Korean stars call out divorced-themed reality show casting DMs

Noh Yoo-min, left, and Hwang Young-jin with his bride / Xportsnews, captured from Hwang's social media

A wave of Korean celebrities is publicly criticizing divorce-themed reality shows for sending what many describe as random and intrusive casting messages to happily married couples.

The controversy resurfaced after the wife of former NRG member Noh Yoo-min on Thursday shared screenshots showing messages of producers from JTBC’s divorce-counseling reality program who had contacted her about appearing on the show.

She said the invitation was not the first one the couple had received.

“Sometimes we get annoyed with each other, but not enough to divorce,” she wrote on social media. “We’re going to stay together until we die, so please stop messaging us. We’re soulmates.”

The message she shared included an apology from the production team, which said, “First of all, if receiving this message made you uncomfortable, we sincerely apologize.”

The issue has sparked wider discussion online about how aggressively Korean relationship reality shows are recruiting cast members as divorce-focused programs continue to gain popularity.

Earlier this month, Ok-soon from Season 15 of the hit dating show “I Am Solo” also revealed that she had received a direct message from producers of the same program.

According to the screenshots she shared, the production team said the show was “not necessarily based on divorce” and asked for understanding if the unexpected message caused discomfort.

Ok-soon sarcastically responded online, “Me, 100000 percent satisfied with married life, getting recruited for a divorce show,” making it clear that she had no intention of appearing.

This is not the first time such recruitment methods have drawn backlash.

Comedian Jang Yoon-seok previously said he had also been approached by the program’s producers last year. He responded jokingly by asking how much the appearance fee would be.

After one netizen claimed couples reportedly receive 5 million won ($3,650) each for appearing, Jang jokingly responded, “10 million won … see you on the show soon,” drawing laughs from followers.

Others reacted more strongly.

Comedian Hwang Young-jin publicly criticized a writer from another divorce-themed reality show in 2024 after receiving a similar casting message.

The writer reportedly explained that the show did not encourage divorce, but instead focused on couples dealing with lifestyle differences and relationship conflicts through counseling and expert consultations.

Hwang said he was upset by the repeated requests.

“I know it must be difficult for writers to cast people, but we are doing well and we even won a couple-of-the-year award,” he wrote. “We’re going to stay together until we die. Please cast us for happy family stories instead.”

As divorce and marriage conflict reality programs continue trending in Korea, criticism is also growing over whether recruiting through direct messages is crossing a line by treating ordinary marital disagreements as entertainment content.

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.