Every Thursday night, Lee Hyun-jung, 45, faces a delightful dilemma: I’m SOLO After That, Love Continues or Love After Divorce? Both dating shows air at the same time, forcing her to choose between the spinoff of I’m SOLO, a matchmaking reality staple, and Love After Divorce, a program that follows divorced participants navigating the search for love again.
“Thankfully, Last Love—another dating show that aired on Thursdays—has wrapped up, so I have one less decision to make,” she joked. “I never miss a dating show. It’s my escape from reality—experiences I’d never have in my own life. Watching these shows feels like living vicariously through the contestants.”
Lee isn’t alone. Even Kim, an executive at a top conglomerate in his 50s, confesses to being hooked on dating programs. He recently followed Last Love, a show featuring older men and women seeking their final romantic connections. “I can’t help but empathize with their journeys—it’s people my age, after all,” he said. “It’s strangely therapeutic, though it makes me wonder if I’m having a midlife crisis. And honestly, more men I know are watching I’m SOLO than you’d expect.”
Love on screen: a shared escape
For many viewers, dating shows offer a mix of escapism and voyeurism, letting them experience what feels unattainable in their daily lives. Kim, a 41-year-old office worker, has turned I’m SOLO into a weekly ritual with her husband. “The drama, the raw emotions, the absurdity—it’s all so fascinating,” she said. “Sometimes, watching these chaotic love lives makes me appreciate our own stability even more.”
For couples, dating shows often spark conversations that bring them closer. Park, 45, who works at an LG affiliate, watches them with his wife. “We talk about what we’d do in certain situations or who we’d choose—it’s a fun way to understand each other better,” he said. “It keeps our relationship dynamic.”
For singles like 34-year-old teacher Park Min-jung, these shows are a way to observe social dynamics and even pick up lessons. “In my daily life, I meet a pretty narrow group of people,” she said. “Watching these shows helps me see different perspectives and reminds me what not to do when I’m dating.”
Generational divide, universal appeal
Different age groups gravitate toward different formats. Shows like EXchange and Heart Signal, with their cast of photogenic 20-somethings, tend to attract younger audiences but feel distant to older viewers. In contrast, programs such as Love After Divorce or Last Love cater to middle-aged viewers, showing that the pursuit of love knows no age limit.
“The desire for connection doesn’t change with age,” one middle-aged fan remarked. “It’s relatable to see people closer to my life stage navigating relationships.”
Pushing boundaries and exploring new frontiers
The genre’s evolution is just as fascinating as the love stories themselves. Recent innovations include Holy Match, Korea’s first Christian dating reality show by CBS, which pairs contestants based on shared religious values. Another unconventional twist came with Possessed Love, a summer show featuring fortune-tellers on their own romantic journeys.
Dating shows are also diving into diversity. His Man, a queer dating program with an all-male cast, has aired three seasons despite conservative backlash, and plans are reportedly underway for a lesbian-focused counterpart, tentatively titled Her Woman.
Meanwhile, producers continue exploring untapped niches. From teenage love stories in shows like Nineteen to Twenty and Blossom with Love to the potential for senior dating or relationships with significant age gaps, the possibilities seem endless.
