On February 17, Starhaus shared, "The two companies plan to propel forward with a close, cooperative relationship under an expansive family strategy; we have formed 'Smile Girls' as our first project."
Smile Girls will be the first Korean-Chinese duo ever, featuring Korean rookie singer Yoo Hye In and Chinese singer Zeng Qiu Hong. They debuted with the song "1001 Wishes" via popular Chinese program 'Chun Jie Wan Hui,' which they filmed for earlier today for Lunar / Chinese New Year.
Yoo Hye In and Zeng Qiu Hong have had some experience in the entertainment industry prior to their debut. While Yoo Hye In is the leading actress acting opposite of Seo Kang Jun for the upcoming movie 'Summer Snow,' Zeng Qiu Hong was discovered by SMG after competing on 'Chinese Idol Season 2' and advancing as one of the top four.
After seeing Chinese members take up vital roles in Korean idol groups for years as well as Korean idols themselves advancing into the Chinese market, it's interesting to see K-Pop move forward and collaborate even more with the Chinese entertainment industry. Although the unison between the two worlds hasn't come without some awkward tension, as miss A's Fei points out by sharing how she experienced prejudice when she first worked in Korea, perhaps this negativity will die out over time as Korean and Chinese celebrities gradually receive love and attention from each others' countries. Smile Girls may prove to be another step in this direction.
What do you guys think?
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