It is 10 p.m. in Seoul when Starship Entertainment’s latest girl group, KiiiKiii, pop up on Zoom for their first-ever global interview. The five members, who range in age from 14 to 19, greet Rolling Stone in Korean: “Hello, we are KiiiKiii!” But for the remainder of the conversation, they speak primarily in English.
This may not sound unique. After all, it has become the norm for K-pop groups to include members from English-speaking countries like the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. But KiiiKiii are all Korean nationals whose foreign-language skills were honed at school and under the tutelage of Starship prior to their February 2025 debut.
Their six-song debut EP, Uncut Gem, showcases an eclectic, fresh sound that plays off their youthful joie de vivre. “I Do Me” offers a whimsical introduction to the quintet, as the members exchange verses in both Korean and English: “I do me, I do me right/In the end it’s the path I chose/I do it my way.” “Groundwork” starts with a coy whisper before segueing into a bold, percussion-heavy declaration that “there’s no role model.” Meanwhile, the rap-heavy “Debut Song” announces the birth of their group by incorporating their group name along with snippets of “생일 축하 노래,” the Korean version of the “Happy Birthday” song.
Group leader/vocalist/rapper Jiyu is 18, as are vocalists Sui and Haum (who also raps). Rapper Leesol is the eldest at 19. Meanwhile, vocalist Kya is a 14-year-old middle schooler who juggles her commitments as a K-pop idol with her daily homework.
“Honestly, I think being in KiiiKiii is harder [than being in school], and Kya has it the hardest, doing both,” Jiyu tells Rolling Stone. “But being in this group makes me happier than just about anything in my life.”
Leesol adds: “KiiiKiii worked hard and spent a long time together. We became closer and worked hard. But we have fun as well.”
Fun plays a big part in KiiiKiii’s concept. The symbolism of their group name is twofold: In Korean, “ㅋㅋ” (pronounced “keke” or “kiki”) is slang for “LOL,” and it represents the group’s goal of having a good time together. The six I’s in KiiiKiii are deliberate, too, with each vowel representing one of the five members. As for the sixth? It’s saved for their fans.
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With the exception of Kya, who joined the group about seven months ago, the members trained for about two years. During that time, they formed strong friendships, based not only on their age and their love of music, but their enthusiasm for the small pleasures of day-to-day life.
When they talk about what they enjoy doing when they’re not working, each member replies like a typical teen.
“I watch YouTube and mukbangs,” Sui says, referring to the popular genre of Korean eating shows.
“I’m watching YouTube, too, or TikTok maybe,” Kya says, laughing. “Mostly I’m just playing on my phone.”
Meanwhile, Jiyu says, “I like to watch Netflix or read a book. I also like to do yoga.”
“I love watching dramas and reading books,” Leesol says. “Jiyu does yoga, but in my case, I’m doing pilates in the morning.”
Haum says, “I’m watching YouTube, too. And I like to eat!”
Though there is no such thing as a typical day for any K-pop group, the performers say they are generally not early risers.
“We don’t go to bed until about 1 or 2 in the morning,” Leesol says. “So we don’t usually start the day until about 9 or 10 a.m. During that time, we have time to practice and then relax. And we get enough sleep each night, which is important for our work.”
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Their management has referred to KiiiKiii as the Five Gems of K-pop, a concept that the group alluded to when they posted a photo of their preferred gemstones on Instagram. Keeping the gem theme going, I ask each member what they find precious about each other.
Looking at Kya and giving her a thumbs up, Sui says, “Kya is such a good vocalist and has a sweet soul.” Kya says, “Jiyu has a really girly voice, but her vocals are powerful. Her vocals are really my type. Starship picked Jiyu as our leader, but if we were told to vote, I would have picked her, too.”
As Jiyu smiles in gratitude, the other members nod their heads in agreement with Kya’s assessment. Looking over at Leesol, Jiyu says, “I think Leesol has so much appeal, because she looks very pretty. But when she raps, her voice is strong and cool. I love her rapping.” Waving thanks, Leesol says, “Haum is so good at dancing. Also, she is good at expressing her emotions whether she is dancing or singing.”
When Kya notices that Sui has been left out, all the members quickly jump in to sing her praises. “Sui is always smiling and I get such good energy from her,” Haum says. “And Sui has really pretty vocals,” Kya adds. “Yes, Sui’s voice is very pretty,” Leesol agrees.
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By this point, Sui is laughing at the abundance of admiration being lavished on her.
“We all know how much we appreciate everyone’s efforts,” Sui says. “We are each individuals, but our success is tied together. That is why we work so hard, for ourselves and for each other and for who we are as KiiiKiii.”
