered, ‘Can I even ask this question?’” he said. “But people kept asking so much. The reaction around us was the hottest.”
Casting Secrets: Visuals First, Youth Surprises, One-on-One Monitoring, and Styling
The producers were candid about casting priorities.
“Single’s Inferno strictly selects based on appearance,” Kim Jae-won said.
He added that “specs” can stand out, but they are not the main driver.
“Someone might stand out because they have a job with a good salary and very strong credentials, and that can be one factor we consider,” he said. “But I don’t think we look at specs more than other dating programs.”
Kim Jeong-hyun described a format change that let production observe subtler dynamics.
“With consent, we watch a contestant talk with someone in the next room,” he said. “Hee-sun is more passive in group setups, but in one-on-one conversations her eyes lit up and she talked really well. Those parts showed clearly. And even in detailed conversations, Mina-sue had a wide range of facial expressions and reactions.”
On who they expected to “shine,” Kim Jae-won cited two younger contestants and admitted production had biases that proved wrong.
“We had high expectations for Song Seung-il and Su-been,” he said. “They were younger than previous seasons, and we had our own bias. We thought it might be hard for them to stand out, but they were surprisingly resolute and spoke well. I remember bragging to my family, ‘People like this are going to be on the show.’”
He also described what he considers a “Single’s Inferno-type” face.
“I thought, ‘This is the face that fits our proposal,’” he said of Seung-il. “He isn’t a standard handsome man, but he has the charm of the MZ generation and a ‘bad boy’ vibe.”
On styling, Kim Jeong-hyun said contestants largely prepare on their own.
“There is a stylist team, but they prepare more than 90% of it themselves,” he said. “They bring two or three carriers or more. Hair and makeup are mostly done by themselves too. We mostly just advise what kinds of outfits they will need.”
They also revealed the scale of casting.
“I didn’t count, but we met hundreds of people,” Kim Jeong-hyun said. “We received thousands of applications.”
Fame, Recognizability, and the “Track Karina” Question
When asked about Min-gee’s nickname and visibility, Kim Jae-won said recognizability does not automatically disqualify someone, but production is cautious about it and will edit references if it does not affect the love lines.
“Some people recognized her, but we edited it because we didn’t think it would affect the love lines,” he said. “If there are quite a few people who don’t know, then I think they can appear. Based on that, we assume they are not a celebrity everyone knows. People who have fame do have a handicap. We don’t prefer that more. Still, we look at charm and whether they can act with sincerity in front of the camera. Ideally, we want to cast someone unknown, but charm is the first criterion, so sometimes a known person gets in.”
The “Bed Scene” and Editing Philosophy
Viewers pointed out the contrast between the teaser’s emphasis on skinship and the broadcast edit. Kim Jae-won described it as “teaser license” and clarified the bed scene.
“The bed scene shown in the broadcast is all there is,” he said. “If there had been even a little bit more, we would have been excited to edit it as if it existed, but they fell asleep because they were drunk. As the production team, we were disappointed. To explain the situation further, they fell asleep waiting for an extra bed to arrive. They were tipsy and seem to have gotten under the covers in their sleep.”
Shorts Culture and the Risk of Distortion
The producers acknowledged the show’s viral afterlife through clips and reaction edits, but warned against judging contestants from fragments.
“Shorts are really the trend,” Kim Jae-won said. “I think that flow is unavoidable, but we do not make the show thinking of Shorts. If you judge a person only by watching Shorts, it is easy to distort them. I have a wish that those who only watch Shorts would watch the whole thing.”
(Note: Shorts = Short form videos)
The Truth About “Real Couples” and Why the Reunion Exists
One of the franchise’s most persistent criticisms is that couples do not last after filming. The producers pushed back hard and said the reunion project exists to answer that question directly.
“It was planned once editing had progressed to a certain point,” Kim Jae-won said. “Up to now, there has been a lot of talk that ‘Single’s Inferno has no real couples.’ What I can say clearly is that Single’s Inferno does have real couples.”
“What I want to say clearly is that there are quite a few real-life couples, including this season,” he continued. “However, they are very hesitant about public dating. Honestly, personally, I don’t understand it.”
He explained that production considered adding a disclosure clause to contracts but was advised against it.
“For this season, we thought about including a clause regarding the disclosure of real-couple status in the appearance contract, but after receiving legal advice, we were told it is a matter of personal freedom and would be ‘unconstitutional,’ so we couldn’t do it.”
He said the reunion was built around direct questioning.
“So, ‘Reunion’ was planned with the intention of asking honestly and hearing honest answers,” he continued. “We asked every couple if they were a ‘real couple,’ and you can check it through the broadcast.”
He also described how that affected casting.
“So when we met with contestants, I think we asked persistently,” he said. “We asked whether they were willing to date publicly. We cast mainly people who said yes.”
At the same time, he suggested there are limits to what should be made public after the show ends.
“I want to reveal the real-couple list honestly,” he said. “But after the broadcast ends, we have to protect their private lives too, so it’s frustrating.”
Looking Ahead: Season 6, the “Catfish” Dilemma, and New Casting Trends
With Season 6 confirmed, Kim Jae-won admitted the success creates pressure.
“I’m happy this season did well, but at the same time I start wondering whether we can do even better next season,” he said.
He also expressed a desire to retire the term “catfish” because of how much expectation it loads onto mid-season arrivals, and because it adds pressure to the people arriving later.
“A destiny is created where they have to shake up the board,” he said. “But we don’t put someone in for that reason alone. After three or four days, there are also contestants who get pushed out of the main love lines, and we want a new person to come in and bring new anticipation. Since there are legendary ‘catfish’ like Dex, people keep expecting that. I want to start a campaign to stop using the term ‘catfish’ now. (Laughs)”
He added that he wants to find a replacement term and that personality matters most when choosing late arrivals.
“I wish the term ‘catfish’ could be discarded,” he said. “I keep wondering if there’s a way to replace the term. Since they have to enter in the middle, I think we look at personality a lot. We choose someone bright, with a strong sense of self, and someone who seems like they will say what they want to say.”
He also addressed new on-screen archetypes that emerged unexpectedly.
“At the casting stage, we didn’t expect it at all,” he said of the “teto girls” conversation. “We realized it while filming. There were many people who were proactive and adventurous.”
On the mechanics of Season 6, he said production is actively reflecting feedback and weighing what to keep.
“I think what PDs have to do is reflect feedback,” he said. “People said in the last season that screen time was concentrated on a few, so this season we cast more people. I’m grateful that diverse love lines and characters came out. For Season 6, we’re thinking a lot about the panel side and about the level of editing.”
He also hinted that the cast size might stay large.
“It felt good with 15 people,” he said. “Unless there’s a special reason, I don’t think it will decrease.”
On hosts, he said there is no final decision yet.
“There’s nothing decided about the MCs yet,” he said, “but I know people want it to continue without changes.”
Personal Favorites and the Pressure of Finding the Next Breakout
Asked as viewers which contestants they felt drawn to, the producers answered differently, revealing how varied their own reads of the season were.
“Because Mina-sue showed her emotions honestly, I was grateful,” Kim Jeong-hyun said. “It felt like she expressed what she felt without overthinking it, so I appreciated that.”
“When I see the Hee-sun and Su-been couple, I think of Nineteen to Twenty, which is also my life’s work,” Kim Jae-won said. “There is a fluttering excitement that only those young friends have. It has the feeling of first love.”
“If I talk about a couple, Jae-jin and Joo-young created a different story,” Park Su-ji said. “It felt like a realistic relationship. Even while watching, I got that fluttery feeling.”
Finally, asked if they can find another breakout like Mina-sue in Season 6, Kim Jae-won said he is not looking for a copy.
“I am moving forward with the single belief that finding men and women who are on a break from dating will work,” he concluded. “I do not have the mind to find a ‘Second Choi Mina-sue,’ but I intend to try to find a ‘First [Name].’”
The producers said the upcoming Single’s Inferno Reunion will directly ask each final couple whether they became a real-life couple, addressing one of the franchise’s biggest recurring questions. With Season 6 now officially confirmed, they added that they are already reviewing panel balance, editing intensity, and casting strategy as they prepare the next installment.