Looking for love, and drama? 'I am Solo' now casting foreign residents

Poster for "I am Solo," featuring MCs (from left) Yoo Dae-joon, Yi Yi-kyung and Song Hae-na (SBS)

"I am Solo," one of Korea’s most popular dating-themed reality shows, is accepting applications from foreign nationals interested in joining its matchmaking program.

According to the program, the show is seeking "single foreign nationals living in Korea who are fluent in Korean," as well as "Korean national men who are interested in marrying foreign national women."

Applicants should send a self-introduction email to lovematch911@naver.com. Selected candidates will then be contacted by the producers of "I am Solo" for interviews and further details.

The show, which features ordinary people looking for love, has become a national sensation, frequently ranking on Netflix’s top 10 TV shows in Korea and generating viral content across various media platforms.

The show features participants, typically 6-7 men and 6-7 women, who are given nicknames and spend 4-5 days together to see if they can find a romantic match. Most recently, "I am Solo" aired its 23rd cohort on Wednesday, featuring 12 participants.

The filming schedule and broadcast times of the upcoming episodes now seeking applications have not been decided, according to the producers.

Meanwhile, the intense attention and public scrutiny given to the cast of the dating reality show have resulted in several controversies -- most of them due to the proliferation of false rumors and malicious comments about the show's participants.

Recently, a participant named Ok-soon from the show's 22nd cohort posted on social media that she has been coping with numerous speculations and malicious rumors regarding her status as a single mother. Another participant, Soon-ja, from the same cohort, said that she felt she was being stalked after appearing on the show.

"Exaggerated and subjective comments from those posting malicious remarks make daily life challenging for my family," she stated in an Instagram post on Sunday.

"I also don’t know how (some people) obtained my personal information, but please stop the stalker-like behaviors. I have become fearful for my children's safety, and even strangers in public make me anxious. Despite appearing on television, I am still an ordinary person. I ask for your understanding."

By Lee Yoon-seo(yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com)