On the October 1st broadcast of SBS Plus and ENA's reality show 'I Am SOLO', the first meeting and initial impression choices of the solo men and women entering Solo Country 31 were revealed.
The solo men captivated attention with their distinct personalities. Young-soo, the first to appear, surprised everyone with a bruised face. In a pre-interview with the production team, he explained, "I had a match yesterday," revealing that he has been boxing for a year and also enjoys painting as a hobby. Following him, Young-ho, with a nerdy look featuring glasses and a height of 181cm, shared his global background of living in the US and Singapore during his childhood. Despite graduating from a prestigious university's chemical engineering department and getting a job offer from a major company, he chose not to live in Seoul due to its poor air quality, showcasing his firm life values.
Young-sik, praised as the '3-second Seo Kang-jun', is a former marine with records in boxing, fitness, and completing full marathons. He left his job to care for his sick father, demonstrating deep filial piety. Young-sik owns a house and an officetel, and is diligent in saving and investing, showing his preparedness.
Young-chul shared that he had few opportunities to meet women due to studying and working in male-dominated environments, and expressed a realistic view on dating, saying, "People with too outstanding looks or specs are burdensome." Kwang-soo, who graduated early from a science high school and pursued bachelor's and master's degrees at prestigious universities, described his life as smooth without major ups and downs. He emphasized his sincere approach to relationships, stating, "I go all the way when I love." Sang-chul, standing tall at 186cm, is a diligent man managing himself through his career as a lawyer and regular exercise. Lastly, Kyung-soo, with a gentle smile and a resemblance to actor Gong Yoo, received high praise.
The solo women also entered with their unique charms and personalities. Among the 14 solo participants, the solo men's initial impression choices took place. Young-sook, despite being the first to choose, received selections from Sang-chul, Kwang-soo, Young-chul, and Young-ho, becoming the popular girl. In an interview with the production team, Young-sook revealed, "I liked Young-chul and Young-soo, but I thought Young-chul had stronger feelings for Young-ja, so I chose Young-soo first," indicating Young-chul was her top choice.
Next, Jung-sook did not receive any votes and expressed her disappointment, revealing that Young-ho was her first choice. Soon-ja, who chose Kyung-soo, received votes from Young-soo and Young-sik instead, expressing gratitude and relief. Kyung-soo, who garnered much female interest from the start, chose Young-ja. Young-ja, who had chosen Young-chul, was surprised by Kyung-soo's unexpected choice, admitting, "I was surprised that it wasn't Young-chul but Kyung-soo who came. My interest in Kyung-soo increased. I like the person who chose me."
With the solo men's choices leaning towards the front, Jung-sook, Ok-soon, Hyun-sook, and Jung-hee ended up with zero votes and shared their feelings back at the dorm. All the solo women did not hide their interest in Kyung-soo. Young-ja, who was chosen by Kyung-soo, mentioned, "He looks better up close," indicating a change of heart, while Soon-ja joked, "Are we going to sleep with our backs turned now?" Jung-hee also expressed disappointment, saying, "I thought Kyung-soo would choose me during the initial impression, but I feel betrayed."
Later, the solo women continued their conversations in the common living room. Jung-hee expressed her feelings to Kyung-soo, saying, "I was disappointed you didn't choose me," and Young-sook, Jung-sook, Young-ja, and Soon-ja all confessed their attraction to Kyung-soo, hinting at a potential competition for his attention. The preview for the next episode showed a fierce competition surrounding one solo man on the first night, heightening curiosity.
Reporter Se-yoon Jung, TenAsia yoon@tenasia.co.kr