"Heart Signal 5" has returned with a spicy flavor.
On the morning of the 14th, Channel A's Heart Signal season 5 press conference was held via online streaming. Yoon Jongshin, Lee Sang-min, Kim Ina, Roy Kim, Tsuki, producer Park Cheol-hwan and producer Kim Hong-gu attended the press conference and discussed the show.
That day producer Park Cheol-hwan said about season 5, "I'm really excited to be back after three years. In fact, by doing the previous 'pairing', season 5 can be newer and younger, it can be more youthful, and we are preparing to capture another side of youth, so I was waiting to show something new. We have returned to winter again, and it seems to have come back with a new generation different from seasons 1–4. I'm very glad and I can't wait to show it to you," he said.
From this season, producer Kim Hong-gu will join as co-director. Producer Park Cheol-hwan said, "After greeting viewers with season 1, the show has received love for several seasons, and Kim Hong-gu, who joined our team from season 3 and worked with us, is an excellent director who deeply understands Heart Signal's sensibility and the way it views cast members. By combining our strengths as co-directors, I expect the completeness will increase significantly and the emotional aspects will become richer and more detailed."
Producer Kim Hong-gu also said, "I have been with the show since season 3. I think my mindset has changed since then. Back then I felt responsibility as an assistant director, but this time I feel it even more. With the added responsibility I'm working harder. I hope many people will love it more."
This season, returning members Yoon Jongshin, Lee Sang-min and Kim Ina will be joined by Roy Kim and Billy Tsuki as new prediction panelists. When asked about differences from previous seasons, Yoon Jongshin said, "This is already the fifth season, and after watching up to four seasons you must have felt a lot. It's been about 10 years, so generations have changed, and as things change emotions show themselves more openly than before, when they were hidden to the point you couldn't tell. Now they are much more apparent. But that doesn't mean it's easier to predict the results. Emotions are changeable. You will see a truly dynamic Heart Signal."
Lee Sang-min said, "Season 5 has events that occur every time the location changes. In the past, if events happened each episode, now even within an episode events erupt every time the location changes, so it's very fast, immersive and perfect for popcorn viewing. Viewers will wait for this time and end up watching only this. And the participants this season are all honest yet also impulsive at times, and some are hard to read. You have to see it for yourself. There are many changes," he emphasized.
Kim Ina continued, "Was it in the first episode? While recording I asked what we expected and I said I hoped it would be fast, tangled and messy. But Heart Signal originally wasn't a program that bragged about speed. Especially the last season was like that, but this season's pace and depth of emotion make you wonder if this is really Heart Signal. I've never seen emotional swings this intense across all seasons. So I worry a bit. I wonder if the participants are all living well right now," she said candidly, drawing attention.
Meanwhile, new panelist Roy Kim said, "I've watched dating programs as a viewer for a very long time and secretly hoped I might be able to appear as a panelist someday, so I'm so happy that the people who found me chose Heart Signal. It's the original, and whenever I've watched it before I thought it was simple and sincere compared to other dating shows, but you shouldn't approach this season with that mindset. This season is spicy. If the show used to be a mild flavor that lingered, this time it will be a spicy flavor that stays on your mind and is a bit more stimulating," he said.
He said, "I'm also waiting every recording day to find those sincere feelings. I was worried about whether I could do well because my position is somewhere between Tsuki and the original prediction panelists, but they listened to me well and made me feel comfortable joining them, so I'm honestly expressing my true feelings in every discussion. Please enjoy seeing how often I get things right," he said, expressing his feelings about joining the show.
Tsuki said, "I've never been able to voice my opinions about dating and participate in filming like this before. But I'm really glad to be part of Heart Signal. It's a new experience and a new attempt, so I feel excited and thrilled at every shoot. In fact, until I started filming I hadn't watched dating shows. Even when I watched shorts I wondered, 'Can I get so immersed?' but I found myself getting very absorbed. I get angry, sad and upset with the show. It's so fun, and watching so many people's lives made me reflect on my own," she said.
Heart Signal premiered its first season in 2017 and has continued for 10 years. In the meantime, various dating shows with different concepts have poured out across many channels. When asked about Heart Signal's uniqueness, producer Park Cheol-hwan explained, "It's naturalness. Instead of preparing devices or stimuli in advance, we capture the emotions and fluctuations that naturally arise as the cast members live in the signal house for a month. At first it may feel a bit slow, but as time passes the depth and immersion grow and it keeps coming to mind. That's probably why the show has received viewers' love for nearly 10 years through repeated seasons."
He added, "We have thought a lot about the future. 'We want to show it' is not about confidence; since season 4 we have prepared to introduce completely new elements in season 5. One of Heart Signal's strengths is that new generations and youth representing their era keep coming, and that itself becomes a new story. By calculation, this season truly brings a new generation. So while carrying our sensibility and charm, the prediction panelists also feel that 'something is different,' and that difference seems to be 'honesty.' We have prepared new parts that let us hear the residents' inner thoughts more, and we will blend them with our own method and sensibility. Please look forward to it," he asked.
Regarding the selection criteria for participants, he said, "We were nervous and wondered how people would react when we released the teaser, but we were relieved by the positive feedback and support about the visuals. Actually, visuals or specs weren't the most important this time. You can't be fooled by visuals alone. Each person has strong individuality and color. This time we prioritized whether each person has the energy, language and charm for their own kind of love and life. Of course we didn't want to disappoint visually, so we judged with our own sensibility," he explained. Producer Kim Hong-gu added, "The most important factor we considered was whether this person, upon coming to the house, could truly love someone; we looked a lot at sincerity."
Especially Yoon Jongshin, who has become fatherly to the participants over time, was asked if he was confident about season 5's success. He said, "There are definitely younger, more spirited people. You can feel psychological changes strongly, and because the participants have a month now, while in the past they might observe the mood for one or two weeks before revealing themselves, this time events arise as if it's the 11th episode on the first episode. That's the most attractive part. As someone who lived through that time and even wrote songs about it, I feel nostalgic and think it's different from our time, and I'm a bit envious. Compared to our time, the residents are much more confident and express their feelings directly, and I was simply envious," adding, "As for success, Heart Signal has never failed. Channel A's Heart Signal looks like it will make a splash in 2026 as well. I think it may follow The King's Warden. I think the vibe after The King's Warden will be Heart Signal," he said confidently, heightening expectations.
Meanwhile, when asked how many couples Kim Ina thought would form this season, she answered, "Cautiously one couple, at most two couples," drawing attention. She said, "I don't expect many couples because it's already so messy. It's all tangled and knotted. It's hard for two people to peacefully hold hands and live stably. Even at the beginning it's already like that, so it's very uneasy, but to be honest, although anxious, it's fun. I don't think many couples will form. It's a mess. The pace toward sincere feelings is too fast. Who can neatly divide their heart 1-to-1 like with a ruler? Things lean one way and get tangled. Thinking about it again, I start worrying about those people," she sighed, provoking curiosity.
She said, "They say it's just the beginning. Even from what I've seen it's intense. Because participants' feelings deepen so much, there are scenes where, although the situation doesn't warrant it, they cannot handle their emotions and crumble. In love, seeing someone so passionate and shaken to the core and in such pain is painful for the participants but also a burning piece of youth. It's an ironic feeling that seems beautiful, and I think that might be the essence of this Heart Signal: tremendous temperatures of sincerity," she said, pointing out a viewing highlight.
Finally, when asked for a keyword to call viewers to watch the live broadcast, Yoon Jongshin said, "Today is different and tomorrow is different. It's almost at the level of a weather forecast. Wasn't there a slogan, 'Love is movement'? It fits perfectly," he said. Lee Sang-min explained, "Noir romantic. There are quite a few scenes that feel very noir. And romance happens within this, and when the boundary collapses it's sometimes fun, sometimes sad and painful. The fact that you can feel both strong aspects and loveliness is different from before," and Kim Ina said confidently, "You'll think, 'The original is the original.'"
Roy Kim said, "In two words: 'a mess.' Everything is a mess right now. If I wrote a song now it would be hard rock. Metal level," and Tsuki answered, "Hot. Very hot." Producer Park Cheol-hwan said, "My heart hurts. Until now, during filming up through the last season, there was no chance to hear the participants' inner thoughts. There's always been a distance, so we could only read expressions and didn't have a chance to hear what was inside, but one of the impressive scenes this season is the moments when we directly hear the residents' inner thoughts on site, and each time my heart ached. I wanted to run away. I hope we can let viewers feel that fully," he explained, and producer Kim Hong-gu added, "2026's renewed 'Hashi' sensibility."
Meanwhile, Heart Signal 5 will premiere tonight (the 14th) at 10 p.m.
[Photo] Channel A
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