'Na-sol' Season 31, Did They Receive Incentives After Gossip Controversy? Sang-cheol: "Donated 4 million won" [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

SBS Plus and ENA's dating reality program 'I Am Solo' (I Am SOLO) Season 31 cast member Sang-cheol (hereinafter a pseudonym) revealed that he donated his appearance fee, disclosing the specific donation amount and drawing public attention. It is known that 'I Am Solo' participants receive incentives based on buzz or viewership ratings, raising speculation that Season 31, which achieved high viewership and generated significant buzz, may have also received incentives.

On the 30th, Sang-cheol posted multiple photos on his Instagram, stating, "After returning from Solona, many things happened. After the show ended, reactions from those around me split into two groups: those who remained extremely calm and those who were surprisingly deeply affected. I consider both reactions natural, and I believe the experiences I had this time will become important nourishment for my future life."

Notably, Sang-cheol drew attention by revealing through the posted photos that he donated his appearance fee. According to the photos, on May 31, he donated 2 million won each to Chung-Ang University and Sogang University, totaling 4 million won.

Along with the donation details, Sang-cheol wrote, "Appearance fee +@ donation. I was grateful because they paid more than expected." Given that 'I Am Solo' appearance fees are reportedly around 1 million won, speculation has emerged that the amount exceeding his appearance fee among the 4th million won donated by Sang-cheol may have been an additional incentive.

Previously, it was reported that 'I Am Solo' pays incentives to participants based on the program's buzz or viewership ratings. Producer Nam Kyu-hong also previously confirmed through YouTube channels such as 'Civilization Express' and 'Giwitgiwit' that he had paid incentives to 'I Am Solo' participants.

Season 31 indeed achieved high viewership ratings. The final episode aired on May 27 recorded an average viewership of 5.3% (ENA·SBS Plus combined figure based on cable TV households in the capital area), setting a new internal record for the highest viewership this year. The peak viewership in Bundang reached 5.86%.

However, Season 31 also faced health issues due to gossip and ostracism controversies during its broadcast. Scenes were aired where roommates Ok-soon, Young-sook, and Jung-hee discussed Sun-ja's situation, and when Sun-ja accidentally overheard them from another room, her distressed reaction was revealed, sparking controversy.

Some viewers pointed out that the three roommates may have badmouthed Sun-ja. In response, Ok-soon, Young-sook, and Jung-hee expressed their apologies for the controversy during a live broadcast by 'I Am Solo' production company Chonjang Entertainment held the day after the show ended. However, later when Sang-cheol posted photos of a Season 31 cast dinner gathering, Sun-ja and Kyung-su were absent from the images, reigniting ostracism controversies and continuing post-show fallout.

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*This content was translated by AI.