Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
'Single's Inferno 5': Beauty queen, silver spoon, pro athlete — who's your pick?
Choi Mina Sue in Netflix's "Single's Inferno" Season 5 / Courtesy of Netflix
By Kwak Yeon-soo
“Single’s Inferno,” Netflix’s hit dating show, follows contestants competing for romantic date nights at a luxury hotel on the so-called “paradise island.” Each season produces breakout stars, and this year’s cast — ranging from a former Miss Korea to elite athletes — is generating the most buzz.
Choi Mina Sue
Mina Sue, 26, dominates conversation not just for her looks but for how polarizing she is. Mina Sue initially emerged as season 5’s “villain” after pursuing multiple men and asking if she could leave with two of them — a boldness that left both viewers and the cast baffled. This sparked intense debate online, with fans split between calling her calculating and applauding her honesty. As the season progressed, however, a softer side to her came through, prompting a shift in sentiment and apologies from the MCs who admitted they had judged her too harshly.
The Miss Earth 2022 winner has also drawn attention for her standout fashion sense. On her first appearance, she wore a yellow Zara dress priced at about 59,000 won ($40), paired with Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry valued at 20.9 million won — a contrast that left viewers wondering if she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She is a third culture kid who grew up in Australia, the U.S., Canada and China. She is also a climate activist and animal lover with a particular fondness for dogs and dolphins.
Kim Min-gee in Netflix's "Single's Inferno" Season 5 / Courtesy of Netflix
Kim Min-gee
Min-gee, 29, is a professional track-and-field athlete who specializes in the 400 meters, with and without hurdles. Nicknamed “Karina of the Track” for her resemblance to the aespa member, she was already popular in Korea prior to the show. But her following skyrocketed after her Netflix debut, surpassing 1 million on Instagram. Before starring in “Single’s Inferno 5,” she appeared in sports variety shows such as SBS’ “Kick a Goal” and Channel A’s “Baseball Queen.”
Min-gee’s athletic background gives her a calm, unshakable presence that viewers can’t stop praising. When she directly asked Mina Sue about her feelings for Seung-il in the midst of their love triangle, fans couldn’t help but admire her — sparking major girl crush energy.
Song Seung-il in Netflix's "Single's Inferno" Season 5 / Courtesy of Netflix
Song Seung-il
Seung-il, 24, is a heartthrob caught in a love triangle with Mina Sue and Min-gee. Often hailed as the hottest male contestant across all seasons, he works in fashion marketing and has seen his online following skyrocket since Netflix’s “Single’s Inferno 5,” now boasting over 646,000 followers. With a sharp sense of style and an athletic build, he’s hard to miss on and off the screen.
Lee Sung-hoon in Netflix's "Single's Inferno" Season 5 / Courtesy of Netflix
Lee Sung-hoon
Sung-hoon, 27, has emerged as one of the strategic minds of “Single’s Inferno 5.” He works as a quantitative trader in New York, a highly competitive field where acceptance rates for graduate and entry-level positions are typically less than one percent. Sung-hoon majored in computer science at UC Berkeley and previously worked as a software engineer at Google. After the show aired, he deleted all his social media accounts, including LinkedIn.
The final episode of “Single’s Inferno” Season 5 will be released on Feb. 10.