Red Velvet’s Irene and aespa’s Karina Become A Hot Topic After Unexpected Interaction

Red Velvet’s Irene and aespa’s Karina are no strangers to going viral (thanks to their enduring popularity), but this time, the buzz isn’t about their individual talents or visuals. Instead, it’s about a rare and heartwarming interaction between the two stars.

Given their generational gap — Irene leads a third-generation girl group while Karina does so with a fourth — and limited opportunities to meet publicly, such moments are not common, making this recent one even more special.

At this year’s SMTOWN LIVE in Seoul concert, fans were treated to an endearing exchange during the final performance. Traditionally, all SM Entertainment artists join together on stage for a rendition of the iconic song “Hope,” interacting and sharing lighthearted moments. During this segment, Irene and Karina crossed paths, and their brief interaction quickly became a topic of discussion online.

karina liked irene recent instagram post 🥹🩷 pic.twitter.com/4SsjHo9jMX

— meowrene 𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒ᰔ (@tyarenebae) November 12, 2024

An unexpected clip captured Irene’s gentle smile and warm gaze as she conversed with Karina, sparking conversations across various Korean online platforms. It quickly went viral!

On Pann Nate, a post discussing their interaction garnered over 70,000 views and hundreds of comments, with many praising the dynamic between the Red Velvet leader and the aespa member.

If such a pretty unnie smiled and looked at me like that, I think my heart would flutter like crazy. Karina is the oldest unnie in her team, yet in front of the Red Velvet unnies, she totally turns into a baby lol.

— Pann user

karina cutely going over to irene and irene immediately smiling brightly when she saw karina 🥹 pic.twitter.com/GEcgwOjlr3

— •᎑• | 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑨 𝑭𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 🌷 (@notrenesbathtub) January 13, 2025

While their friendship isn’t entirely new, fans still appreciated seeing such a genuine moment.

• “Do you think we forgot about the Kakao Talk texts? Everyone knows its true other than Karina’s fans”
• “Irene sunbae-nim’s gaze is so affectionate”
• “Irene is such a good person, seriously so kind”
• “Are they the type to be nice to people who are more successful than them?”
• “The centers, leaders, and oldest unnies <3 The way she smiles at her juniors is so nice”