SEOUL, July 26 — A South Korean reality dating show featuring contestants who have received terminal diagnoses or survived life-threatening illnesses has sparked an ethics debate before its premiere, with critics questioning whether it crosses the line between representation and exploitation.
SBS’ Love Against Time, which premieres on August 3, has attracted as much attention for its controversial premise as its matchmaking.
According to The Korea Herald, the series brings together contestants in their 20s and 30s who have faced terminal or life-threatening illnesses. While much of the format remains under wraps, SBS has revealed that participants will exchange a self-determined amount of their limited time with one another each evening as they build romantic connections.
Teasers feature contestants reflecting on how illness has shaped their lives. Some describe struggling to find partners because potential romantic interests were reluctant to date someone who had been seriously ill, while others say they once regarded romance as a luxury they could not afford.
The series is directed by Lee Eun-sol, who previously helmed Fortune Tellers’ Love. Actor Lee Se-young, singer Jung Yong-hwa, Seventeen member DK and singer Yena will serve as studio panellists.
Reaction to the show has been sharply divided.
Supporters say it offers people with shared experiences a rare opportunity to pursue relationships and argue the contestants’ decision to share their stories publicly should be respected.
Critics, however, argue the programme’s marketing foregrounds participants’ illnesses and the limited time they may have left, raising concerns that deeply personal experiences are being packaged as entertainment.
The controversy has also renewed scrutiny of South Korea’s booming reality dating genre.
Such programmes have proliferated in recent years, driven by relatively low production costs and sustained audience demand at a time when many young adults say romantic relationships have become harder to pursue. For some viewers, the shows have become a form of vicarious participation in romance.
Producers have also expanded casting to include LGBTQ+ participants and people living with disabilities or mental health challenges, broadening the range of stories told on screen.
While many have welcomed that shift, Love Against Time has revived questions about where inclusive storytelling ends and the commercialisation of participants’ most intimate experiences begins.
