Netflix heats things up with 'Single's Inferno' Season 5 and its biggest, most diverse cast yet
Netflix is heating things up with the return of 'Single's Inferno' Season 5, the streamer's longest-running Korean reality show. And this season's cast has been described by hosts Hanhae, Dex, Hong Jin-kyung, Lee Da-hee, and Kyuhyun as the biggest in the show's history. With the premiere episodes dropping on January 20, fans of the show were introduced to an ensemble that includes a former Miss Earth and a track and field athlete.
The Korean dating show, similar to 'Love Island', follows anonymous singles as they take a chance at love on 'Inferno', a secluded, bare-bones island camp where contestants must stay unless they successfully pair up with a match. This season's cast ensemble promises to live up to the hype. From a gentlemanly romantic to a proactive dater, the 13 contestants and their interactions are bound to keep viewers guessing what's next.
Youn Hyun-jae, the first single to arrive on the island, struck out as a fitness fan with his sculpted abs. Looking for a "youthful, sweet, and genuine woman", he is confident of his skills in physical games. Twenty-five-year-old fashion marketing executive and jiu-jitsu expert Song Seung-il expressed his competitive nature, making it clear that he "wouldn't even be able to sleep" if he lost; Shin Hyeon-woo is a self-proclaimed softie who believes in fate, despite his "macho" appearance, according to Harper's Bazaar. The other male contestants include professional volleyball player Lim Sung-jin, professional dancer and teacher Kim Jae-jin, Lee Sung-hun, who is attracted to women with "cat-like features," and Woo Sung-min, a 29-year-old optician seeking a calm, comfortable relationship.
Park Hee-sun, the first female cast member to be introduced, is an outgoing, confident individual who loves dancing and describes herself as a proactive dater. She is hoping to meet her ideal person on the show. Kim Go-eun, a model with a playful personality who introduced herself as having "a cat-like appearance with a puppy-like personality", was the second runner-up in the 2022 Miss Korea pageant. They are joined by the first-ever Korean winner of the Miss Earth pageant, Choi Mina Sue, 29-year-old track and field athlete Kim Min-ji, municipal newscaster, an MC, and an event host, Ham Ye-jin, and "bubbly and confident" craft artist, Lee Joo-young, who joined the show for a "fiery, passionate, whirlwind romance."
The first four episodes saw Woo Sung-min go out on Paradise dates with Kim Min-ji and Kim Go-eun, while Kim Jae-jin went on a date with Ham Ye-jin. 'Single's Inferno' keeps the show's core format, with singles stranded on 'Hell Island.' The singles have to work hard to form a mutual match to escape to the luxurious 'Heaven Island.' The main poster teases a "flirting war that crosses the line," promising intense rivalries, relationships, and bold confessions from the cast. The first four episodes dropped on January 20, with the remaining episodes scheduled to be released in three batches every Tuesday through February 10.
