SM Entertainment—the agency behind Aespa, NCT, and Red Velvet—has selected the leader of its new rookie girl group, Heart2Hearts, naming Jiwoo as the leader.
In a post on Naver on Wednesday, it was reported that Jiwoo would be leading her eight-member girl group, which is set to debut on February 24 at the Yes24 Live Hall in the Gwangjin District. Their debut fan showcase will be named "Chase Our Hearts."
Jiwoo, born in 2006, is described as a leader with "cool visuals with short hair" who has been trained in ballet, allowing her to have "graceful dance lines." She will lead the group's other members, including:
- Ye-On (born 2010)
- Ian (born 2009)
- A-NA (born 2008)
- Junn (born 2008)
- Stella (born 2007)
- Yuha (born 2007)
- Carmen (born 2006)
According to SM Entertainment, the group's name means "to connect with global fans through a mysterious musical world filled with various emotions and heartfelt messages and move forward together as a greater 'us,'" as reported by J-14.
The group will release their first single album, The Chase, following their debut fan showcase. The album will contain two tracks, "The Chase" and "Butterflies."
Hearts2Hearts was first revealed on January 12, 2025, during SMTOWN Live 2025, which was part of SM Entertainment's 30th-anniversary celebrations.
The group's formation faced several delays, having been initially planned for late 2023 before being pushed to early 2025. They are notably SM's first girl group to debut without the involvement of founder Lee Soo-man, who stepped down as executive producer in March 2023.
SM Entertainment is known to be a major player in the K-pop industry and is one of the four big agencies in the Korean entertainment scene. Heart2Hearts' debut will follow that of Riize, a boy group the label debuted in 2023.
