Channel A‘s mega hit brand ‘Heart Signal’, which opened a new era in dating entertainment programs, has returned with an ‘Expanded Edition’. ‘Heart Pairing’, which will be aired for the first time at 10:50 PM on the 7th, has further evolved the existing series that centered on the ‘some’ of young men and women, and this time, it has taken ‘Marriage’ to the new topic, raising curiosity and expectations both inside and outside the broadcasting industry.

‘Heart Pairing’ is the new work of PD Park Cheol-hwan, who led the four ‘Heart Signal’ series from 2017 to 2023. The new program vividly captures the process of young men and women who want to get married getting to know each other while living together in Tuscany, Italy and Seoul for a month, like a romantic film.

The training camp process is similar to the existing ‘Heart Signal’, but it is clearly different in that it is about finding a marriage partner rather than a romantic one. While the previous contestants were faithful to the emotion of love, the ‘Heart Pairing’ contestants look deeply into each other’s real lifestyles, such as their sleeping patterns and ways of resolving anger, to find out “the person they can “draw the future together with”.

However, if only extremely realistic conditions such as occupation, assets, and residence were featured like other marriage programs, it would not be the ‘Heart Signal’ series. The production team appropriately combined the emotions of the ‘original dating program’ with the reality of marriage through romantic devices placed throughout the broadcast, completing a unique ‘Gyeolp (marriage program)’.

The ‘Pairing Book’, which will appear as a key prop in the program, is a representative example. The pairing book contains 33 marriage-related questions written by the male and female cast members themselves. From specific conditions such as desired monthly income, place of residence, and plans for children to questions that reflect values such as ‘What kind of parent do you want to be?’ ‘The extent of a couple‘s private life’, it covers a wide range of topics, allowing contestants and viewers to understand ‘marriage’ in a variety of ways. The fun of guessing the owners of the book, which are hidden behind a veil, has also doubled.

Tuscany, Italy, where the contestants stayed for 5 days, captivates with exotic romance. The contestants explode with excitement of love as they meet each other for the first time in a place where the language and air are unfamiliar. The production team said, “We chose to travel because we thought Seoul was a place full of work, past relationships, and long-term relationships for men and women of marriageable age,” and emphasized that “the chemistry between Italy and Seoul is also an important part.”

Singer Yoon Jong-shin, actress Lee Chung-ah, Super Junior’s Choi Si-won, Oh My Girl‘s Mimi, and Professor of Social Psychology Park Ji-sun will watch their romance and show off their “fantastic wit.” Yoon Jong-shin, the veteran host of four “Heart Signal” episodes, said, “It has a different charm than before. The unpredictable developments will continue with the unexpected choices of the guests in each episode,” expressing his confidence in the unique fun of “Heart Pairing.”


Reporter Yoo Ji-hye yjh0304@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.