K-Pop fans were surprised to learn that Apink's Naeun and BIGBANG's G-Dragon are close friends.

The revelation came after G-Dragon sent her a pair of shoes from his new collection, KWONDO, peaceminusone. The shoes are part of a limited edition of 88 pairs, which is a trademark of the brand.

The number 88 is significant to G-Dragon as he was born in 1988.Naeun took to Instagram to express her gratitude for the gift, sharing a photo of the shoes and tagging the brands.

While some fans were shocked to see the two idols' friendship, others were not surprised, citing the close relationships between idols from the 2nd generation of K-Pop groups.

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Here are some reactions from netizens:

"I can't believe they're friends! This is such a surprise!"

"Wow, Naeun is so lucky to receive a pair of shoes from G-Dragon's new collection!"

"I'm not surprised they're friends. K-Pop idols have close relationships, especially from the 2nd generation."

"I hope they collaborate on a project together someday."

"G-Dragon is such a generous person to give away limited edition items to his friends."

"I can't wait to see Naeun wear those shoes on stage!"

"I love seeing friendships between idols from different groups."

"This just proves that K-Pop idols are not just colleagues, but also friends."

"I wish I could be friends with G-Dragon too!"

"It's nice to see that Naeun and G-Dragon have a genuine friendship outside of their careers."

"All of the people in the second generation are actually close. They don't show it, though. Girls' Generation and BIGBANG were close, and T.O.P and Gu Hara were, too, which was a surprise"

"G-Dragon is close with most of the female idols from the second generation. It's great that it doesn't make him act up"

"Is it because both of them are signed to YG Entertainment?"

"Son Naeun really does have a lot of friends. I think she just quietly meets them and doesn't say anything about it"

"Originally, there were a lot of surprising friendships between celebrities"

What are your thoughts?

Source[1]

NewJeans' Minji touched fans' hearts with a handwritten letter on her birthday — even while the group is currently unable to promote due to legal issues.

On May 7, Minji celebrated her birthday by sharing a heartfelt message on the group’s personal SNS account, which the members opened themselves to stay connected with fans.

Minji began her letter with honesty, writing, “I think I’m living a busier life than I expected. When I finally looked up, it was already May, and it was my birthday.”

She admitted that she had a lot she wanted to say, but her thoughts felt “messy.” Still, her message to fans was clear, “I just hope that I, our members, and Bunnies can all be happy. Happiness is the biggest goal in my life.”

Minji then opened up about her personal journey and struggles, saying, “I sometimes think that running toward my happiness by doing what I love might look foolish to others. But isn’t giving up your happiness now for the sake of a future that might not even come… too harsh on yourself?”

Despite everything, she ended on a hopeful note, “I really miss the times when we shared our feelings through the good music we made together. But I always look forward to what’s ahead."

She added, "We didn’t stop here, and we’re not going to stop! It might look like we’re standing still, but I believe we’re growing deeper.”

Her message comes during a difficult time for NewJeans. The group announced last year that they were cutting ties with ADOR, their original agency, after trust was broken. They later began working independently under the new name ‘NJZ’.

However, ADOR responded with legal action — claiming the exclusive contract with NewJeans was still valid and asking the court to stop the group from promoting or signing deals.

The court sided with ADOR and granted an injunction, forcing NewJeans to pause their activities. Their appeal was rejected, and they’ve now filed a second appeal.

Through it all, Minji’s message proves one thing — even when forced to stop, NewJeans' hearts are still moving forward.

Source: [1]