A reality show where celebrities are good, not relationships.

Did the cast want to date or become celebrities? Many of the ordinary people who appeared on dating reality shows are turning to the entertainment industry after the broadcast. Until the beginning, the public was in a mood to support them, but as the relationship program=debut formula was established, negative views naturally followed. The authenticity of the program is also being questioned.

A dating reality program that once took Korea by storm. The reason why love-related broadcasts became popular is because they showed the ‘real’ emotions of men and women. The human heart cannot be cut off like a radish, so the images of those who loved and fought fiercely received a lot of sympathy.

However, some of the final couples immediately announced their breakup. There are many viewers who doubt, ‘Was it for broadcast?’ It is rare for a couple to meet on a TV show and remain in love to this day. The remaining members have shown that they treat each other with friendship rather than love. By promoting friendship and hosting live broadcasts together, they have entered the beginning of their path to becoming SNS celebrities.

The popularity of the cast members, who had tens of millions of followers, was no less than that of celebrities. Thanks to this, I was able to easily make group purchases or be invited to brand events and earn a generous amount of additional income.

Those who wanted to gain more popularity and recognition than ordinary people (celebrities + ordinary people) even made their debut in the entertainment industry. Channel A's 'Heart Signal' season 2, known as the gateway to becoming a celebrity, Oh Young-joo quit the foreign company she was working at and signed an exclusive contract with entertainment agency Mystic Story to become a broadcaster. Since then, she has been active in various fields such as broadcasting, acting, advertising, and as a creator, establishing herself as a wannabe for women in their 20s and 30s.

Lim Hyun-joo, who had a rivalry with Oh Young-joo during the appearance, also turned into an actor. Starting with the entertainment show 'Follow Me 10', he appeared in 'Dating Coach Reveals', 'Woo Woong Woo Woong Season 2', 'Engine On Starting Today', 'Mr. LEE', and 'Three Meals for the Unemployed'.

In addition, Bae Yoon-kyung, Seo Ji-hye, Song Da-eun, and Jeong Jae-ho are also continuing their activities after increasing their awareness through 'Heart Signal'.

Shin Seul-gi, a member of the Netflix series 'Solo Hell 2', also announced on the 17th that she had signed an exclusive contract with Big Smile Entertainment. Shin Seul-gi is a former member of 'Jin' in the 90th National Chunhyang Contest in 2020, and was very popular during 'Solo Hell 2'.

Shin Seul-gi successfully became a couple by choosing Choi Jong-woo out of Choi Jong-woo, Dex, and Shin Dong-woo, who were in a quadrangle relationship. After the broadcast, the two were briefly embroiled in Lovestagram suspicions, but with Shin Seul-gi debuting in the entertainment industry, news of their relationship is expected to remain quiet for the time being.

Although none of the cast members of TVING's 'Transit Love' openly say, "I'm debuting," they have continued to shoot various commercials and photo shoots as much as stars. In particular, Seong Hae-eun, Lee Na-yeon, Park Na-eon, and Gyu-min Jeong can often be seen on broadcasts.

Although the cast members' career path is their own freedom and choice, what is worrisome is that the authenticity of the program is increasingly being questioned. With the number of dating programs mushrooming, it is no longer easy to expect new productions. Ultimately, the essence of dating programs is ‘real’ emotions themselves.

If cast members with unclear purposes, such as entertainment industry debut, YouTube promotion, SNS advertisement, or tool, appear immediately after the broadcast, immersion is bound to be broken. The suspicion of ‘Didn’t you come here to become a celebrity?’ is bound to grow in the minds of viewers. Real dating programs are past their peak.

Ryu Ye-ji, Ten Asia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr