‘I Am Solo’ Season 29 Kicks Off with ‘Older Woman, Younger Man’ Special, MCs Shocked by Upcoming Wedding Announcement
ENA and SBS Plus's dating reality show, ‘I Am Solo,’ has launched its 29th season, themed the ‘Older Woman, Younger Man Special.’
The episode, which aired on the 19th, introduced the diverse cast of 29 single men and women, captivating viewers with their unique backgrounds and aspirations.
The new season promises another love story, following the previous season where a pregnancy was announced mid-broadcast. This season has already teased the birth of a marriageable couple.
Among the contestants, Young-soo, fluent in Korean, English, and Chinese, revealed he has had three previous relationships with older women and has been serious about marriage, having gone on over 100 blind dates. Young-ho, the youngest son of a large duck restaurant owner, stated he prefers older women and has received many confessions from women. Young-sik from K University emphasized he would marry someone he likes regardless of family objections, as long as they are an adult and unmarried. Young-chul, a former judoka, expressed his desire to have five children and have his wife be a stay-at-home mom. Kwang-soo, who dated an 8-years-older woman for four years, cited his experience raising a dog as a reason to marry younger. Sang-chul arrived in a flashy gold-wrapped car, emphasizing his earnest desire for marriage and mentioning his parents are also in an older woman-younger man relationship.
The female contestants also boasted impressive profiles. Young-sook, who resembles actress Kyung Soo-jin, is a research professor from a family of doctors and has dated younger men twice. Jung-sook, feeling the pressure of her age, expressed her strong desire to marry and have children soon, noting that younger men are often attracted to her. Soon-ja, whose longest relationship was with a man three years her junior, acknowledged family opposition but is resilient. Young-ja, born in 1988, has never dated a younger man but is open to it. Ok-soon, with a beauty reminiscent of actresses Park Soo-jin and Lee Joo-bin, seeks a smart and kind partner. Hyun-sook, a physics graduate from Y University, hopes to meet someone pure and with limited dating experience.
Adding to the excitement, the production team revealed that the 29th season is an ‘Older Woman, Younger Man Special’ and then surprised the hosts – Defconn, Lee Yi-kyung, and Song Hae-na – with a wedding photo of a couple from the 29th season, scheduled to marry in 2026. The MCs expressed their astonishment, exclaiming, ‘Wow, that’s amazing!’ and ‘‘I Am Solo’ is a hit!’
During the first impression choices, Young-sook chose Young-ho, while Jung-sook and Soon-ja both picked Young-soo, hinting at a budding romance. Young-ja also selected Young-ho. Young-ho found himself in a happy dilemma with two choices. Ok-soon and Hyun-sook chose Sang-chul, who openly expressed his interest in Ok-soon. Meanwhile, Kwang-soo and Young-sik ended up with zero votes.
A preview for the next episode showed Jung-sook developing feelings for Young-soo, and Sang-chul flirting with both Ok-soon and Hyun-sook, heightening anticipation for what's to come. ‘I Am Solo’ airs every Wednesday at 10:30 PM on ENA and SBS Plus.
Netizens reacted enthusiastically, with comments like, 'This season is truly amazing,' 'Looking forward to the 2026 wedding already,' and 'Young-ho and Young-sook look great together!' expressing high anticipation for the upcoming episodes.