Oh Yoonah and Lee Soo-kyung's honesty shone through in their solo lives, confessing their unspoken thoughts and providing viewers with deep empathy and lingering emotions.
In the 16th episode of the jointly produced SBS Plus and E Channel show 'Solo' broadcast on the 22nd, 'single mom' Oh Yoonah showcased her daily life living in a detached house with her son Min-i and her mother after moving out of her APT. Additionally, Lee Soo-kyung invited actor Park Sung-woong and Kim Ha-ri, with whom she is performing in the play 'Rendezvous,' to her home for a 'liquor room opening ceremony,' bringing cheerful laughter. According to Nielsen Korea, 'Solo' recorded a peak ratings of 1.7% in households per minute (combined for both channels, pay television) and ranked first in target (ages 20-49) viewership among the entertainment programs in the same time slot, proving its popularity. It also made it into the top 10 search terms on next entertainment TV, highlighting its topic in the spotlight.
Making her first appearance as 'New Solo Sister,' Oh Yoonah introduced herself as a '22-year veteran actress' and mentioned, 'I've been living as a solo for about 13 years. Currently, my 19-year-old son Min-i and my mother are living with me.' She then talked about the life of a 'single mom' raising a child with developmental disabilities, saying, 'My son is the driving force of my life' and added, 'It was incredibly hard to raise him alone. Until he was in the 5th grade, we were always together. If we weren't together, he would go to places where other kids were with their dads and cling to another dad's neck.' She continued, 'I raised my child in a Seoul APT., but Min-i seemed to lose confidence due to people's gazes around us. I wanted him to play freely, so I moved to a detached house recently,' revealing her new home.
Waking up in the morning, Oh Yoonah showcased her impressive six-step skincare routine. Upon seeing this, MC Shin Dong-yup admired, 'So that's why you received interest from a younger man,' and asked, 'Did you hear from that younger man again?' Oh Yoonah, shyly responding, said, 'I did get a call,' garnering the envy of Hwang Jung-eum and Lee Soo-kyung. Later, Oh Yoonah enjoyed her solo time preparing and eating a healthy sandwich. She explained, 'When I apply for the disability alliance, a pickup teacher comes to take Min-i to school,' and noted, 'I am currently utilizing a care service supported by the government to share Min-i's care. After school, he attends various exercise classes, so we have a good system in place.' She added her parenting belief, saying, 'If the mom is happy, the child is happy.'
When it was time for her son to return from school, Oh Yoonah headed to the administrative welfare center. She went to fill out an application for Min-i's resident registration, who is 19 years old. Meeting her son there, Oh Yoonah was nervous for fear that Min-i might not concentrate, but successfully registered his fingerprints and completed the application. Right after, she remarked, 'It felt strange. I dedicated my life to raising Min-i...' and her eyes welled up. Hwang Jung-eum and Lee Soo-kyung, watching, were also moved and shed tears. The touching emotion was short-lived when Min-i disappeared from the center. Oh Yoonah remained unflustered and went into a convenience store nearby. There, she found her son lost in snack exploration and quickly bought him a snack before heading to the gym. At the gym, she entrusted Min-i to a dedicated trainer and devoted herself to 'separately yet together' exercising. Watching her son work out diligently, Oh Yoonah felt grateful, saying, 'Just him keeping up like that is so heartwarming.'
After exercising, Oh Yoonah and Min-i ordered pho and fried rice at a nearby restaurant. After finishing their day, Oh Yoonah returned home and enjoyed a beer in her room. However, Min-i quickly came to find her. In just five minutes, Oh Yoonah returned to the reality of parenting, providing both laughter and lingering emotion, as this time Lee Soo-kyung's solo life was revealed.
On this day, Lee Soo-kyung showcased her carefully decorated liquor room. She set up a specially crafted wine table in the 'liquor room' and adorned the space with festive balloons. Afterward, she prepared party food for the guests, and not long after, Park Sung-woong and Kim Ha-ri arrived. The two, who are co-starring in the play 'Rendezvous,' were invited to Lee Soo-kyung's 'liquor room opening ceremony' for a ribbon-cutting event. Astonished by the stunning visuals of the liquor room, the two burst into laughter upon seeing play scripts stuck around the house. While expressing her gratitude to Park Sung-woong for recommending her for the play, Lee Soo-kyung admitted, 'It was so hard that I even had facial paralysis. I worry about making mistakes.' Park Sung-woong advised, 'There's no 'NG' on the play stage, so you must be 110% prepared.' He then complimented her, saying, 'I thought Soo-kyung would run away, but you’re doing well.' During the conversation, Park Sung-woong brought up marriage, asking, 'Isn’t your house a bit too big for living alone?' In response, Lee Soo-kyung replied, 'That's why I recently met a “female mate” named Oh Jung-yeon' while joking. Park Sung-woong sighed and pressed, 'You must have thoughts of marriage, right? Who’s your ideal type?' Lee Soo-kyung described in detail, 'He must be tall, kind to me, and cold to others.' Park Sung-woong humorously shot back, 'Just live with Oh Jung-yeon,' making everyone burst into laughter. Hwang Jung-eum noted, 'Soo-kyung, you truly live fun. Watching you makes us happy,' and Oh Yoonah reacted positively, saying, 'Your energetic demeanor is delightful.' Viewers also resonated with Lee Soo-kyung’s casual charm and the bittersweet aspects of solo life, sending her support.
[Photo] Broadcast capture
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