Archive · 31 Aug 2026
South Korean Dating Show About Illness Wins Chinese Hearts
Love Against Time is a dating show from South Korea.
Its participants have faced very serious illnesses.
Some have recovered, while others are still dealing with health problems.
The show focuses less on fancy dates and more on how people care for one another.
One participant had leukaemia and experienced complications after a bone-marrow transplant.
Another participant lost hearing in one ear while being treated for a tumour.
Some people first wondered whether it was right to make a dating show about illness.
Many viewers later praised the programme for treating its participants respectfully and showing that illness does not prevent people from finding love.
Love Against Time features young singles who survived critical illnesses or are living with severe medical conditions.
The Seoul Broadcasting System show emphasizes meaningful relationships shaped by health struggles rather than glamorous dates.
Participant Kim Jong-eun was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia before taking a firefighter recruitment test and later experienced serious transplant complications.
Participant Kim Na-young lost hearing in her left ear and gained 20kg during treatment for an acoustic neuroma.
Despite initial online debate about ethics, the show has drawn praise and extensive discussion on Chinese social media.
- Who
- Young South Korean singles who have survived critical illnesses or are living with severe medical conditions, including Kim Jong-eun and Kim Na-young.
- What
- Love Against Time, a reality dating show that explores romance and relationships after serious health challenges.
- When
- The article does not specify the show’s release date; clips and discussions were recently trending on Chinese social media.
- Where
- The show was released by the Seoul Broadcasting System in South Korea and gained attention in China.
- Why
- The programme aims to show how serious health struggles shape relationships and meaningful connections.
Supporters
Ethics Critics
Featuring serious illness in dating television
Supporters
Supporters say the programme treats participants with dignity and shows that people with serious illnesses still deserve love and meaningful relationships.
Ethics Critics
Critics initially questioned whether using participants’ major health struggles in a dating format was ethically appropriate.
How participants are portrayed
Supporters
Viewers praised the contestants for not seeking pity and for approaching dating with gratitude and a clear sense of what matters in a partner.
Ethics Critics
Those concerned about the format may see the emphasis on illness as potentially exploitative, although the article does not report specific allegations of mistreatment.
- Show
- Love Against Time
- Broadcaster
- Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS)
- Participants
- Young singles affected by critical illnesses or severe medical conditions
- Kim Jong-eun’s illness
- Acute myeloid leukaemia
- Kim Na-young’s condition
- Acoustic neuroma, followed by hearing loss in her left ear
- Audience response
- Praise and heavy discussion across Chinese social media
- Initial controversy
- Some online users debated the ethics of featuring serious illness in a dating programme