NMIXX Meets Girls' Generation's Hyoyeon on 'Hyoyeon's Level Up'

SNSD's Hyoyeon Faces Off With NMIXX in New Variety Skit

Girls' Generation's Hyoyeon traded jokes with NMIXX in a late-night radio skit on her YouTube channel, admitting she had to study up to keep pace.

Girls' Generation's Hyoyeon found herself outmatched by a younger girl group on her own YouTube channel. The veteran idol welcomed NMIXX members Haewon, Lily, Haeyoon, and Kyujin for a comedy skit on "Hyoyeon's Level Up," posted on Tuesday.

In the segment, Hyoyeon played the host of a fictional late-night radio show called "Honey Night," with NMIXX joining as guests. Before the skit began, she made it clear she had done her homework. "These kids are really good at variety. I couldn't get pushed around, so I studied up," she said, flipping open a notebook filled with trending catchphrases.

Once the cameras rolled, the rookies showed why she had reason to prepare. The NMIXX members worked through the bit with quick timing and a straight-faced commitment to the gags that kept Hyoyeon on her toes.

In one corner, listeners sent in stories about embarrassing moments, and Lily read a letter about getting an upset stomach in an elevator. Her exaggerated voice acting drew real laughs. When Hyoyeon tried to match the energy with a broader take, Haewon cut in with a blunt assessment. "When you did it, sunbaenim, it felt a little forced," she said. In Korean entertainment, "sunbaenim" is a respectful term for a senior in one's field, which made the jab land even harder.

The back-and-forth continued in a segment where the cast recommended songs to fit each embarrassing story. One letter came from a listener who picked up a stranger's wallet on the street, mistook the owner's gratitude for romantic interest, and ran away. Haewon suggested Taeyang's "Only Look at Me," then rewrote the lyrics on the spot. "Even if I pick up a wallet, you don't pick one up," she sang, earning applause from the room.

Feeling the pressure, Hyoyeon blurted out "Bindaetteok Sinsa," a Korean trot standard from decades ago, as her own pick. The choice landed with a thud, leaving the NMIXX members visibly confused.

In an interview tagged onto the episode, Hyoyeon summed up the experience with a joke. "I'm known as one of the funniest idols out there, but NMIXX came in with a ladle trying to scoop food right out of my bowl," she said. "I had to bring my A-game."