NCT’s Haechan Reveals What His Relationship With His Fellow SM Artists Are Like, And Which Group He’s Closest To

SM Entertainment is known for having some of the biggest stars in K-Pop, from soloists, boy groups, and girl groups. With so many huge artists, it might be daunting for new idols when they arrive in the company.

NCT DREAM‘s Jeno, Haechan, and Jaemin recently appeared on DIVE Studios‘ K-Pop Daebak with Eric Nam. During the episode, they discussed what it was like being a trainee at SM. Haechan explained how shocked he was when he first arrived!

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Host Eric Nam then asked if there were any idols he was a fan of before joining that he was star-struck after meeting. Like many people, Haechan explained that he loved Taemin from SHINee and what it was like when he saw him.

I loved Taemin from SHINee since ‘Replay.’ So it was kind of unbelievable, I guess. It was like, ‘Wow!’

— Haechan

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Eric then pointed out that it must be easier to become close to the other artists with events like the annual SM Halloween Party. Haechan explained that they were close with the members of Red Velvet because they trained together, which meant that they are more comfortable around each other.

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He also added that, because they are so young, most of the artists in the company are his seniors. Yet, even though many of them say that Haechan and the other members can be comfortable around them, he doesn’t feel like he can.

But above them, there’s a pretty big age gap between them and I. They tell me, ‘Just be comfortable. You can come and talk.’ But honestly, it’s not as easy as it sounds.

— Haechan

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For Haechan, it isn’t just the age that makes it harder for him to be comfortable but also the love and respect he has for them.

Especially since I loved SM artists since I was a baby. So, for me, they are figures I cannot easily approach.

— Haechan

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As SM continues to expand, there is no denying that new trainees will look up to the NCT members in the same way Haechan looked up to his seniors! You can watch the whole episode below.