IVE’s An Yujin recently caught fans’ attention by sharing the details of her growing friendship with aespa’s Karina.
During a recent episode of Salon Drip 2 on the YouTube channel TEO, Yujin spoke candidly with host Jang Doyeon about her connection with Karina, particularly after their joint performance. When asked if the two had discussed the challenges of being group leaders, Yujin responded, “I’ve always wanted to get closer to her. During that time, I was so focused on building our friendship that we didn’t really get into deeper conversations.”
The two first teamed up for a performance at the 2024 SBS Gayo Daejeon toward the end of last year, marking their first public collaboration.
When asked to elaborate on how they became friends, Yujin shyly replied, “It’s not like I’m talking about a romantic relationship, but is it okay to talk about this when she’s not around?” She continued, “Our first interaction was when we filmed a challenge together. The company told me Karina wanted to film with me, so we did. Since it was our first meeting, I didn’t want to look unprepared, so I tried to look polished for our shoot together.”
Yujin revealed that when she first met Karina, she had two main goals: to get permission to call her unnie (a respectful term for an older female friend in Korean) and her phone number. However, she admitted with a laugh, “I couldn’t accomplish either goal.” She explained, “There was so much to think about. It was our first meeting. I wanted to make a good impression with the dance and was overwhelmed.”
Their connection deepened through a collaborative performance. The broadcasting station facilitated the opportunity, and Yujin learned that Karina had also wanted to work with her. Initially hesitant to reach out, Yujin found herself second-guessing. “I kept thinking, What if she feels uncomfortable if I just ask for a collaboration?” she said. “I wondered if she’d feel obligated to say yes because I was reaching out personally. I thought about it for so long, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask. In the end, I just ended up getting her number,” Yujin revealed with a laugh.
However, the collaboration eventually came together. Just as Yujin was about to contact Karina, Karina reached out to her first. The two performed together and received much praise for their performance. When asked if their bond had strengthened, Yujin shyly lowered her head and said, “We decided to have a meal together.”