Kpop Review

Red Velvet Yeri Reveals Group's 'Phone Curfew' During Debut Days: 'Because of The Seniors...'

Red Velvet’s maknae Yeri revealed the group had to undergo a “phone curfew” as rookies.

On July 1, 2024, an episode featuring Red Velvet members Seulgi, Joy, and Yeri aired on Shin Dong Yup’s official YouTube channel “짠한형 신동엽.” During the show, Yeri discussed how company regulations became stricter after her debut. To be specific, she spoke about how the company imposed a curfew on cellphone usage when she debuted.

[video_shortcode_youtube src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/cLa_xMSdwV4?si=umPupxHZUJVqNOs_”]

The idol recalled how there was no such rule when she was a trainee, and wondered why she had to give up her phone.

She explained, “When we were rookies, there was a curfew where we weren’t allowed to use mobile phones. It was strange because I had a phone when I was a trainee, but it suddenly disappeared after I debuted. I wondered why I had to give up my phone.”

Red Velvet Yeri Reveals Group’s ‘Phone Curfew’ During Debut Days: ‘Because Of The Seniors…’ (Photo : Yeri Instagram)

Shin Dong Yup humorously replied, revealing the likely reason the girls had to give up their phones. He said, “You have to blame the senior idols for that,” which caused laughter.

He continued, “They were allowed to use their phones, and then something would explode and there would be meetings about it… You should blame the seniors.”

Joy revealed that they no longer follow this rule, stating, “It’s not like that these days. We are free. I think we were the last group to go through that.”

Red Velvet Yeri Reveals Group’s ‘Phone Curfew’ During Debut Days: ‘Because Of The Seniors…’ (Photo : Red Velvet on X)

This video quickly spread across South Korean online community forums, sparking mixed reactions. Some netizens agreed with Shin Dong Yup and understood his reasoning. Meanwhile, others thought his words did not match the current trends.

Some comments from netizens read,

  • “The moment aespa started having individual activities, they were flooded with dating rumors.”
  • “With all the good-looking people in the entertainment industry gathered together, there’s bound to be trouble.”
  • “They can manage on their own.”
  • “Nowadays, they need phones to communicate through Bubble.”

In other news, Red Velvet released their new album “Cosmic” on June 24 to celebrate their 10th anniversary. The album includes six tracks, with the title track “Cosmic.” The music video for “Cosmic,” which was filmed to showcase a midsummer festival, has garnered attention for its homage to the film “Midsommar.”