On August 14, Irene appeared on Lee Young-ji’s YouTube series “No Prepare”, where she reflected on her debut, her relationship with the younger members of Red Velvet and how her responsibilities as the group’s oldest member and leader shaped her early career.
During the conversation, Lee Young-ji brought up Irene’s debut at the age of 24. Young-ji recalled that she once thought 24 was quite an adult age, but her perspective changed after reaching that age herself. She then asked Irene whether people frequently commented on the fact that she had debuted relatively late for an idol.
At the time, debuting at 24 was considered relatively late compared with many other K-pop idols. As a result, Irene said that discussions about her age became a recurring topic whenever she appeared on television.
However, she revealed that she personally did not spend much time worrying about the number. Rather than focusing on being 24, Irene said she was more concerned with looking after the younger members who had debuted alongside her.
She explained that there was simply too much to take care of, meaning her own age did not feel particularly important at the time. “I had to take care of the members next to me,” Irene recalled, explaining that she was so occupied with looking after them that she did not have much time to think about her own age.
As the oldest member and leader of Red Velvet, Irene often put the other members before herself. She said that she spent much of that period thinking about the younger members and only gradually learned to pay more attention to herself as time went on. When Young-ji asked whether she now takes better care of herself, Irene confidently replied, “Of course.”
Irene also spoke about her longstanding relationship with fellow Red Velvet member Yeri. When asked which younger member she was particularly fond of, Irene chose Yeri and revealed that she had known her since Yeri was just 12 years old. Their relationship dates back to Irene’s trainee years, when Irene was 20. The revelation highlighted just how long the two have known each other and further illustrated Irene’s role as an older sister figure within the group.
Irene debuted as a member of Red Velvet in 2014 and went on to become the group’s leader and oldest member. The group achieved major success with hit songs including “Ice Cream Cake,” “Red Flavor” and “Psycho,” establishing themselves as one of K-pop’s leading girl groups.
Now more than a decade into her career, Irene continues to pursue activities both as a member of Red Velvet and as a solo artist. In 2026, she embarked on her first solo Asia tour, marking another significant milestone in her career.
Sources: Naver