Spoilers for Single's Inferno season 5 finale ahead. The buzziest cast members on dating shows tend to be the most unpredictable; this year on Single's Inferno, no one kept viewers on their toes like Mina Sue Choi. The former Miss Earth became season 5's most divisive cast member for juggling her interest in nearly all the men on the show and her alleged "pick-me" attitude. As she went through the emotional rollercoaster of televised dating, one person was always by her side: Samuel Lee, a.k.a. Lee Sung-hun.
After the pair bonded due to their shared affinity for English, fans began wondering whether they could get out of the friend zone. With all 12 episodes out now, read on for everything to know about Mina Sue and Samuel's time on Single's Inferno season 5, including whether they continued dating post-filming.
What are Mina Sue Choi and Samuel Lee's ages and jobs?
Like several other Single's Inferno alumni, Mina Sue Choi was already well-known before arriving on the series. The 26-year-old became the first South Korean winner of the Miss Earth pageant in 2022 and went on to appear in Korean TV shows like Battle for Tenancy: Penthouse and Law in the City. As of season 5's filming, she was a communications student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Meanwhile, season 5 marks Samuel Lee's (Korean name Lee Sung-hun) first time on Korean television. The 27-year-old Berkeley grad and former Google engineer currently works as a quantitative trader at an N.Y.C. hedge fund.
What happened between Mina Sue Choi and Samuel Lee on 'Single's Inferno' season 5?
Upon arriving on Inferno, Mina Sue quickly became season 5's main character. One of the men who showed immediate interest in her was Samuel; he couldn't wait until after their arrival ceremony to talk to her. The pair formed a quick friendship once they realized they were both more comfortable communicating in English. Still, Samuel made it clear early on that he was also romantically interested in her. At times, like during the photo shoot challenge in episode 4, Mina Sue said she was also attracted to him.
However, Samuel had competition for Mina Sue's attention. During the show's early episodes, Mina Sue expressed interest in several of the men, including Samuel, model Lim Su-been, fashion marketer Song Seung-il, optician Woo Sung-min, and even (though briefly) handball coach Shin Hyeon-woo. Her fans have argued that playing the field is the entire point of a dating show, but Mina Sue has been steadily criticized for being indecisive and seemingly catty towards the other women.
In the first seven episodes, as Mina Sue's connections with the other men (mostly Su-been) sent her into an emotional spiral, Samuel was there to comfort her. Still, neither of them completely closed off a possible romantic relationship. Things drastically changed for Mina Sue in episode 8, when she went to Paradise with Seung-il and spent the whole time being jealous of Su-been and his date, Park Hee-sun. Both Seung-il and his eventual pick, Kim Min-gee, gave Mina Sue a reality check about her unclear feelings. Soon after, Mina Sue apologized to Su-been for her behavior and told him that she was leaning towards Samuel.
In a truly surprising twist, in episode 9, Hee-sun chose to go to Paradise with Samuel. They had a nice time on the date, discovering that they shared an IT background, as Mina Sue was left snooping around Samuel's bed in Inferno. At the start of episode 11, he told Mina Sue he missed her during the date and admitted he chose Mina Sue for every single Paradise date. She admitted that after exploring other connections, she had realized her feelings for him. Though it was too late for them to go to Paradise, they got to share a special meal date and then learned each other's jobs and ages during the final night on Inferno.
When it's Mina Sue's turn for the finale ceremony, Samuel quickly stands up for her. "Be it Korea or America, I'll come and see you anywhere," he says. Mina Sue responds in English, "I think out of all the people here, you brought the version of myself that I liked the most. I can’t imagine leaving this place unless it's Sam."
Are Mina Sue Choi and Samuel Lee still together after 'Single's Inferno' season 5?
Neither Mina Sue nor Samuel has spoken publicly about their relationship status since the season 5 finale, but fans believe that the pair remained on good terms after the show's airing. According to Mina Sue's Instagram, she visited N.Y.C. last fall, where she could have hung out with Samuel. Of course, we won't know whether the pair are just friends or something more until we hear it from their mouths.
