RISENNE’s Woni and Minami turned JTBC’s variety show Knowing Bros into a laugh riot, spilling the bittersweet truth about their chaotic dorm life and sharing how a viral comeback changed everything.
The June 20 episode of Knowing Bros aired as a special 'Knowing Retreat.' Guests included Brown Eyed Girls’ Narsha and JeA, fromis_9’s Lee Chaeyoung and Baek Ji-heon, RISENNE’s Woni and Minami, and Baby Don’t Cry’s Lee Hyun and Benny.
Woni made an entrance by calling herself "Geoje’s first-ever idol," immediately stealing the spotlight. When Lee Soo-geun joked, "I used to go fishing in Geoje a lot. Was the person who greeted me back then Woni over there?", Woni quipped back, "That was my mom," cracking everyone up.
She also flaunted her pride in her hometown of Geoje. "I’ve become something people brag about in Geoje," Woni said, adding, "I was just appointed as a Geoje City PR ambassador." On her name, she explained, "Woni is my given name and my family name is Jeong. People think it’s a single-syllable name and call me 'Jeong-won' by mistake."
Their dorm story had everyone in stitches. "We started in a really small company," Woni revealed. "Our dorm looks like it could collapse any minute." Minami shot back, "At one point I was like, please just let it collapse," sending the room into hysterics. The struggle was real: "When we turn on the AC, our downstairs neighbor comes up swearing," Woni said, shocking the cast. "The outdoor unit’s vibration travels down and causes noise between floors," she added, describing how tough things were.
Thankfully, there’s finally good news. "Our CEO promised we’d move," Woni and Minami shared, brimming with excitement for their new place. "The new dorm has three bathrooms," they said, earning cheers from the panel and guests.
Minami also revealed the backstory of the online-viral 'Geoje Yaho' meme. "'Yaho' is a greeting in Japan, kind of like 'hey' or 'hi'," she explained. When Kim Shin-young asked, "People say you learned it from your mom—is that true?", Minami replied, "My mom was a gyaru from the bubble era," grabbing attention. She added, "Every time I film a video, my mom goes, 'That’s not how you do it,'" making everyone laugh.
Born from Minami’s gyaru-concept skit and Woni’s Geoje dialect, the 'Geoje Yaho' meme spread across online communities and short-form platforms, boosting RISENNE’s recognition.
Meanwhile, riding the momentum of the 'Geoje Yaho' trend, RISENNE’s signature track 'LOVE ATTACK' is surging back up the charts. The duo will return on July 8 with a remake of KARA’s hit 'Pretty Girl.'