Real romance found in a reality TV show

Reality TV shows have become the mainstream since the early 2000s on the back of the success of American TV programs such as the Big Brother and the Survival. In Korea, the prime time TV programs on the weekends are full of reality shows such as the Infinite Challenge, 2 Days & 1 Night, and Running Man. However, Korea’s reality shows are different from American reality programs. While they label themselves as reality show, the Korean shows are closer to a scripted drama than a reality show. Naturally, the cast are mostly TV personalities rather than civilians, the real people from the real world.

Among such programs, there are so-called “romance reality shows.” The most well-known example will be “The Bachelor,” an American television dating game show. A similar program called “Jjak” once enjoyed great popularity in Korea. The program was scrapped, however, as a female participant, who failed to find her man, took her own life out of frustration. Since then, “real” reality dating shows are on the decline, while broadcast companies began to produce the new alternatives, such as “We Got Married,” a dating show in which young celebrities get virtual marriage; the “Flaming Youth,” a reality program starring middle-aged single celebrities.

What interests the viewers about the “real” reality dating shows is the different phases in which two total strangers get to know each other and grow on one another. When it comes to the celebrities’ dating shows, it will be the ambiguous stance they take on their relationship that the viewers will find most interesting. In the “Flaming Youth,” Kim Guk-jin, a famous comedian, and Kang Su-ji, an iconic female singer, maintained a very ambiguous stance about their romance for more than a year. And on Wednesday, they made it public that they are an item now.

Attention has been drawn to a real couple from the Flaming Youth, while "We Got Married" yielded no couples yet despite the viewers’ expectations. Just like the real couples in the real world, the two TV personalities fell in love in a TV show and decided to be together for the rest of their life. Perhaps, it was because the two “youth” were old enough to be faithful to the true meaning of reality show. Of course, the tacit ground rule stands: real dating is not allowed in realty shows, and it appears that the newly announced couple won’t be an exception.