Ship

Yeji & Lia

Lia

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Yeji

About Yeji & Lia

The fan-shipped friendship pairing between ITZY's Hwang Yeji and Choi Jisu (Lia) has a distinctive origin story within the group: the two were not close during their JYP trainee days. Yeji has said she and Lia initially did not click, and that if asked which ITZY member was most different from her, she would have picked Lia. Their differing personalities — Yeji intense and performance-focused, Lia more bubbly and social — meant their paths did not cross naturally in training. Their friendship developed organically after the group moved in together ahead of their February 12, 2019 debut, and the longer they lived alongside each other the more they found common ground. Fans who have followed ITZY closely appreciate that their closeness was earned rather than assumed, which gives it a different texture from friendships built on same-age bonds or shared pre-debut history. A fan-celebrated moment that exemplifies their current rapport occurred at ITZY's ITZ MINE collection event with Charles and Keith in October 2022: when Yeji was visibly uncomfortable in her strapless dress and tried to discreetly adjust it, Lia noticed immediately and stepped in to shield her from cameras without being asked — with Ryujin and Chaeryeong joining in to form a protective circle. Fans widely shared the clip as a genuine example of the group's attentive care for one another.

The Yeji and Lia ship is valued by MIDZY for its 'enemies to friends' origin narrative — their initial distance makes the closeness they developed more meaningful. The absence of a well-known portmanteau for this pair (unlike Ryeji) reflects that it is a secondary ship within the ITZY fandom, with a smaller but dedicated following.

Fun facts

✦ Yeji and Lia were not close during their JYP trainee days; their friendship developed after they moved into the group dorm before their February 2019 debut.
✦ Yeji has said that if asked to name the ITZY member most different from her, she would pick Lia.
✦ Their contrasting personalities — Yeji intense and driven, Lia social and bubbly — are cited by fans as what makes their eventual closeness more interesting.
✦ At ITZY's ITZ MINE x Charles and Keith event in October 2022, Lia noticed Yeji was uncomfortable in her dress and stepped in to shield her from cameras along with Ryujin and Chaeryeong.
✦ ITZY celebrated their 6th anniversary on February 12, 2025, giving this friendship over six years of shared group life to draw on.

Moments

2022-10

ITZ MINE Event Shield Moment

At ITZY's ITZ MINE x Charles and Keith pop-up event in October 2022, Lia noticed that Yeji was uncomfortable with the cut of her strapless dress and quietly stepped in to shield her from the cameras, with Ryujin and Chaeryeong joining in. Fans widely shared the clip as an example of their attentive care for each other.
2019-02

ITZY Debut

Yeji and Lia debuted together as part of ITZY on February 12, 2019, under JYP Entertainment. Their friendship had only recently developed after moving into the group dorm — their debut marked the beginning of documented public interaction.