This season of Single’s Inferno is becoming Netflix’s most bingeworthy South Korean dating show, thanks in large part to one of its top contenders: Choi Mina Sue.
Choi made her grand debut on the island in the second episode of Season 5, wowing the boys with what she affectionately calls her “canary dress.” She’s graceful, authentic, and has a penchant for being more honest than most of her fellow hot singles. “I can be rather self-centered in a relationship,” Choi said during her intro. “What can I say? I like myself the most.”
At least for the season’s first four episodes, Choi has strategically played the game by talking to multiple male contenders at once. For her first round of anonymous voting, Choi received handwritten notes from three of the five boys on the island — Seung Il, Su Been, and Sung Hun — each asking to get to know her better. She’s spent an evening in Paradise with Su Been so far (after a very thrilling round of couples’ dodgeball), but she’s also expressed interest in Sung Hun and Sung Min. However, all of this may now be null and void, as she ended Episode 4 asking Seung Il on a date (much to the dismay of Min Gee). Out of the six girls competing on the island, it’s clear that Choi is the most straightforward (but also the most indecisive) when it comes to confessing her attraction to the men in Inferno.
As Single’s Inferno begins to heat up, we’ve rounded up a few key facts about the show’s breakout star and who she is beyond the island.
She won Miss Earth 2022 in Manila.
On November 30, 2022, Choi became the first Korean to ever be crowned Miss Earth. The 24-year old university student turned pageant queen championed a platform focused on reducing carbon emissions. In the pageant’s final Q&A section, Choi secured her win by dedicating her answer to the impact of bottlenose dolphins on marine ecosystems.
She’s been to the Philippines multiple times.
Choi has also returned to the Philippines several times since her win. In 2024, she attended the Miss Earth coronation show in Manila, where Australian contestant Jessica Lane took home the crown. And, based on Choi’s Instagram, it’s clear that the Korean beauty queen is quite fond of the Philippines. In a post captioned, “Hi Home,” Choi can be seen sporting a Jollibee takeout bag. In another post, she appears to be enjoying a slice of pizza from Trattoria Altrov’e.
She’s a working student.
As revealed in Episode 3 of her season of Single’s Inferno, Choi is currently a Communications student at the University of Illinois. However, she is on leave right now and is spending her time back in Korea as an intern at a beauty startup where she’s in charge of English communication with international buyers.
Single’s Inferno isn’t her first reality TV rodeo.
Although Single’s Inferno is definitely the show pushing Choi underneath the international spotlight, this isn’t the first time that she’s been in front of the camera. In 2022, Choi competed on the Korean game show, Battle for Tenancy: Penthouse, where contestants completed challenges in a five-story abandoned building for the chance to win 400 million Korean won. She also had a cameo appearance in the Korean drama, DNA Lover, in 2024.
Her dog’s an aspiring content creator.
Now that Choi’s rising in popularity thanks to Single’s Inferno, hopefully her dog Summer can get a share of the spotlight as well. Summer’s account has been active since 2024, and the pooch currently has 416 followers.
