Choi Yena discussed the IZ*ONE member who underwent the most change during the group’s time together and continued to stay the same even after their disbandment on a TV program.
On June 12, Choi Yena made an appearance as a guest on MBC’s “Radio Star“where she shared stories about her time in the former group, IZ*ONE.
Despite their separation and pursuit of individual careers, she specifically discussed her strong bond with the members.
Despite being asked which member treated her differently after the group disbanded, she chose Kim Chaewon. However, the reason behind her choice may not be what one would expect.
During her re-debut in LE SSERAFIM, she subtly mentioned the improved financial situation of the idol by proudly stating that Chaewon now treats her to meals and dessert on her own, as opposed to when they used to split the bill.
Yena recounted the following:
“When I was still living with the other IZ*ONE members, my roommate was Chaewon. During our free time, we would spend a lot of time together, such as going to the café. At the time, I was one year older than Chaewon, so as her older sister, I would mainly buy the food and she would buy the dessert.”
She went on to elaborate on her transformation, stating:
“But after Chaewon did well with LE SSERAFIM, she said she would buy the food. ‘Who earns more money, she’s the older sister.’ It made me happy. I was going to buy her dessert, but she also paid for it.”
During the ongoing broadcast, she also disclosed the identity of the member whose personality remained intact even after re-debuting.
Yena chose IVE’s Jang Wonyoung and brought him back to mind:
“Wonyoung had positive and spiritual thoughts even back then.
In the past, there were 12 people, so there was a long waiting time at the shop (salon). We had to wait for 11 people to get it first, so we had a lot of time left.
One day, Wonyoung and I got there the fastest, and we talked about what to do. She said we should go to a café and eat bread. Since then, we have developed a culture of eating with the members who finish (to get their makeup) first.”
Initially, Choi Yena gained recognition as a member of IZ*ONE when the group debuted in 2018. However, in 2021, the group disbanded and Choi Yena has since embarked on a different career path.
Chaewon, Sakura, Wonyoung, and An Yujin all joined new girl groups, while Choi Yena made the decision to pursue a career as a soloist and variety show entertainer.
In her seventh year as an idol, she discussed the changes that have occurred over the years and the rise of challenge culture with the increasing popularity of short-form videos.
She stated:
‘When I was promoting with IZ*ONE, there was no challenge culture. But now, there is a separate department in charge of challenges.”
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