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Singles Inferno to Change Days: 11 Korean dating shows to watch RN
Right from Netflix’s Single’s Inferno and Change Days to Love Catcher, scroll ahead to find the ultimate list of 11 best Korean dating shows to watch this year.
Following the release of ‘Single’s Inferno’s and similar Korean dating shows, Netflix saw a spectacular rise in the viewership of non-English reality shows. Korean dating shows on Netflix like ‘Heart Signal’, ‘Love Catcher’ and ‘Love and Joy’ were suddenly in the limelight. The first season of ‘Single’s Inferno’ was just eight episodes long but was able to create a significant share of buzz. The show was something of an intersection between a survival program and a dating reality TV show.
Shows that were released around ‘Single’s Inferno’ followed a similar outline for their premise but the buzz that surrounded it was simply unparalleled. As opposed to most Korean dating shows on Netflix, the contestants of Single’s Inferno are quite out there in terms of their competitive spirits. They don’t shy away from letting the world know that they are ‘in it to win it’. When twelve fiercely competitive and unbelievably attractive people are put in one room, drama is inevitable. 
Top Korean dating shows to binge-watch right away
1 | Singles Inferno
- Year of Release: 2021
- Cast: Lee Da Hee, Hong Jin Kyeong, Cho Kyu Hyun, Hanhae
- Genre: Dating, Reality. Variety
- OTT Platform: Netflix
Amongst all of the Korean dating shows on Netflix, ‘Single’s Inferno’ has to be the one that became most popular. It was the first Korean reality TV show to gain this level of popularity. The show was watched in many parts of the world and was able to keep its viewers hooked till the very end. The show’s basic premise is much like a survival show. The contestants have to navigate their way through a myriad of different challenges and juggle their romantic equations along the way. Participants in the show are stranded on an island that is barely an hour from the bustling crowds of Seoul. The show goes back and forth between Single’s Inferno which is a deserted island and Paradise which is another island flooded with all sorts of luxuries. Any couple on the show is made when two people simultaneously pick each other as their partners, the ones they can take to Paradise. Spoiler alert: it isn’t as easy as it sounds. The show starts off with twelve singles who are supposed to introduce themselves to their potential partners and work on their equations with them. These singles are stranded on an island called Single’s Inferno. During their stay at the Single’s Inferno, singles are supposed to do all of their work on their own. The latter includes cooking without any electronic aid. The singles can not have any conversations around age and occupation during their stay at the Single’s Inferno. Once the couples have successfully navigated their way through all the challenges of the show and that of their love lives, an ultimate match is made. Female contestants locate themselves in different corners of Single’s Inferno and the male contestants are then supposed to approach them. The male contestant extends a proposal to the female contestant of his choice. If the female contestant agrees to his proposal, the two can leave the show as a bona fide couple.
2 | Change Days
- Year of Release: 2021
- Cast: Jang Do Youn, Yang Se Chan, Code Kunst, Hur Young Ji
- Genre: Korean, Wedding, Romance, Reality
- OTT Platform: Netflix
Couples who are on the verge of breaking up or are considering the latter an option are sent on a trip to the exquisite Jeju Island. This trip is an opportunity for them to take their share of chances. One can either work on a romantic equation that is nearing its conclusion or find someone new for themselves. As opposed to most Korean dating shows on Netflix that pit strangers against each other, ‘Change Days’ decided to twist things a little and put a group of couples in one place. The show’s unique approach to a dating reality TV show makes it one of the finest Korean dating shows on Netflix. It has 16 episodes that follow the cast as they juggle their past and present in a search for true love. This 2021 release was praised for its unconventional approach to the dating reality TV genre. The show revolves around fading equations of romance that are given a second chance on ‘Change Days’. Couples who have grown distant are brought together and sent to Jeju Island. Jeju Island is one of the most exquisite places in South Korea. When looking for a place where people can explore their romantic horizons, a better place cannot be suggested. Their trip is supposed to last for about a week. The conclusion of the trip brings the viewers to the most interesting part of the show. People can enter the show with whoever they want but who they bid their farewell to is something that the viewers want to know. The constant curiosity of ‘what now’ keeps the audience on their toes thereby contributing to the show’s popularity. Once the people are done exploring the island and rethinking their equations, they can go back home. Who they choose to go back with becomes a topic of intrigue for the audiences.
3 | EXchange/Transit Love
- Year of Release: 2021
- Cast: Simon D, Yura, Kim Ye Won, Lee Yong Jin
- Genre: Romance, Life
- OTT Platform: TVING
This 2021 dating reality show follows a group of broken couples as they all reside under one roof. While some contestants explore the romantic opportunities that are in front of them, some look at a concluded equation in a new light. As the show progresses, you find couples pondering the infamous ‘should I stay or should I go’ dilemma. The show is titled ‘EXchange’ which itself is a wordplay on changing or interchanging equations of romance. Ex-partners reunite under one roof alongside other similar broken-up couples. These reunited couples then navigate their way through concluded equations and budding ones. When the show begins, ex-couples treat each other like complete strangers. If someone tries to make a move on someone new, their ex jumps in and tries their best to make things awkward. There are situations when one person has let go of the past and their ex has not. Such situations add to the absolute awkward chaos that a broken-up couple can be subjected to. The show approached dating shows in a completely different manner. Viewers already had a hard time whenever two strangers they shipped did not end up together on a dating show. ‘Transit Love’ added the touch of a complicated romantic past to that misery and made things even more dramatic. As the end approaches, the couples are supposed to make a choice between what has apparently been left behind and what is in front of them. The finale to ‘Transit Love’ is exponentially more thrilling because here people aren’t just rooting for two complete strangers to get together, here, their expectations are getting fueled by unawareness of the contestant’s past.
4 | Love Catcher
- Cast: Shin Dong Yup, Hong Seok Cheon, Lady Jane
- Genre: Dating, Variety, Love Triangle
- OTT Platform: Netflix, Apple TV
‘Love Catcher’ is a 2018 release that follows a group of people who go all out to get what they want. While some seek love, some seek money. Love Catcher is a term used for people who are on the lookout for true love. Money Catchers on the other hand are people who have entered the game purely for monetary gains. Love Catchers are supposed to avoid Money Catchers, Money Catchers on the other hand actively seek Love Catchers. Anyone who wishes to win the game has to make just the right choice. A money catcher is supposed to be aware of fellow money catchers or they lose. Similarly, a love catcher is supposed to keep their distance from money catchers.
5 | Love Mafia
- Year of Release: 2021
- Cast: Sung Shi Kyung, Shin Dong, Leeyou, Lee Hye Sung
- Genre: Romance, Matchmaking, Dating
- OTT Platform: Kocowa TV
The show follows a group of singles and two actual couples that are disguising themselves as singles. This is an offbeat dating reality show where only the right connection will get you ahead in the game. Mind games, manipulation, and suspense, this Korean dating show has it all. Much like the game Mafia, the show’s basic premise relies on the art of deception. Single people seek love and companionship while simultaneously being deceived by two real-life couples who constantly try to sabotage their attempts. The show is extremely competitive. It is an amalgam of competition, deception, and romance. It has a premise that is rarely spotted in any other Korean dating shows. Singles who wish to win, are supposed to select a single as their partner. If a mafia and a single end up forming a couple, the Mafia ends up winning the game.
6 | We Got Divorced
- Year of Release: 2020
- Cast: Shin Dong Yup, Kim Won Hee, Kim Sae Rom, Yang Jae Jin, Jeong Ga Eun, Jang Su Won
- Genre: Life, Drama, Variety, Reality
- OTT Platform: Apple TV
This is not your standard Korean dating show. ‘We Got Divorced’ is much more. It is a show that revolves around the lives of divorced couples. Separated couples are once again brought together. Here they explore not the possibility of a rekindling romance but that of a potential friendship. While a lot of separated couples find this hard to believe, befriending one’s ex-partner can actually be very fruitful. It can help one get the needful closure without having to cut ties with someone they were once so attached to. The show explores the possibility of being on friendly terms with one’s ex-spouse. The show utilizes the distance caused by divorce and projects it in a completely different light. The pre-existing distance is transformed into a much-needed space of ease. The divorced singles navigate their way through memories of the past and the probability of companionship in the future. After being subjected to a co-living situation, these divorced singles decide for themselves whether or not their romance deserves a second chance.
7 | I Am Solo
- Year of Release: 2021
- Cast: Defconn, Lee Yi Kyung, Song Hae Na, Jeon Hyo Sung
- Genre: Romance, Matchmaking, Dating
- OTT Platform: Viki
‘I am Solo’ is a 2021 release that follows a group of singles who sincerely seek love. Simple people who are not exactly celebrities try to charm their way into their love interest’s hearts. The show stood out for its ‘keeping it real’ approach. The show follows 12 people, 6 men, and 6 women on their journey to find true love. The show progresses and reveals some of the most sincere and adorable romantic encounters between the participants. After being invited to ‘Solo World’, the participants begin their search for someone who would adequately reciprocate their feelings. Residents of Solo World navigate through the intricacies of living with fellow singles and finding the right partner. The show spectacularly builds itself up where you simply cannot miss out on who makes the final cut and becomes the final couple.
8 | Bed On The Beach
- Year of Release: 2021
- Cast: Yerim, Juyeon, Yoon, Dohyun, Jongbeum, Byungchan
- Genre: Romance, Drama, Dating
- OTT Platform: Myasiantv
This 2021 Korean dating show is filled with romance, drama and everything that encases the two. This show is for anyone and everyone who wants to watch a snackable Korean dating show this year. The show surrounds eight contestants who reside close to each other for an obviously short duration of three days. ‘Bed On The Beach’ is short, crisp and engaging. It is able to encase just the right amount of flirting, romance and drama within its short duration. It is a lighthearted show that people can consume in no time whenever they want, wherever they want. The show starts off with 8 singles who spend a short duration of time together and finally decide who they want to see. In a span of three nights and four days, the contestants get a myriad of opportunities to get close to each and strengthen their bond. The contestants are to pick someone to spend the night with, every day. Since contestants pick a different partner every day, the viewers simply never know what’s coming. The sheer unpredictability of the show makes it even more exciting and entertaining than it already is. The finale of the show marks the end of the contestants’ stay at their beachside accommodation. They then move out with the person of their choice, the one they would want to see even when the show is over.
9 | Hole in Love
- Year of Release: 2022
- Cast: Han Bo Reum, Hwang Je Sung
- Genre: Romance, Sports, Dating, Reality, Friendship
- OTT Platform: Viki
A five-day long camp follows a group of young men and women as they navigate their way through affection and attention alongside a golf course. Throughout their time on the show, the contestants participate in various activities and games that take them closer to who they want to be with. Six men and women come together on a small camp where they play golf and participate in fun activities. The camp is five days long and is an opportunity for couples to execute their dream dates. The couples explore their romantic opportunities alongside a few games of golf. With every passing episode, a new facet of these equations is unveiled. The show focuses more on the fact that the contestants are having a good time as opposed to other dating-survival shows.
10 | Heart Signal
- Year of Release: 2018
- Cast: Yoon Jong Shin, Lee Sang Min, Kim Eana, Yang Jae Woong, Shim So Young, Shindong
- Genre: Comedy, Romance, Matchmaking
- OTT Platform: Viki
The show revolves around the residents of Signal House who enter the show with a rose tinted lens aimed at romance. Amongst their other co-residents, the participants on the show are supposed to find the right one. While the premise sounds quite easy to navigate through, the game has a few rules that might come in the way of expressing one’s self ‘directly’. The part of the week where participants had to finalise their romantic decisions was most anticipated by viewers and kept them hooked throughout the show’s run. People simply loved making predictions around the romantic equations of the cast. A fun spin off to Heart Signal was released in 2021. It was called ‘Friends’. It followed the cast in a more humane way as they were seen traversing through friendship and love. The show follows the residents of the Signal House as they embark on their journey to find the one they like. There is however one thing that will make it hard for them to approach the one they like - they cannot be direct about their affections. Everything that reaches their object of affection has to be done via a ‘signal’. As they try to accomplish the latter, they are constantly being monitored by a panel of judges. The judges make sure that no rules are broken and also have surveillance over the romantic potential of different infant equations in the Signal House. As the residents of Signal House struggle to express themselves and find the right one, the judges significantly contribute to the final decision of who ends up with whom. While the judges prevent any conspicuous communication, the couples manage to constantly find a way to express themselves. The equations that manage to bloom despite the rules and the surveillance are the ones that make it to the finale.
11 | Love and Joy
- Year of Release: 2021
- Cast: Son Min Soo, Im La Ra
- Genre: Dating, Reality, Friendship
- OTT Platform: Peacock
‘Love and Joy’ is a 2021 South Korean dating show. This reality TV dating show was hosted by Im La Ra alongside Kim Jin Young (DEX) and Son Min Soo. As opposed to other mainstream Korean dating shows on Netflix, ‘Love and Joy’ attempts to take a different route. It pays a significant amount to budding platonic equations amongst the contestants. ‘Love and Joy’ is a Korean dating show that follows a group of people with pre-existing platonic or semi-platonic equations. Participants of the show can often be seen seeking the advice of hosts Im La Ra and Son Min Soo. The latter mentioned pair is a real-life couple. Im La Ra and Son Min Soo even have a YouTube channel by the name of ‘enjoycouple’. While people on the show might enter the show as friends, their outlook towards each other might change on account of their new surroundings. The show has a light-hearted premise that makes it a comforting watch. Since the show does not heavily rely on the underlying competition between the show’s cast, its overall appeal seems calming. The participants navigate through fondness and affection as they seek some sincere advice from a real-life couple on the show.
As you finish the list of aforementioned Korean dating shows on Netflix and more, you realise how unique some of their premises are. While some rely on the competitive spirits of the contestants, some provoke suspicion and manipulation. Whatever it is that it takes to fuel drama, you will find it in shows.
Korean dating shows on Netflix are slowly picking up momentum in terms of their popularity. While the conclusion of ‘Single’s Inferno’ pushed viewers to consume more of similar content, their intrigue will only be fueled further as Korea releases more such engaging, dramatic and spectacular dating shows.
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