Kyung-soo, a participant in ENA and SBS Plus’s ‘I Am Solo’ Season 31, has made the difficult decision to step away from his professional life following excessive criticism and attacks on his business from some viewers. Due to indiscriminate “rating terror” (review bombing) from those unhappy with the show’s content, Kyung-soo has opted for a long-term vacation to handle the situation.
According to a video uploaded to the channel ‘LoShow’ on the 14th, a staff member at the optical shop operated by Kyung-soo informed visitors that the owner would not be appearing for the time being. When asked why, the staff member replied, “He has gone on vacation and will likely be away for about 2 to 3 months,” suggesting a long-term suspension of work. This is interpreted as an inevitable choice following the overwhelming attention and rude behavior of some viewers who visited the store in person.
The spark for this situation was Kyung-soo’s attitude in the episode aired on the 13th. During the episode, participant Sun-ja suffered a severe stomach cramp due to extreme stress and was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. However, Kyung-soo told the suffering Sun-ja, “I’m being selfish, but I wish Sun-ja would use the Super Date ticket on me, while I will use mine on Young-sook.” His apparent prioritization of dating strategy over another’s health sparked intense public outrage.
Immediately after the broadcast, the arrows of criticism flew toward Kyung-soo’s optical shop. Even people who had never used the shop’s services joined in, leaving 1-star reviews and sarcastic comments such as “Be happy with Young-sook” and “I’m disappointed after watching the show.” This “cyberbullying” caused the shop’s average rating to plummet to 1.2, making it nearly impossible to operate normally.
Previously, MC Defconn had repeatedly urged viewers to refrain from excessive criticism toward the participants. He requested, “The participants are ordinary neighbors around us,” and “Please refrain from visiting their businesses to behave rudely or disrupting their daily lives.” Despite this, one participant’s place of business was severely damaged.
Upon hearing the news of Kyung-soo’s vacation, many netizens pointed out that regardless of the show’s editing or plot, interfering with an individual’s livelihood is clearly crossing the line. Kyung-soo is currently taking a break to reflect and recover, avoiding the onslaught of criticism and physical threats.
