Ailee Tries to See It From an ‘Outsider’s Perspective’Draws the Line on Single’s Inferno 5’s Choi Mina-sue

Singer Ailee offered a nuanced take on Single’s Inferno 5 contestant Choi Mina-sue, initially attempting to interpret her controversial behavior through what she called a “foreigner’s perspective” before ultimately admitting that some actions were impossible to defend.

“It Might Be a Language and Culture Gap”

Ailee watched Episode 4 of Single’s Inferno 5 alongside her husband Choi Si-hoon. As Mina-su’s interactions with multiple male contestants sparked online debate, Ailee approached the situation with cultural context in mind.

Ailee suggested that Mina-su’s responses could stem from differences in how emotions and timing are expressed across languages. “In English, time frames are very clearly divided,” Ailee explained. “When someone asks who you’re most attracted to, it can easily be understood as right now, not a summary of all your feelings up to this point.”

She added that in Korean, the same question often implies a broader emotional history, while English speakers may respond based on their immediate feelings. “I tried to understand it that way,” she said, emphasizing that she was making an effort to view Mina-su’s behavior through an international lens.

Ailee also noted that in many Western cultures, individualism is more pronounced. “People can be more honest about their own emotions without prioritizing how others might feel,” she said, though she stressed that perspectives can still vary widely from person to person.

When Cultural Context No Longer Applies

However, Ailee made it clear that not everything could be explained away as cultural misunderstanding.

Referring to a scene where Mina-su abruptly cut off a conversation with Lim Soo-bin to listen to Song Seung-il, Ailee’s tone shifted. “That’s a completely different issue,” she said firmly. “I think Soo-bin must have felt really disrespected.”

She continued, “It goes beyond hurt feelings. It’s about basic manners and how you treat people. I would have been very disappointed if I were in that position.” Choi Si-hoon agreed, adding bluntly, “If that were me, I wouldn’t even look at her after that.”

Honest, Not Always Considerate

Ailee also introduced an American expression to describe Mina-su’s personality. “In the U.S., we’d say she ‘wears her heart on her sleeve,’” she explained. “When she feels even a little interest, her emotions move quickly from one person to another.”

While acknowledging that such openness can be viewed differently depending on cultural background, Ailee ultimately concluded that some actions transcend interpretation. “You can try to understand,” she said, “but that doesn’t mean you have to excuse everything.”