Season 32’s Young-soo Apologizes Amid ‘Illegal Filming’ Controversy: ‘Even If I Didn’t Mean Any Harm ... I Didn’t Think It Through’

[Financial News] Young-soo (Choi Jeong-hyeon) of ENA and SBS Plus’s I Am Solo, Season 32, apologized for installing a personal camera without his virtual wife’s consent while filming Contract Marriage.
Choi Jeong-hyeon posted an apology on his Instagram Story on the 3rd. He began by saying, “I sincerely apologize to Min-hyeon (Gukhwa),” and added, “I acknowledged my wrongdoing and apologized during filming, but I still feel nothing but remorse, and I apologize once again.”
He continued, “Even if I had no bad intentions, it was entirely my fault, with no excuse, that I failed to show the basic consideration of asking for the other person’s consent first in a space we shared.”
Explaining why he had installed the camera, he said, “I wanted to collect everyday moments that wouldn’t be captured by the broadcast cameras, turn them into a video to remember after filming ended, and give it as a surprise.”
He added, “Whatever my intentions, I failed to fully consider that having someone’s everyday life captured without their knowledge could itself make them uncomfortable and hurt them,” and bowed his head, saying, “As I’ve received a lot of criticism, I’m once again realizing how thoughtless I was.”
Finally, he said, “From now on, whatever the relationship, I’ll make sure to ask the other person what they want first and respect their wishes.”
Earlier, on the 2nd, an episode of Contract Marriage aired on KBS Joy and MBC every1 revealed that Choi Jeong-hyeon had installed a personal camera in the shared living room without the consent of his virtual wife, Jeong Min-hyeon (Gukhwa).
When Jeong Min-hyeon expressed displeasure, Choi Jeong-hyeon defended himself, saying, “Are you upset because I filmed without getting your consent first? I was just trying to capture a memory.” He went on to say, “I really did it without thinking, just because I wanted to try it. If you want me to delete it later, I will. You’re being very sensitive,” further fueling the controversy.
Filming without consent is a serious matter that can, depending on the circumstances, be subject to criminal punishment. Even so, Choi portrayed it as nothing more than filming a keepsake video and, in response to the other person’s protest, said they were being sensitive, drawing viewers’ ire.
The cast’s dismissive reaction—treating the contestant’s installation of an illegal camera as a “surprise event” or “wedding video”—also came under fire, as did the production team’s complacent attitude in treating it like a mere mishap.
Meanwhile, Contract Marriage is a marriage-simulation observational reality show from Nam Gyu-hong, the producer of I Am Solo. It follows men and women who want to get married as they sign a contract and live as a virtual couple. Choi Jeong-hyeon and Jeong Min-hyeon have appeared on the show as a virtual couple since September.
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