Spoilers for the Single's Inferno season 5 finale ahead. While it may be Single's Inferno’s more dramatic moments that go viral on social media, Netflix’s dating hit has long been known for its relative sweetness. Compared to the steaminess and conflict of most American romance reality series, the Korean reality show can make a fleeting hand touch or a brief moment of eye contact feel monumental.
In season 5, those small moments of impactful tenderness were arguably the most meaningful in the connection between Kim Jae-jin and Lee Joo-young. The two left Inferno together in the final episode, and they felt like the couple with the best chance at dating in the real world. Ahead of the Single’s Inferno Reunion on February 14, let’s look at how Jae-jin and Joo-young fell for one another and if they are still together months after filming.
What are Kim Jae-jin and Lee Joo-young's ages and jobs?
Both Kim Jae-jin and Lee Joo-young have creative vocations. Jae-jin, 28, is a contemporary dancer and teacher. From the get-go, he made the other Single’s Inferno contestants laugh with his quirky behavior—but intimate conversations revealed that he's a sincere person who can be serious or silly, depending on the situation.
Joo-young, 26, is a craft designer who started making home decor while studying furniture design in college. In her Single’s Inferno intro, Joo-young says that she was dubbed her school's "goddess" as a teenager. She has gained attention in Seoul’s ceramic art scene for her exhibitions that highlight her resin-made vases and pressed-flower resin pieces.
Lee Joo-young sits for an interview.
What happens between Jae-jin and Joo-young on 'Single's Inferno' season 5?
Easily the most low-drama couple of Single’s Inferno season 5, Jae-jin and Joo-young shared an organic chemistry that seemed grounded in their interests off the island. From the season’s start, Jae-jin was a favorite with the female contestants, who were curious about the dancer’s self-assured eccentricity. It was Joo-young, however, who would form a deeper connection with Jae-jin. The two matched in the second episode, going on a date to Paradise together and bonding over their artistic yet pragmatic sensibilities.
While the two were steadily building a romantic understanding, their connection seemed to solidify in episode 7, when Jae-jin returned from his Paradise date with “game changer” Lee Ha-eun. Though Jae-jin seemed to have a good time with bubbly Hae-eun, he still thought of Joo-young when he was away from her. While at Paradise, he took a photo of a vaseless bouquet to share. The flowers reminded Jae-jin of Joo-young’s artistic interests, but they also spoke of an absence. Like the vase, Joo-young was missing from the moment, and Jae-jin’s experience was the poorer for it. When he shared the photo with Joo-young, she seemed to understand exactly what Jae-jin was trying to communicate.
The two went on a second date to Paradise in episode 9, sharing a romantic dinner on a Seoul river cruise and then getting cute and cozy at the hotel. While Joo-young also had a connection with IT office worker Youn Hyun-jae, she seemingly only had eyes for Jae-jin, and vice versa. The two chose each other in the final episode, walking off the island together following a cheesy inside joke from Jae-jin that made Joo-young laugh.
Lee Joo-young and Kim Jae-jin share a love shot.
Are Kim Jae-jin and Lee Joo-young still together after 'Single's Inferno' season 5?
While Single’s Inferno contestants are asked to keep clues about their possible love connections off of social media before the show’s release on Netflix, there have been murmurs suggesting an ongoing relationship between the two. There were internet rumors that Joo-young attended one of Jae-jin’s dance performances during the season’s airing.
In the promo for Single’s Inferno Reunion, the two exhibit some seriously lovey-dovey behavior. Joo-young tells Jae-jin that his eyes have changed as she gazes into them with a dimpled smile. In a later shot, Joo-young feeds Jae-jin food while they sit at a table with the rest of the season 5 cast. Could Jae-jin and Joo-young be one of the rare Single’s Inferno couples that stay together long-term? Given their sweet, meaningful connection, they have a better chance than most.