K-pop friendships: BTS' Jungkook, ASTRO's Cha Eun-woo, and other members of the 97 Liners

The 97 liners squad from the K-pop world is probably the most popular of all. While cliques like Wooga Squad have their own vast fandoms, 97 liners can clearly be dubbed the in-vogue K-pop members. The 97 liners squad features global personalities like BTS' Jungkook, along with K-drama and K-pop star Cha Eun-woo, among others.

Born in the same year, the 97 liners also own a group chat, which gives an insight into their wonderful friendship, through exciting social media posts.

Many fans believe that the group was formed due to the close friendship between BTS' Jungkook and GOT7's Yugyeom. Both the maknaes could be called the co-founders who later invited their other buddies.

K-pop squads: Meet K-pop's 97 liners

1) BTS' Jungkook

BTS' Jungkook, also known as the 'Golden Maknae', is one of the members of the group. Born in September 1997, the K-pop idol made his debut with BTS in 2013. The Still With You singer always had a close bond with GOT7's Yugyeom, a bond which later birthed the group.

Back in 2017, Jungkook also thanked his 97 squad members, which fans didn't fail to notice. In a "Thanks to" section on the You Never Walk Alone album, Jungkook wrote, “To my 97-liner friends Yugyeom-ie, Dokyeom-ie, Mingyu, Bam-ie, Myungho, Jaehyun-ie, let’s meet soon and have fun.”

2) GOT7's Yugyeom and Bambam

GOT7's maknaes Bambam and Yugyeom are also a part of the the 97 liner squad. Yugyeom has been a very close friend of Jungkook, and the two also share matching tattoos in honor of their friendship.

On the other hand, Thai-born South Korean rapper, Bambam, who was also born in the same year, is also a part of the 97 liner squad. Back in 2016, he had posted a selfie with the other members in the squad and created a buzz on Instagram.

3) NCT's Jaehyun

The singer and actor from NCT is another member of the iconic K-pop squad. He is one of the main vocalists and dancers of the group, and is also a part of NCT's subunits NCT U and NCT 127.

It's a mystery as to when Jaehyun joined the group, but he has definitely been in the clique since the start of its expansion. Jungkook also mentioned Jaehyun in his "Thanks to" letter - a proof of their close friendship.

4) SEVENTEEN's Mingyu, The8, and DK

The trio from SEVENTEEN were also born in the year 1997, and are members of the 97 liners group. The three K-pop idols from Pledis Entertainment's boy group are packed with talent as they act as rappers, vocalists, dancers, and visuals of the group.

They share a special bond within the band, along with other members of the 97 group.

5) ASTRO's Cha Eun-woo

The K-pop idol turned K-drama heartthrob was the last member to join the 97 liners squad - which was a result of his close friendship with SEVENTEEN's Mingyu.

Reportedly, the My Name is Gangnam Beauty star joined the group in 2018, and Cha Eun-woo now acts as a full-time affiliate of the group.

About the author

Muskan Jaiswal is a journalist specializing in pop-culture, lifestyle, and Korean entertainment at Sportskeeda. With a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a Master's Diploma in Journalism, she began writing as a form of creative expression during the pandemic-related lockdown. She has about four years of experience, working at Otakukart, Movieweb, The Times of India, Aeroplay Entertainment, and Lifestyle Asia, among other organizations.

As a Pop-culture writer, she values presenting reports after a robust fact-checking process on celebrities and other trending topics, which interest people. Among her professional achievements is a feature on eco-friendly practices in K-pop album production. This write-up, which took a week of research, covered a range of sub-topics such as the export-import history of K-pop albums, and shifts in music marketing in that industry.

When not working, she enjoys watching films and discovering indie artists across several music platforms. Her favorite bands include Coldplay, BTS, and CAS.

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