A past video featuring singer Lee Mi-joo (이미주), formerly of the K-pop girl group Lovelyz, gathering with her celebrity friends on her personal YouTube channel has recently resurfaced, drawing renewed attention from netizens. In the clip, several female idols discussed whether they could maintain close friendships if they debuted in the same group, a topic that resonated with many viewers.
Lee Mi-joo had previously uploaded a video of her gathering with her "94-line" friends. The "94-line" is a close-knit group of friends all born in 1994, including Lee Mi-joo, Seulgi (슬기) of Red Velvet, Hyojung (효정) of Oh My Girl, and Heo Young-ji (허영지) of KARA. They are also close with Moonbyul (문별) of MAMAMOO, born in 1992. After Moonbyul joined their group chat, its name was changed to "9294."
In the video, the five women chatted casually while eating. After discussing the styles of their respective groups, Heo Young-ji suddenly posed the question, "Is it possible for the five of us to debut together as a group?" She thought it wasn't entirely impossible but immediately added that if they did form a group, their member roles might overlap.
For instance, when asked, "Who wants to be the visual?" both Heo Young-ji and Lee Mi-joo raised their hands, prompting laughter. Seulgi then asked curiously, "But if we were really in the same group, would we fight?" Both Hyojung and Moonbyul thought it was likely, with Heo Young-ji directly stating, "We probably wouldn't become that close."
Moonbyul and Hyojung further explained that if they were to become work colleagues, it would be difficult to interact without pressure, unlike with simple friends. This doesn't necessarily mean group members have bad relationships, but rather that working together daily and facing constant pressure inevitably leads to emotions and friction.
They believed that members would become more polite and considerate of each other, but at the same time, a natural boundary would form. In other words, the relationship might be deep and interdependent, but not necessarily equivalent to the dynamics of typical friendships.
The idols also discussed whether they could joke with group members, asking things like, "Hey, what's wrong with your face today?" Moonbyul stated that she could joke like that with her teammates, but Lee Mi-joo and Hyojung admitted they wouldn't. Heo Young-ji added that maintaining a little distance isn't necessarily a bad thing, and sometimes too much intimacy isn't better.
After this conversation was revealed, it sparked considerable discussion among netizens. Some argued that while idol groups appear intimate, they are essentially like workplace colleagues, working together daily and enduring pressure, which differs from truly close private friends. Others believed that the relationships between group members couldn't be simply defined as 'colleagues' or 'friends,' given they experience trainee periods, debut, activities, and lows together, forming emotional bonds incomparable to ordinary workplace relationships.
Many also pointed out that office friendships or workplace romances can easily become complicated because daily interactions mean that awkwardness can affect work. Maintaining an appropriate distance between members might lead to more stable and long-lasting relationships.
Netizens also analyzed that being friends first and then working together is entirely different from meeting through work and gradually becoming close. The former might lead to estrangement due to work pressure, while the latter might only truly become friends after leaving their jobs or ending their collaboration. The key isn't which relationship is better, but whether they can manage boundaries well.
Additionally, some fans believe that the relationships between idol group members are inherently complex and cannot be easily summarized. They are not merely colleagues, nor family, nor just ordinary friends. Within a group, there are both mutual reliance and inevitable competition for popularity, opportunities, and roles. Even if everyone wants the group to succeed, when resources are limited, pressure and comparison still exist.
Therefore, many netizens concluded that while members may have good feelings for each other, that relationship is still different from pure friendship without vested interests. Maintaining politeness, respect, and a sense of distance might be crucial for a group's longevity.
