Romance reality shows are TV series that show the process of ordinary, non-celebrity people finding love. Unlike TV dramas and movies, what the cast say and do are not scripted or planned. Various dating reality shows from TV channels and over-the-top (OTT) media services have attracted attention in Korea. “I Am Solo,” “Rebound Relationship,” “Heart Signal,” “Change Days,” and “Love Catcher” are some examples of popular romance reality shows.
 

“I Am Solo,” the TV show produced by SBS Plus is a show in which non-celebrity single men and women looking for future spouses gather together to find a match. The show is filmed for about a week in “Solo Country.” There are approximately 10 cast members, and each one is given a nickname. 

They repeatedly select a person they want to be with. The selection includes first impression choices before self-introduction and a date-based selection thereafter. Unexpected relationships emerge through random dates. The cast meet various people and try to find someone they are attracted to. They may become the final couple if they choose each other in the final selection and leave Solo Country together. Most of the cast decided to participate in the show to find spouses. Therefore, there are some news of couples who got matched through “I Am Solo” getting married.
 

Tving’s “Rebound Relationship” is a program in which couples who broke up for various reasons gather in a house to look back on their memories, face new relationships, and find love. The period of each couple’s relationship and the time after the breakup varies. There are rules for the cast. Intentional disclosure of who their ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend is prohibited and the participants cannot officially date each other until they get matched on their final selection day. Social media and contact information cannot be shared, and personal information other than their names cannot be disclosed. 

Why are these romance reality programs popular? First, the process of emotional change of the cast is well revealed. Due to the program set, characteristics set to immerse themselves in love in a short time. The cast feel various emotions when they like someone, and reveal these emotions through interviews and consultations with other cast members. After editing, it is transmitted to television or OTT, and viewers can relate to the relationships and feelings of the cast. Therefore, viewers can see what the cast are thinking and how they feel by watching their actions and words.

Second, the availability of a diverse range of programs on love is a major cause for popularity. In I Am Solo, the tenth season had divorcees as participants. The show hosts read recruitment announcements at the end of each episode. Now, they are preparing for a version with identical and fraternal twins. Rebound Relationship and DolSingles proceed the program with couples who broke up previously and divorcees, each. Third, there is also a change in the perception of love. One̓s own career, happiness, and time gained importance. Therefore, dating and marriage are not considered essential anymore. 
 

A relationship that requires time and money has become an option rather than an obligation. If a person is happy by themselves, it is commonly thought that he or she does not have to marry someone and have children. Instead of meeting and changing each other and growing together like before, a lot of people want to meet someone who is perfect for them or helpful for their own lives and career design. People pursue living their lives in a unique way by watching love reality programs whenever they want rather than care about dating every day.

Not all people participate in the show for love. There has been steady criticism around these programs especially because some people appear on the show to promote themselves or their businesses. However, regardless of the purpose, most of them are fully immersed in love and feel diverse emotions during the program. In a modern society, there are more important things than romance for people and they are too busy to have a romantic relationship in person. However, observing feelings about love through the cast of the shows seems to attract their interest. Wouldn’t the romance reality shows continue to be popular? 

Bae Kyeong-min 
mymnbb0@uos.ac.kr