Heart Signal () is a South Korean dating reality television show distributed by Channel A. Season 1 of the show aired in 2017, followed by season 2 in 2018, season 3 in 2020, season 4 in 2023 and season 5 in 2026. Based on the cast members of Heart Signal, a new program named Friends was also produced.
Overview The reality show follows eight people living together for one month as they get to know each other and go on dates. Every night, each cast member sends an anonymous text message to another cast member to show their romantic interest. However, they are not allowed to directly confess their love. Meanwhile, a panel of celebrities and experts watches the show, analyzing the cast members' actions and trying to predict who will text who.
Panelists Season 1 Yoon Jong-shin Lee Sang-min Kim Eana Yang Jae-woong Shim So-young Shindong (Super Junior)
Season 2 Yoon Jong-shin Lee Sang-min Kim Eana Yang Jae-woong ONE Soyou
Season 3 Lee Sang-min Kim Eana Yang Jae-woong Han Hye-jin Yoon Shi-yoon P.O (Block B)
Season 4 Yoon Jong-shin Lee Sang-min Kim Eana Kim Choong-gi Kang Seung-yoon (Winner) -> Kim Jin-woo (Winner) Mimi (Oh My Girl)
Season 5 Yoon Jong-shin Lee Sang-min Kim Eana Roy Kim Tsuki (Billlie)
Cast members Season 1 NameBirth yearOccupationNotesJang Cheon ()1985lawyer Kang Sung-wook ()1985musical actor Seo Joo-won ()1994race car driver Yoon Hyeon-chan ()1985chef and restaurant ownerJoined the show in episode 8Bae Yoon-kyung ()1993actress Kim Se-rin ()1993marketer at Cirque du Soleil Seo Ji-hye ()1996student at Ewha Womans UniversityShin A-ra ()1995first runner-up at Miss Korea 2016 Joined the show in episode 4
Participants Total of Signals Received Jang Cheon 27 Kang Sung-wook 9 Seo Joo-won 12 Yoon Hyeon-chan 0 Bae Yoon-kyung 21 Kim Se-rin 2 Seo Ji-hye 8 Shin A-ra 13
+ Confession ResultParticipants Kang Sung-wook Shin A-ra Jang Cheon Bae Yoon-kyung Seo Joo-won Seo Ji-hye Yoon Hyeon-chan Shin A-ra Kim Se-rin Jang Cheon Seo Ji-hye Jang Cheon
Season 2 NameBirth yearOccupationNotesKim Do-gyun ()1988Korean medicine doctor Jung Jae-ho ()1990CEO of a startup companyLee Gyu-bin ()1993preparing to join the South Korean public serviceKim Hyun-woo ()1985chef and restaurant owner Joined the show in episode 2Oh Young-joo ()1991marketer at Microsoft Song Da-eun ()1991aspiring actress Im Hyun-joo ()1992work as an actress student at Kookmin UniversityKim Jang-mi ()1989fashion boutique owner Joined the show in episode 6
Participants Total of Signals Received Kim Do-gyun 17 Jung Jae-ho 17 Lee Gyu-bin 5 Kim Hyun-woo 22 Oh Young-joo 26 Song Da-eun 18 Im Hyun-joo 25 Kim Jang-mi 3
+ Confession ResultParticipants Jung Jae-ho Song Da-eun Kim Hyun-woo Im Hyun-joo Kim Do-gyun Im Hyun-joo Lee Gyu-bin Oh Young-joo Oh Young-joo Kim Hyun-woo Kim Jang-mi Kim Do-gyun
Season 3 NameBirth yearOccupationNotesCheon In-woo ()1989engineering manager at a fintech company Jung Eui-dong ()1992animal replica sculptorIm Han-gyeol ()1989branding consultant for restaurants Kim Kang-yeol ()1994online fashion boutique ownerJoined the show in episode 6Lee Ga-heun ()1996veterinary student at Konkuk UniversityPark Ji-hyun ()1996student at Waseda UniversitySeo Min-jae ()1993auto mechanic studied Mechanical Engineering Inha University and Hanyang UniversityCheon An-na ()1994secretary Joined the show in episode 8
Participants Total of Signals Received Cheon In-woo 14 Jung Eui-dong 7 Im Han-gyeol 17 Kim Kang-yeol 11 Lee Ga-heun 5 Park Ji-hyun 28 Seo Min-jae 11 Cheon An-na 7
+ Confession ResultParticipants Im Han-gyeol Seo Min-jae Kim Kang-yeol Park Ji-hyun Cheon In-woo Park Ji-hyun Jung Eui-dong Cheon An-na Lee Ga-heun Jung Eui-dong Cheon An-na Kim Kang-yeol
Season 4 NameBirth yearOccupationNotesShin Min-gyu ()1993Strategy Consultant Han Gyeo-re ()1989CEO of F&B CompanyWinner of barista competition in South Korea and represented the country in international competitionsYoo Ji-won ()1996Medical intern Lee Hu-shin ()1993Painter and modelJoined in Episode 3Lee Ju-mi ()1994Lawyer Kim Ji-young ()1995Brand officer at interior architecture company Former Korean Air flight attendantKim Ji-min ()2000Student at Sungshin Women's UniversityYoo Yi-soo ()1998Casting agent and model Joined in Episode 6
Male participants Female participants Heart Signal was not revealed Chose each other + Heart SignalsParticipantsEpisodes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Final Shin Min-gyu Kim Ji-min Kim Ji-min Kim Ji-min Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-min Kim Ji-min Yoo Yi-soo Lee Ju-mi Yoo Yi-soo Yoo Yi-soo No votings held Yoo Yi-soo Yoo Yi-soo No votings held Yoo Yi-soo Lee Ju-mi Shin Min-gyu Han Gyeo-re Shin Min-gyu Han Gyeo-re Shin Min-gyu Han Gyeo-re Han Gyeo-re Han Gyeo-re Han Gyeo-re Han Gyeo-re Han Gyeo-re Han Gyeo-re Han Gyeo-re Yoo Ji-won Kim Ji-young Lee Ju-mi Lee Ju-mi Lee Ju-mi Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Han Gyeo-re Han Gyeo-re Shin Min-gyu Shin Min-gyu Shin Min-gyu Han Gyeo-re Shin Min-gyu Shin Min-gyu Shin Min-gyu Shin Min-gyu Lee Hu-shin Shin Min-gyu Han Gyeo-re Han Gyeo-re Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Lee Ju-mi Lee Ju-mi Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Lee Ju-mi Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-min Yoo Ji-won Yoo Ji-won Yoo Ji-won Lee Hu-shin Yoo Ji-won Lee Hu-shin Lee Hu-shin Lee Hu-shin Lee Hu-shin Lee Hu-shin Lee Hu-shin Lee Hu-shin Lee Hu-shin Lee Hu-shin Not yet in the house Lee Ju-mi Kim Ji-min Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-min Kim Ji-min Kim Ji-min Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-young Kim Ji-min Kim Ji-young Yoo Yi-soo Not yet in the house Lee Hu-shin Shin Min-gyu Shin Min-gyu Shin Min-gyu Shin Min-gyu Shin Min-gyu Shin Min-gyu Shin Min-gyu
Participants Total of Signals Received Shin Min-gyu 18 Han Gyeo-re 14 Yoo Ji-won 4 Lee Hu-shin 11 Lee Ju-mi 8 Kim Ji-young 26 Kim Ji-min 9 Yoo Yi-soo 6
+ Confession ResultParticipants Han Gyeo-re Kim Ji-young Shin Min-gyu Yoo Yi-soo Yoo Ji-won Kim Ji-young Lee Hu-shin Kim Ji-young Lee Ju-mi Han Gyeo-re Kim Ji-min Lee Hu-shin
Season 5 Male participants Female participants NameBirth yearOccupationNotes Park Woo-yeol() 2002 Marketer at a company Kim Min-ju () 2000 Digital marketer and aspiring announcer Jeong Gyu-ri () 1998 Modern hanbok brand director Kim Seong-min () 1998 Dermatologist Kim Seo-won () 2002 Fashion model Kang Yoo-kyung () 2004 Korean dance major at Sungkyunkwan University Jung Jun-hyun () 1994 Lawyer Joined in Episode 2 Choi So-yoon () 2001 Industrial and Information Design major at Korea University & Freelance graphic designer Joined in Episode 5
Chose each other Heart Signal was not revealed + Heart SignalsParticipantsEpisodes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Final Park Woo-yeol Kang Yoo-kyung Jeong Gyu-riJeong Gyu-riKang Yoo-kyung Kang Yoo-kyungChoi So-yoonJeong Gyu-ri Choi So-yoonKang Yoo-kyungKang Yoo-kyung Jeong Gyu-ri Jeong Gyu-ri Kang Yoo-kyung No votings heldKang Yoo-kyung Kim Min-ju Kim Seong-min Kim Seong-min Park Woo-yeolKim Seong-min Kim Seo-won Kim Seong-min Kim Seong-min Kim Seong-min Kim Seong-min Kim Seong-min Kim Seong-min Jung Jun-hyun Jung Jun-hyun Kim Seong-min Jeong Gyu-ri Park Woo-yeol Park Woo-yeolPark Woo-yeol Park Woo-yeolKim Seo-wonKim Seo-wonPark Woo-yeolKim Seo-wonKim Seo-wonKim Seo-won Kim Seo-wonKim Seo-won Park Woo-yeolKim Seo-won Kim Seong-min Kang Yoo-kyung Kang Yoo-kyungKang Yoo-kyungKim Min-juKang Yoo-kyungKang Yoo-kyung Kang Yoo-kyungKim Min-juKim Min-juKim Min-juKang Yoo-kyung Kang Yoo-kyung Kang Yoo-kyung Kang Yoo-kyung Kim Seo-won Kang Yoo-kyung Kim Min-ju Kim Min-ju Jeong Gyu-riJeong Gyu-riJeong Gyu-ri Jeong Gyu-riJeong Gyu-riJeong Gyu-riJeong Gyu-ri Choi So-yoonJeong Gyu-ri Jeong Gyu-riJeong Gyu-ri Kang Yoo-kyungPark Woo-yeol Park Woo-yeolKim Seong-min Park Woo-yeolKim Seong-min Kim Seong-min Park Woo-yeol Jung Jun-hyunPark Woo-yeolPark Woo-yeolKim Seong-min Park Woo-yeol Jung Jun-hyunPark Woo-yeol Jung Jun-hyun Not yet in the house Jeong Gyu-ri Kang Yoo-kyung Kim Min-ju Jeong Gyu-ri Jeong Gyu-ri Kang Yoo-kyungKang Yoo-kyung Kim Min-ju Kang Yoo-kyung Kang Yoo-kyung Kang Yoo-kyungKang Yoo-kyung Kang Yoo-kyung Choi So-yoon Not yet in the housePark Woo-yeol Jung Jun-hyunPark Woo-yeol Kim Seong-min Jung Jun-hyun Kim Seo-won Kim Seo-won Kim Seo-won Kim Seo-won
Participants Total of Signals Received Park Woo-yeol 17 Kim Min-ju 8 Jeong Gyu-ri 17 Kim Seong-min 15 Kim Seo-won 13 Kang Yoo-kyung 26 Jung Jun-hyun 6 Choi So-yoon 3
+ Confession ResultParticipants Park Woo-yeol Kang Yoo-kyung Kim Seo-won Jeong Gyu-ri Kim Seong-min Kang Yoo-kyung Jung Jun-hyun Kang Yoo-kyung Choi So-yoon Kim Seo-won Kim Min-ju Kim Seong-min
Spin-off Heart Pairing (2025–2026) The spin-off follows ten individuals who are looking to marry as they live together for a month in the "Pairing House" located in Tuscany, Italy, and Seoul. Initially, the cast members are paired blindly based on shared values and interests, such as their favorite books, before seeing each other's faces. The show tracks the participants as they evaluate practical lifestyle habits to find a life partner. Meanwhile, a panel of celebrities and experts watches the interactions to analyze the contestants' compatibility and predict their final pairings.
Panelists Source: Yoon Jong-shin Lee Chung-ah Choi Si-won Mimi (Oh My Girl) Park Ji-sun
Cast NameBirth yearOccupationNotes Shin Woo-jae () 1990 Painter Ahn Ji-min () 1992 Strategic planner for Samsung Lee Chan-hyung () 1992 Doctor and businessman Park Chang-hwan() 1984 Pilot Lee Sang-yoon() 1996 Model Lee Je-yeon () 1995 Lawyer Moon Ji-won () 1999 Semiconductor Engineer at Samsung Joo Ha-neul () 1998 Dancer and model Bae Chae-eun () 1996 Researcher Kim Soo-a 1993 HR Team employee
+ Confession ResultParticipants Lee Chan-hyung Bae Chae-eun Shin Woo-jae Moon Ji-won Ahn Ji-min Lee Je-yeon Park Chang-hwan Kim Soo-a Kim Soo-a Lee Sang-yoon Lee Sang-yoon Lee Je-yeon Joo Ha-neul Ahn Ji-min
Aftermath
Seo Joo-won from Season 1 got married in 2018 to YouTuber Aori (Kim Min-young) and got divorced in 2022.
Kim Do-gyun from Season 2 got married in 2022 to a non-celebrity who is a yoga instructor. Im Hyun-joo dated actor Kwak Si-yang between 2023 until November 2024. Lee Gyu-bin from Season 2 proposed in 2025 to model Ahn Sun-mi, and the couple announced their engagement.
Park Ji-hyun from Season 3 got married in 2023 to a non-celebrity who is a businessman.
Shin Min-gyu and Yoo Yi-soo from Season 4 dated between April 2023 until late 2024. Kim Ji-young from Season 4 announced her marriage to a non-celebrity and pregnancy in January 2026.
Ahn Ji-min and Lee Je-yeon from the spin-off, Heart Pairing, dated until October 2025. Shin Woo-jae and Moon Ji-won from the spin-off are still currently in a relationship.
Controversies Season 1
In 2019, Heart Signal cast member Kang Sung-wook was sentenced to five years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman in August 2017. Fellow cast member Jang Cheon reportedly initially served as Kang's lawyer in the case but resigned after six days. Kang's sentence was reduced to 30 months in prison in 2020.
Season 2
Heart Signal 2 cast member Kim Hyun-woo was arrested for drunk driving in April 2018 while the show was airing.
Season 3
After the cast members of Heart Signal 3 were publicly announced, a woman accused cast member Lee Ga-heun of bullying classmates. Cast member Cheon An-na was also accused of bullying. The show's producers denied the allegations.
While the show was airing, another woman told the media that cast member Kim Kang-yeol had kicked her in the stomach at a nightclub in January 2017. Kim admitted to the incident and apologized on social media.