Netflix has confirmed that two of its most-discussed Korean dating formats will return as part of its 2026 Korea slate: a fifth season of “Single’s Inferno” and a second season of “I’m Solo But I Want to Date,” according to the streamer’s official Next on Netflix Korea announcement.
“Single’s Inferno,” which strands conventionally attractive singles on a deserted island where the only way to access a luxury resort is to pair off, has been one of Netflix’s most reliable unscripted exports out of Korea since its 2021 debut, regularly cracking the platform’s global non-English Top 10 with each new season. A fifth installment signals the format retains its pull even as the reality dating genre has grown crowded across competing platforms.
“I’m Solo But I Want to Date,” the newer of the two formats, takes a different tack from its predecessor, centering on singles who describe themselves as chronically unlucky in love rather than assembling a cast selected primarily for looks. Its first season built a devoted following for leaning into the awkwardness and vulnerability of real dating struggles rather than manufactured drama, a tonal choice that appears to have earned it a second season despite competing for attention against Netflix’s flashier format.
Both shows form part of a broader unscripted push in Netflix’s 2026 Korea lineup, unveiled alongside the streamer’s scripted drama slate at the “Next on Netflix 2026” event in Seoul. Netflix has increasingly treated Korean reality and dating formats as a distinct growth category rather than a sideline to its drama business, following the international success of format exports and local versions inspired by Korean dating shows in markets from Japan to Latin America.
For international audiences who first discovered Korean entertainment through K-dramas or K-pop, the sustained popularity of these unscripted formats has become its own gateway, offering a look at Korean dating culture, social norms, and humor that scripted content, however popular, does not always capture in the same way.
Source: About Netflix, “Next on Netflix Korea 2026” official announcement.
