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Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Meet the Charming Cast of 'Better Late Than Single,' the Makeover Show for People Searching for Their First Love
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Netflix's reality dating shows are known for offering tons of sun, skin, and drama, but its new series Better Late Than Single offers a refreshing reset this summer. The Korean reality show, which premiered on the streamer on July 8, centers on "the first love stories of people who have been single since birth," known in Korea as 모태솔로 (which the show translates as an "eternal single"). Before filming, nine "eternal singles" were given six-week makeovers, during which the show's hosts/Cupids, Seo In-guk, Kang Han-na, Lee Eun-ji, and Car, the Garden, advised them on how to gain more confidence while dating. After receiving coaching in the area of their choice—from beauty to fitness to speech to therapy—the cast spent nine days together at a resort on Jeju Island, for a dating bootcamp where they can look for love among each other. (Like in Single's Inferno, their ages and professions are kept secret.) In an age when reality show casts are mostly compiled of rising influencers, Better Late Than Single chose nine everyday people out of 4,000 applicants, who are all determined to start their romantic lives with style. Below, get to know the sweet cast, including their dating goals and where to follow them on Instagram (for those whose accounts are public). Singles Noh Jae-yun Noh Jae-yun, 27, is a VFX artist and 3D designer for TV, film, and video games. Though others describe him as handsome and caring, Jae-yun is extremely timid. In the show, a colleague says the anime fan is "hard to approach because he seems to be in his own world." Jae-yun tells his Cupid, Seo In-guk, that his goal is to become more comfortable talking to women and to be seen as sincere. The artist works with a speech coach during his makeover to practice speaking with a more confident voice. "I'd like to feel more proud of myself and get used to talking people so I can start a relationship," he adds. Kang Ji-su Kang Ji-su, 26, is a ballet teacher and self-described homebody who insists she's never had a crush. She says she's uncomfortable around men, partly because she has attended all- or mostly-female schools as a teenager. She adds that once she didn't leave her apartment for a month, after which she thought, "At this rate, I really won't be able to get married." "I want to have natural, comfortable relationships," Ji-su says. "I'm ready to go out and flirt." Kim Seung-li Kim Seung-li, 27, was born in South Korea and moved to Brazil at age 8, living there for 12 years before moving back after graduation. He works in international marketing and speaks four languages. In his intro, Seung-li says that he was bullied when he was younger, and gained more confidence after getting fit. He also felt more conservative than Brazilians when it comes to skinship and dating. Kim Yeo-myung Kim Yeo-myung, a 26-year-old college student studying business administration, is a bubbly, outgoing woman described as "the sunny bulldozer." She was never originally interested in dating, but when her friends turned 26, everyone got boyfriends except her, and she felt like she "had no one to hang out with." For her makeover period, Yeo-myung focused on fitness with Physical: 100 alum Shim Euddeum while "working really hard on my glow-up." She says that if she gets a crush on a guy, she'll confidently tell him that she likes him. Kim Sang-ho Kim Sang-ho, 27, is an engineer who went from an all-boys high school straight to mandatory military service. His hobbies include going out to drink with friends and singing karaoke daily, but all of his friends are guys. Sang-ho's looking for a fashion makeover, to shift to a neater style than his graphic T-shirts featuring cartoon characters. He also focuses on his fitness and taking better care of himself. After losing almost 20 kilos, he says that he's "in his prime," adding, "I think I'll be able to get a girlfriend." Lee Min-hong Lee Min-hong, a 28-year-old who works in fashion marketing, arrives at Better Late than Single after going on 20 to 30 blind dates over the past seven months, after her mom set her up with two matchmaking services. Though she's confident in her looks, she admits that she can be blunt, and she has high standards regarding everything from how a person walks to whether they hold chopsticks weirdly. Kang Han-na encourages Min-hong to be more open to the possibility that someone who may seem stubborn can change in a relationship. "I think it'll be good for me to try opening up more, at least until I see the other person's strengths," Min-hong says. Yi Do Yi Do, 27, is a current student focusing on geography education at Seoul National University (Korea's version of Harvard). She's also the youngest tutor at her company, teaching geography and integrated social studies to high schoolers studying for the CSAT. Though she's very busy, she has been approached for reality TV before. She was recruited for the popular series EXchange, but she needed an ex-boyfriend to apply. As her Cupid Lee Eun-ji points out, Yi Do tends to talk at double speed due to her work. During her makeover, she works with a speech coach to practice listening to people more carefully and having better conversations. "The lesson gave me courage," Do says. Ha Jeong-mok Ha Jeong-mok (above, right), a 26-year-old college student studying biochemical engineering, was encouraged by his twin brother to come on the show; they used to do everything together until his brother got a boyfriend. The producers find him funny and charming, but he comes across as awkward on his first impression. For his glow-up, Jeong-mok wants to find his own style, instead of always buying the same clothes as his brother. After working with Seo In-guk's styling team, his confidence appears to rise. "My number-one goal is to start my first relationship. I'll escape the single life," he says. Park Ji-yeon Park Ji-yeon, 26, is a music producer who grew up attending all-girls schools for middle school, high school, and university. She says she has avoided dating because she didn't have an ideal father figure. "I'm always thinking, 'Oh, he must always be like that. Or, eventually, he'll become like that," she admits. Ji-yeon worked with a therapist during her makeover period. "I want to show people how I can overcome the biases and stereotypes I feel toward men and move forward with my life," she says. "I'm arriving single, but when I leave here, I won't be." Kang Hyun-kyu Kang Hyun-kyu, 26, is a medical student at Chung-Ang University and a part-time mixologist. He says he's been so busy studying throughout his childhood and young adult years that he didn't socialize much. "When I'm interested in a girl, my brain completely stops working," he admits. Still, he's determined to try his best to find a girlfriend. Lee Seung-chan Lee Seung-chan, 31, is a surgeon who graduated from Korea University and trained at Samsung Medical Center's surgery department. Unlike the rest of the singles, Seung-chan is not technically an eternal single, since the "game changer" previously had a 100-day relationship. However, as he points out, 100 days only counted for "less than 1 percent" of his life, and his friends treat him as if he's been single from birth anyway. Kim Mi-ji Kim Mi-ji, a 27-year-old Japanese teacher who prepared for her Better Late Than Single interview by binge-watching dating shows in search of flirting tips. Upon arriving in episode 4, she says she joined the show because she wants to date before she turns 30, and that she plans to express her feelings honestly and smile a lot. Hosts Seo In-guk Seo In-guk, 37, rose to fame when he won the singing competition show Superstar K in 2009, before making his acting debut in 2012's Reply 1997. The actor and singer-songwriter is best known for his roles in the K-dramas The Master's Sun, Hello Monster, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, Doom at Your Service, Café Minamdang, and Death's Game. Next year, he's set to star alongside BLACKPINK's Jisoo in Netflix's rom-com K-drama Boyfriend on Demand. Kang Han-na Kang Han-na, 36, is an actress who made her debut in 2009 and earned a Baeksang Arts Award nomination in 2017 for playing the villainous princess in the historical K-drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. Her best-known roles include the K-dramas Just Between Lovers, Familiar Wife, Start-Up, My Roommate is a Gumiho, and Bloody Heart. She has also guest-starred in over 20 episodes of Running Man, making her the guest with the most appearances in the variety show's history. Lee Eun-ji Lee Eun-ji, 33, is a former dance sports athlete who debuted as a comedian in the 2014 season of the sketch show Comedy Big League. She's best known as a main cast member in producer Na Young-seok's popular variety show Earth Arcade, alongside rapper Lee Young-ji, OH MY GIRL member Mimi, and IVE member An Yu-jin. In 2023, Eun-ji won the award for Best Female Variety Entertainer at the Baeksang Arts Awards. Car, the Garden Cha Jung-won, 34, is an indie-rock singer-songwriter better known by his stage name, Car, the Garden. (His surname "cha" translates to "car" in English, while "jung-won" means "garden.") Since his debut in 2013, Cha has appeared on soundtracks for dramas including True Beauty, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Alchemy of Souls, and Taxi Driver season 2. He also won the singing competition show The Fan in 2018. 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Arab News
06-07-2025
- Arab News
Korean man opens musalla at home to serve Muslim migrant workers
Seogwipo, Jeju: On the southern coast of Jeju Island, far from the honeymoon resorts and tourist beaches, a modest home near a fishing village has quietly become a spiritual refuge for a largely invisible community: Muslim migrant workers. Step past the shoe rack and the quiet hum of a record player, and you will find a small musalla. Clean, carpeted and softly lit, the space offers something rare for Muslims living on South Korea's remote holiday island: a place to pray, rest, and feel recognized. The prayer space was created by Nasir Hong-suk Seong, 35, a Korean fish farm operator who converted part of his home into a musalla after moving to Jeju earlier this year. The island's only masjid is in Jeju City, more than an hour by car from the southern coast where most migrants work in fisheries. 'Fish farm workers are on call 24 hours, so they can never make the time to go to the masjid for Jummah prayers,' Seong told Arab News. 'When I first arrived, I asked where they prayed. I was very sad when I heard it was almost impossible for them to attend Friday prayers and that they mostly prayed in the corner of their small dorm rooms.' Often called the 'Hawaii of South Korea,' Jeju is better known for its volcanic peak and tourist beaches than for labor migration. Yet, the island's economy has been increasingly reliant on migrant workers, many of whom are Muslim men coming mainly from Indonesia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Jeju Province officially recorded 3,567 migrant workers in 2024. Seong estimates that in his region alone, 300 fish farms employ about 1,500 of them, with half identifying as Muslim. Seong moved to Jeju from the port city of Incheon, where he used to run a guesthouse and often hosted Muslim guests. Getting to know them helped him see through the negative stereotypes of Islam in the West, and in 2023 he converted to the Muslim faith. 'About 30 percent of my guests were from Muslim-majority countries. As I got to know them through hosting, they turned out to be incredibly kind and respectful,' he said. 'There are so many people who misunderstand the religion. I think when people talk about Islam in Korea, they think of something foreign, something unknown. But it can be as simple as taking care of your neighbors.' Such, too, was the purpose of Seong's musalla. He spent a month preparing it at the home belonging to his grandfather. Starting in March, he spent all his after-work hours furnishing the space. 'When I moved in, I had nothing. Not even furniture or a pillow. This musalla was the first thing I made,' he said. 'I always keep it open. People can come for group prayer anytime ... and seeing them pray here makes me happy.' Modest but maintained with care, the musalla is fitted with prayer rugs lined on the floor. A low shelf holds editions of the Qur'an in English, Arabic and Korean. Arabic calligraphy decorates the walls. A handmade qibla sign marks the direction of prayer. Khalid Hussein, a 38-year-old from Pakistan, has been working in Jeju for the past 15 years. Employed at Seong's fish farm, he has been visiting the musalla regularly, also to be in touch more with his identity. 'It became easier for us,' Hussein said. 'Jeju is 100 percent different. The culture, religion — everything is different. So, we need to compromise.' He was at the musalla with his colleague, Zahaid Hussain, who also came from Pakistan on a contract that brought him to Jeju. 'I felt good when I was finally able to offer Friday prayers,' Zahaid said. 'I was happy.'
Telegraph
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
A sprawling family epic full of brains and mystery
Flashlight, the engrossing sixth novel by the American writer Susan Choi, opens with Louisa and her father making their way down a breakwater at the tail end of a Japanese sunset. Louisa's mother is absent: she 'isn't well'. Her father, who holds a flashlight in one hand and Louisa's hand in the other, confesses that he has never learned to swim: 'I grew up a poor boy. I had no YMCA.' He tells Louisa to 'act thankful now' to her mother for making her learn. And, Choi, writes, 'those are the last words he ever says to her. (Or are they the last words that she can remember? Did he say something more? There is no one to ask.)' He vanishes into the water. No body is ever found. Fans of Choi's work – which delights in playing with the reader's expectations – may remember the set up. This prelude was first published four years ago as a short story, also called Flashlight. At the time, Choi talked about 'wrestling with this material… trying to figure out what it wants to be – a short novel, or a long novel, or stories, or one story'. Her 447-page, six-part, sprawling family epic, which takes in five countries, spans several decades, and is mostly written in a free-indirect style that allows Choi to switch between four main characters, is her answer. The narrative proper begins with Louisa's father. It's spring 1945; he's six years old. His parents are Korean exiles, who left their homeland, Jeju island, for Japan, and while his Japanese name is Hiroshi, at home he is Seok. Later, when he emigrates to the US on a graduate visa, he goes by Serk. (Shifting identities are a running theme in Choi's work, not least in her last novel, Trust Exercise, a bestseller that won the 2019 National Book Award.) Next, we meet Anne, Louisa's mother, who has abandoned her family and her chances of a high school diploma for a man who abandons her once she becomes pregnant. She is forced to give up the baby, Tobias – after a vivid labour 'where the vengeance of God tore her entrails out by the roots' – but he will re-emerge later as a pivotal character. Novels developed from a short story are legion: Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway, Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections, Haruki Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, Charles Baxter's Saul and Patsy. But in freeing their writer from length restrictions, novels pose a counter-challenge: can a writer justify the many tangents of their narrative? Choi stripped most of the backstory out of her original story leaving her with plenty of gaps to fill in. Is Louisa's mother ill? Why did her father make them leave the US, and Louisa's fourth grade, for a sabbatical in Japan? And what is the significance of her father's flashlight? Choi takes too long to get to the meat of her story: what happened, or will happen, to Serk? Less patient readers may stop. But it pays to persevere. Choi is an astute, convincing writer, whose prose bristles with vivid imagery. In that opening section, 10-year-old Louisa lies in bed while 'the dark slid itself onto her chest like a snake, organising its weight into nearly stacked coils that might go on forever and bury her, crush her, if she didn't leap out of bed just in time.' Choi's choppy rhythm conveys a child's breathless angst. If Trust Exercise was about who controls a story, then Flashlight is about what happens when your own story is out of control. Louisa spends her life dealing with the aftermath of her father's supposed drowning. A child psychologist reminds her that she told the person who found her that her father had been kidnapped. 'No I didn't,' she retorts – the reality of what happened to them remaining a riddle for most of the novel. The book's title, Flashlight, is a metaphor that works hard throughout, illuminating certain events while keeping others in the dark. Serk doesn't know about Anne's son; Anne doesn't know about Serk's Korean heritage. The flashes of understanding that occur to characters as the decades roll by are like shapes that emerge from the gloom when someone sweeps a torch beam to and fro. And ultimately, the light Choi shines on an astonishing international scandal – revealed in the 'Acknowledgements' section for those who want to skip ahead – makes Flashlight a rewarding read. The expansion was well worth it.
South China Morning Post
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
5 of the most popular streaming series in 2025, from Severance to Reacher and White Lotus
We are halfway through 2025 and despite a few letdowns, like Season 2 of The Last of Us – and who knows what the final season of Squid Game has in store for us on June 27 – there have been a number of great shows that have generated a lot of buzz. From heartfelt family dramas and tales of growing up to a dystopian workplace sci-fi thriller, here are five top shows that have gained global popularity and received critical acclaim across different platforms this year. 1. When Life Gives You Tangerines (Netflix) Play Following the stories of various generations of characters from South Korea's Jeju Island, this moving drama weaves together coming-of-age experiences and life's challenges, all grounded in the island and South Korea's unique culture and setting. But at its heart, it's a universal story about how, despite our individual struggles, the timeless values of familial love and joy transcend hardship. Starring some of the biggest stars in South Korea, including IU and Park Bo-gum, the series has a 100 per cent critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 98 per cent audience rating. 2. The White Lotus: Season 3 (HBO Max) Play Mike White's The White Lotus series is loved for its satirical take on privilege, desire and human behaviour, all set against the backdrop of luxury resorts around the world.
Geek Girl Authority
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
New Release Radar: New Books Coming Out on June 24
There are a lot of new books coming out every week. With New Release Radar, I'll help you narrow down the week's new book releases into the titles you should get excited about. This week I have 11 great new books to share with you, including some fun romcoms and plenty of other beach reads. Read on! Finders Keepers by Sarah Adler After a breakup and job loss, former professor Nina Hunnicutt returns home. Once there, however, she finds her childhood crush Quentin Bell back in town too. When he suggests they resume the treasure hunt that ended their friendship 17 years ago, Nina agrees, hoping the rumored riches will help her start over. But as they dig into the past, old feelings resurface, as do the secrets that tore them apart. To find the treasure and maybe a future together, they'll have to face what really happened all those years ago. Finders Keepers is a second-chance romance featuring childhood sweethearts. Sarah Adler adds a sprinkling of magic to a delightful small-town setting. RELATED: New Release Radar: New Books Coming Out On June 24 As You Wish by Leesa Cross-Smith Three au pairs, Lydia, Jenny, and Selene, head to Seoul chasing their dreams. A wish made at an enchanted Jeju Island waterfall transforms their lives overnight. Lydia becomes the center of attention, Jenny dives into a secret fling and Selene finds clues to her birth mother. But when love complicates Jenny's wish, the girls must face the magical consequences and discover that their strongest bond may be their friendship itself. Leesa Cross-Smith's new book release is the epitome of 'be careful what you wish for.' A s You Wish is a heartfelt coming-of-age story full of self-reflection and a longing for acceptance. An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating by Cecilia Edward Thorn Scarhart is a 39-year-old 17th-century witch struggling to find love. Her world completely changes when a misfired love potion flings her into the present day. Stranded in a modern city where her old cottage is now a museum, Thorn discovers indoor plumbing, electric kettles—and online dating. With help from the museum's curator and his charming vet brother, she braves 21st-century romance and rediscovers herself along the way. Pick up An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating if you're looking for a cozy, magical rom-com. Cecilia Edward's debut is perfect for fans of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and The Ex Hex . RELATED: Book Review: Wearing the Lion A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox In 1650s Friesland, Clara van Wieren sees a beached whale—an ill omen she dismisses just as a marriage proposal offers her a path to freedom. But everything changes when she meets the mysterious, sea-eyed Maurits, and passion threatens to upend her carefully ordered life. As secrets surface and an ancient bargain between sea folk and land rulers unravels, Clara must choose between duty, desire and survival in a world where magic still claims its due. A Magic Deep and Drowning is a retelling of The Little Mermaid with a unique twist. This romantic, historical fantasy shows off Hester Fox's talent for writing realistic and powerful women's stories. Among Ghosts by Rachel Hartman In the muddy haven of St. Muckle's, anyone can become free if they live there for a year and a day. There, Charl and his mother found safety from their past. But when Charl sees a ghost, the peace they've built begins unraveling, ushering in a chain of tragedy: murder, plague, and even a mercenary dragon. Fleeing to a ruined abbey, Charl falls into a dangerous tangle of magic, memory and haunting history, where survival means facing the past he's tried to forget. Rachel Hartman returns to the world of her bestselling novel Seraphina in a truly original ghost story. Among Ghosts is an introspective and cathartic novel of grief, loss, change and growth. Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell Following her husband's death, Nina Swann reconnects with his charming old friend, Nick Radcliffe. Her daughter Ash, however, senses something sinister beneath his polished surface. Meanwhile, in a nearby town, florist Martha grows increasingly suspicious of her husband's unexplained absences. As Nina, Ash and Martha's lives intertwine, long-buried secrets surface, leading to a chilling revelation: some doors, once opened, should never be unlocked. One man connects three unique women in Lisa Jewell's kaleidoscopic new thriller. Don't Let Him In is a tense, breathless novel that will captivate you until the final page. RELATED: Book Review: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death by Helen Marshall As Sara Sidorova lies dying, the tiger god Amba grants her a vision of the future. Years later, her granddaughter Irenda grows up in a war-torn land, and, after a tragic loss, seeks refuge with Sara in Hrana City. There, she begins learning the power to tame death itself. In a traveling circus filled with danger and magic, Irenda must master her gifts, confront a tiger of her own and begin a journey of vengeance and justice that could reshape her world. Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus meets Helen Oyeyemi's Mr Fox in The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death . Helen Marshall's new book release is a dark, rich and haunting fable. The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley 16 and pregnant, Adela Woods is sent from her privileged Indiana life to her grandmother's home in Padua Beach, Florida. There she meets a tight-knit group of teen moms raising kids while navigating high school, friendship and survival from the back of a red truck. Though the town sees them as lost, the Girls are carving out their own messy, beautiful path through motherhood and girlhood side by side. The Girls Who Grew Big is more than a heartbreaking story: it's a raw, powerful exploration of the complex intersections of identity, betrayal and resilience. With unflinching honesty, Leila Mottley offers a deeply human perspective on what it means to be a young woman and a very young mother, capturing both the pain and the beauty of growing up while raising someone else. RELATED: Book Review: A Sharp Endless Need Salty by Kate Myers Captain Denise, seasoned and tough, prefers handling stingrays over socializing, while her troublemaking sister Helen lands back on her boat after getting fired yet again. Forced to work together, the sisters navigate their fraught past and their first charter: the shady Falcon family, ruthless real estate developers who destroyed their childhood home. When a building collapses and a body is found, Denise and Helen race against a coming storm to unravel the Falcons' deadly secrets before evidence, and their chance for justice, sinks for good. Kate Myers' new book release is the perfect beach read for fans of Below Deck and stories of rich people behaving badly. Salty is a hilarious page-turner of a mystery you'll finish in no time at all. A Treachery of Swans by A.B. Poranek Raised by a sorcerer, Odile is ready to pull off the heist of a lifetime: impersonate a princess, steal the king's enchanted crown and restore magic to the realm. But when someone murders the king, Odile must team up with the real Princess Marie d'Odette. Falling for her, however, was never part of the plan. A Treachery of Swans is a sapphic Swan Lake retelling full of deception, magic and impossible choices. A.B. Poranek's second novel is perfect for fans of Allison Saft and V.E Schwab. RELATED: 11 New Young Adult LGBTQ+ Books You Should Read for Pride Month A Legionnaire's Guide to Love and Peace by Emily Skrutskie On the eve of a battle she expects will kill her, legionnaire Katrien shares a fleeting connection with her battle partner Emory. When they wake the next day, however, they find a world saved by an unexpected hero. With the Demon Lord defeated, Kat faces an uncertain future in a peacetime army, complicated by Emory's dedication and the attention of a hidden prince. As they join a final campaign to root out the Demon Lord's lingering servants and build a new future, Kat and Emory must decide if there's room for love at the end of the road. A Legionnaire's Guide to Love and Peace is a charming fantasy with a friends-to-lovers romance. Emily Skrutskie's newest is more vibes than plot, but it's a warm hug of a story about what happens when peace finally comes. You can check out these new book releases at or your local bookstore. What June 24 new release are you most excited to read? Let us know below, and tune in next week to grow your TBR. Book Review: CRUELER MERCIES
