Aespa Winter and Red Velvet Irene’s Surprising Encounter Sparks Buzz

Red Velvet’s Irene and aespa’s Winter are surprising fans with their close friendship despite a 10-year age gap.

At SMTOWN in Tokyo this past weekend, the two were caught hugging and greeting the camera together, sparking a wave of fan excitement. A viral post on Pann, with over 40,000 views, highlighted multiple moments showcasing their bond.

Irene and Winter, both introverted idols, have defied expectations about their relationship. Fans speculated they’d struggle to connect, but the opposite happened.

During SMTOWN LA, Winter wore Irene’s name tag while Karina wore Seulgi’s, a playful nod to their friendship.

Winter also shared on Instagram a gift from Irene—a watermelon—calling Irene “my love.”

Fans noticed they share regional roots from Gyeongsang, which might help their connection.

Seulgi even mentioned Winter is her closest junior. Winter’s personality is known to be loved by older members, and she clearly adores Irene.

The Pann post said:

“They’re 35 and 25, so there’s a 10-year age gap, but maybe that actually made them click better since they’re both introverted? Anyway, they’re such a pretty duo, I love it.”