Here's Why Beauty Queens Keep Showing Up on "Single's Inferno"

Five seasons in, Single’s Inferno has developed a casting pattern viewers can spot instantly: beauty queen contestants keep showing up on the island.

From Yu Si Eun and Choi Seo Eun to Season 5’s Choi Mina Sue, beauty pageant alumni have become a recurring presence on the Netflix dating series. The trend has prompted some to ask the obvious question—is it coincidence, or a deliberate casting strategy? Based on recent comments from the show’s producers, it’s the latter.

Produced by Kim Jae Won, Kim Jung Hyun, and Park Su Ji, Single’s Inferno has grown into one of Netflix’s most visible Korean reality titles. Season 1 became the first Korean variety show to enter Netflix’s Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) list. Season 2 remained on the chart for four consecutive weeks, while later seasons continued to rank globally. Season 5 reached No. 2 worldwide in the Non-English TV category.

With that level of exposure, casting decisions carry weight. According to The Korea Times, the producers were asked why Miss Korea contestants appear so frequently on the series.

“A common trait among Miss Korea contestants is that they are not afraid of being known. They share a desire to show themselves. Above all, the biggest common trait is charm. Because those traits overlap, we keep casting them,” the producers said.

The connection between Miss Korea and Single’s Inferno predates Season 5. Season 2 featured Choi Seo Eun, Miss Korea 2021, who became one of that season’s most talked-about cast members. Yu Si Eun, also associated with the pageant circuit, added to the season’s high-profile lineup. Season 5 continued the trend with Miss Korea 2024 runner-up Park Hee Sun, Miss Korea 2022 second runner-up Kim Go Eun, and Miss Korea 2021 runner-up and Miss Earth 2022 Choi Mina Sue.

Over time, the recurring inclusion of pageant alumni has become a recognizable part of the show’s casting identity.

The most recent season offered a clear example of how that casting choice can shape a season, including Choi Mina Sue, who became one of Season 5’s central figures. According to Good Data Corporation’s FUNdex rankings cited by The Korea Times, she ranked No. 1 in the TV-OTT non-drama cast buzz category in the final week of January.

Her storyline drew strong reactions from viewers, both supportive and critical. Kim Jae Won said audiences described Season 5 as feeling “more genuine than any other,” attributing part of that response to Mina Sue. He also recalled thanking her at the wrap party for her role in the season’s outcome.

Addressing criticism that Mina Sue had been framed negatively, Park Su Ji said, according to The Korea Times, “I actually liked her while editing. It is hard to grasp every conversation on set. Watching in the editing room, it was exciting. From our perspective, not in a negative sense, but Mina Sue as a human figure was extremely interesting.” She added, “We edited her story in an engaging way. We did not intentionally create a villain.”

Kim Jae Won also spoke about the difficulty of appearing layered on reality television. “It is not easy for people on TV to appear multidimensional. They usually try to show only their good sides,” he said, as reported by the news outlet. He described Mina Sue as someone who revealed “contradictory” and emotionally vulnerable aspects of herself on camera, noting that “because it is a dating program, she could appear as a villain,” while emphasizing that she was “very social and friendly” off-camera.

The producers have repeatedly said they value contestants who are comfortable being visible, even under scrutiny. With a sixth season now in development, viewers may not be surprised to see another Miss Korea titleholder stepping onto the island.