Korean entertainment media have recently documented a new phenomenon among idol groups (when do they not?), that they have so appropriately named ‘Age-Difference Groups?’

Current popular idol groups presently contain members with considerable age difference, creating what they call “a new category called ‘age-difference groups’ for ones like them.”

Severely under-appreciated group B2Y is placed as an example, as the group’s leader HanYeon was born in 1983, while the rest of the members Nara, Rika, and Jin Woong were born in 1988, creating an age difference of 5 years and, in their words, “gaining a lot of attention and interest towards them” (really?).

Other familiar examples are 2NE1 (Bom-Dara 1984 / CL 1991, Minji 1994), After School (Gahee 1980 / Bekah 1989), Super Junior (Heechul-Leeteuk 1983 / Kyuhyun 1988), 2AM (Changmin 1986, Jinwoon 1991) and U-Kiss (Soo Hyun 1989, Dong Ho 1994). And…

Paran (Ryan 1983, AJ 1991), KARA (Gyuri-Seungyeon 1988, Jiyoung 1994), older groups such as GOD (Park Joon Hyung 1969, Kim Tae Woo 1981) and Roo’ra (Lee Sangmin 1973, Kim Ji Hyun 1972, Chae Ri Na 1977) “are seen as the legendary figures of this age-difference category.”

The whole thing’s become a bit of a meme in the industry, with insiders saying a five year age gap is the key to success.

According to the article, however, the real reason for the trend is because, “unlike the past in which teams were created with members of the same age, the reason there are so many ‘age difference groups’ is because the age of debuting singers is getting younger, and the preparation and trainee durations are varied, hence the factor of age differences becoming very diverse among them.”

Also, there is the time-worn tradition of placing the oldest as leader, which entertainment insiders say is reaping good results, creating a natural hierarchy within the group that enables them to work well together and appeal to fans of a wide age range.


The potential increase in fans is motivation enough to employ the Age Strategy, but I do believe part of 2NE1’s success has been due to the girls being so individualized. I could foresee problems in the future, when Dara and Bom get closer to the big 3-0, and start thinking more about solo activities. However, in most groups I just don’t think it matters as much. In KARA, you don’t even notice the age difference, since the girls perform very much as one unit. Guy groups, I wouldn’t believe age would matter so much either; really the fans don’t care if they’re 10 years apart as long as they’re all hot. And five years, isn’t that big of difference really, especially once you hit your 20’s. How about a 16 year age difference?

Wild Chrysanthemum’s Choi Sung Won and Yang Byung Jib were the OG’s of this trend, producing a group in the 1990s called, fittingly, ’16 year difference’ “in which members at the time Kim Yong Duk and Kim Yong Soo, two brothers, really had a 16 year age difference.”

Now that’s an age gap! I don’t think the “trend” is some huge game-changing phenomenon, but it’s interesting to note.


Translated by: orangie@ygsecret21.com
Date: October 25, 2009
Source: Dong-Ah News
c/o: ygsecret21.com + letsplay2ne1 + seoulbeats