I Am SOLO's Sunja and Yeong-cheol to marry in September

Sunja and Yeong-cheol, participants from Season 23 of the dating show 'I Am SOLO,' are set to marry after reaffirming their love following a breakup. The time they spent protecting one another amidst misunderstandings, conflicts, and malicious comments has only strengthened their bond.

The two, who appeared on the SBS Plus and ENA dating reality show 'I Am SOLO' Season 23, recently announced their marriage via the YouTube channel 'Chonjang Entertainment TV.'

In the released interview video, they revealed they will hold their wedding ceremony on September 5. The connection that failed to materialize during the broadcast has found its way back in reality to form a bond as husband and wife.

Their relationship was not always smooth. After failing to become a final couple on 'I Am SOLO' Season 23, which aired in December 2024, Sunja and Yeong-cheol briefly began dating around Christmas, but they split shortly thereafter.

Later, Sunja appeared on the spin-off 'I Am SOLO, Love Continues' in July 2025, during which Yeong-cheol also opened up about his complicated emotions.

"When I heard she was appearing on 'I Am SOLO, Love Continues,' I tried to stop her," Yeong-cheol recalled. "It had only been a month or two since we broke up, so I still had lingering feelings. I wanted to prevent it somehow, but Sunja said she wanted to confirm her own feelings."

The couple also candidly shared the reasons behind their initial breakup.

"I caused her a lot of heartache," Yeong-cheol admitted. "I enjoy socializing, and after the broadcast, my social circle expanded, so I think I was too caught up in enjoying that time. I didn't prioritize the relationship enough, and as conflicts deepened, we ended up breaking up."

However, the opportunity to reconnect arrived at an unexpected moment. As Sunja endured a difficult period facing malicious messages and criticism following her appearance on 'I Am SOLO, Love Continues,' Yeong-cheol returned to her side.

"Sunja suffered a lot emotionally after filming 'I Am SOLO, Love Continues.' She even received insults toward her family via DM and cried a lot," Yeong-cheol said. "I followed her to many of her performances at the time to comfort her."

Sunja expressed her gratitude while recalling Yeong-cheol's devotion.

"He even used his vacation time to attend all my performances," she recalled. "It was to the point where the performance manager thought he was my manager. He silently protected me from behind, taking vacations and half-days just in case something happened."

Their second chance began with Yeong-cheol's personal transformation. Sunja had told him, "If you can show me you can focus for three months, I will reconsider," and Yeong-cheol proved his sincerity through action.

Yeong-cheol changed his lifestyle and reduced his social gatherings. "I felt that he wasn't just saying it with words, but was someone truly trying to show it," Sunja said. "Seeing that, I felt I could marry him."

Yeong-cheol drew laughter by noting, "In my 40s, I now have a curfew," but the comment underscored his sincere commitment to changing for the person he loves.

While connections formed in the intense environment of reality TV can lead to conflict, these two reaffirmed each other's value after their separation. The time spent shielding one another from external scrutiny and malicious comments eventually led to this new beginning.

The story of Sunja and Yeong-cheol, who emerged stronger after a breakup, is drawing significant attention as another real-life romance born from 'I Am SOLO.'