[SBS 'My Ugly Duckling']
[SBS 'My Ugly Duckling']

Comedian Heo Gyeong-hwan could not hide his surprise at the steep membership fees charged by the matchmaking agency founded by Gwangsu, a cast member from Season 28 of "Naneun Solo" ("I Am Solo," commonly known as "Naso").

In the episode of SBS variety program "My Ugly Duckling" that aired Saturday, Heo visited Gwangsu and his partner Jeonghui — both from Season 28 of "Naneun Solo" — to seek advice on marriage.

Gwangsu and Jeonghui met on the Season 28 divorcee special of "Naneun Solo," which airs on ENA and SBS Plus, and went on to become a couple. Gwangsu later drew controversy when he launched a matchmaking agency after the show, with some questioning whether his television appearances were intended to promote the business.

When the two met, Gwangsu told Heo it was better to join a matchmaking agency while still young, noting that his current members range from their early 20s to their 70s.

Gwangsu then asked Heo which he considered most important among age, religion, workplace and salary. Heo said appearance and personality were neck and neck for him, adding that incompatible personalities made things difficult. "If the personality doesn't match, it's hard — it just doesn't get started," he said.

In response, Gwangsu said the odds of finding a match were "extremely high" when personality was the top priority. "If something other than personality comes first, the hurdles get higher and so do the membership fees," he said. "A lot of people also specify what profession they want."

[SBS 'My Ugly Duckling']
[SBS 'My Ugly Duckling']

When Heo asked how much it would cost him to join, Gwangsu said the fees varied widely. "Honestly, it ranges from 8 million won ($5,200) to 50 million won," he said.

The other cast members were visibly taken aback by the figures. Heo said he would "think it over carefully," then joked that he would just meet an AI-generated date instead, drawing laughter from the group.


paq@heraldcorp.com