Baekhap, who appeared on SBS Plus and ENA’s travel reality series “Trouble Travel,” is finally addressing the so-called “$300 split” controversy head-on.
Guesting on Season 9 alum Ok-soon’s YouTube channel, the "I Am Solo" star shared she’s been swamped with work as a wedding planner, traveling to expos nationwide. Asked about her love life, she shut down recent dating buzz, saying the two were just close friends and nothing more.
On Trouble Travel, Baekhap traveled through India with "I Am Solo" Season 10’s Young-sik. Viewers bristled when Young-sik pinched pennies with the show-provided travel budget, even suggesting they save the cash and spend it back in Korea instead.
During the trip, Baekhap was often shown skipping meals she wanted or getting by on instant cup noodles. In the end, Young-sik reportedly had more than $300 of the production budget left over, but it wasn’t clear what happened to that money afterward.
When Ok-soon asked point-blank, “Did you split the $300 half and half?” Baekhap replied, “We didn’t divide the money or settle anything. Before we parted at the airport, Young-sik said, ‘You worked so hard―I want to get you a gift.’ I said it was really fine, but he insisted. We went to duty-free, and he bought me a Gucci perfume and chocolates to share with my coworkers.” She added, “I did receive those gifts, so I decided not to nitpick about the budget. I never planned to take the money―he had a tough trip, too.” Ok-soon summed it up: no 50/50 split, but the perfume and chocolates were his way of making up part of it.
The pair’s clashing “travel styles” came up again. “Young-sik is a great person, but romantically we weren’t a match,” Baekhap said, adding that his sense of responsibility to his daughter is genuinely admirable.
Addressing viewers who thought she seemed too passive, Baekhap explained, “In India, I had to lean on Young-sik a lot. My English isn’t strong, and I didn’t want to add to his stress when I could see how hard it was on him. That intention probably came across as frustrating on-screen.”
As for the new year, she shared a big goal: “I’m aiming to get married in 2026. I’m drawn to someone warm and kind.” She also laughed that after years of relying on delivery, she wants 2026 to be the year she cooks for herself more often.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)