[Sportschosun reporter Jo Min-jeong] Singers Lee Ji-hye, Baek Ji-young, and Yuri, formerly of Cool, looked back on nearly 30 years of friendship and candidly reflected on their younger selves.
On the 2nd, a video titled "Lee Ji-hye's real close friends! Cool's Yuri and Baek Ji-young reveal tearful 30-year friendship for the first time (karaoke members)" was uploaded to the YouTube channel Gwanjong Unnie.
That day, the three women reunited for the first time in a while with Yuri, who had returned to South Korea after seven years, and shared memories and friendship that began during their karaoke days. During the conversation, Lee Ji-hye said, "The older sisters really hated pretentiousness and hypocrisy. So I didn't get along well with people like that."
Baek Ji-young agreed, saying, "We often complimented people for being pretty. But we never asked to meet them a second time." She added honestly, "If someone had bad drinking habits or we just didn't click, we didn't continue the relationship." Yuri also laughed and said, "We were really kind to each other," but added, "If you asked the people who passed by us, not just the three of us, they might say something different." After a brief pause, the three burst into laughter, saying, "I guess we were only kind to each other." Yuri admitted, "We may have seemed a bit harsh to other people," and Lee Ji-hye agreed, saying, "When we were younger, we were much more outspoken than we are now."
Still, the three said the reason they have been able to keep their friendship for so long is their "unpretentious honesty." They explained that because they could show each other exactly who they were without putting on an act, they have been able to maintain a family-like bond to this day.
The video continued with a range of conversations, from stories about their time together at karaoke in the past to marriage, parenting, and family life. The three drew laughter with their unchanged wit and chemistry.
Meanwhile, Lee Ji-hye, Baek Ji-young, and Yuri are well-known close friends in the entertainment industry who have maintained a strong bond since the 1990s.
Jo Min-jeong, mj.cho@sportschosun.com
