8,177: That’s the total number of possible units that can be formed with SEVENTEEN’s lineup. (Given a total of 13 members in SEVENTEEN, the number of possible combinations of two to 12 members each is as follows: 2¹³ - 13 [single-member combinations] - 1 [full group of 13] - 1 [empty group] = 8,177.) Given, as well, the size of the 13-member group, there are certain relationships within SEVENTEEN, including official units (the hip hop, vocal and performance teams), units formed from members of the same age and other combinations based on their activities. “Relationships,” which define the nature of the connections between two or more subjects, is an apt word to describe the characteristic appeal of and stories behind SEVENTEEN’s different configurations. As this has given rise to the phrase, “relationships are SEVENTEEN and SEVENTEEN is relationships,” it’s no wonder their relationships are one of the major factors that go into CARAT pledging to be C4L, or CARAT for life. This article will walk you through a number of SEVENTEEN’s relationships out of 8,177 portrayed through their unit songs and content by unit, age, between leaders, between different teams and other relationships.

BooSeokSoon (BSS): SEUNGKWAN, DK & HOSHI

Although they have had the misfortune of never having had a comeback since they first debuted, this was the first special unit within SEVENTEEN to embark on their own independent activities. SEUNGKWAN even said on the 123rd episode of MMTG, “With your love, we can make a comeback!” And while CARAT has spared no amount of love, the unit has sadly still yet to make one. It’s fair to think “Just do it” was the start of the BooSeokSoon unit, but it in fact was first foreseen on SEVENTEEN TV in 2013, long before the group ever debuted: Standing out even among the mass of members assembled, the three of them suddenly danced to Daesung’s “Look at Me, Gwisun” without warning and performed routines along the lines of the “We Need to Talk” and “Father and Son” sketches on Gag Concert (with notable skill in imitating accents and dialects). The combination of one E and two Is (per the MBTI system) makes them riotously funny as SEUNGKWAN is the only E among them but grows quiet when the three band together, while HOSHI and DK revert to typical quiet INFPs when outside the SEVENTEEN circle. Why not give “Just do it” one more listen so that CARAT’s love can bring BSS back?

Bring It Boyz/Heavy Rain Warning: HOSHI & WOOZI

The fun of this unit derives from the way one half—HOSHI—is clingy, while the other—WOOZI—is always guarded. That dynamic is on full display in In the SOOP SVT ver. when HOSHI rolls up onto WOOZI’s blanket, seeking attention from the other side of this combination, only for WOOZI to push him away with a knee without even glancing over. A fun development, however, is how WOOZI has recently taken to letting his guard down somewhat and, though he tries to hide it, clearly enjoys the attention. For example, WOOZI, who once quite actively policed HOSHI from making habitual mention of tigers or his related catchphrase, “horanghae,” could be seen coming to terms with it while choosing a partner in episode 32 of GOING SEVENTEEN, “Best Friends #2.” And then, on August 14, HOSHI posted a video on Weverse of himself yelling “horanghae,” with WOOZI off to the side yelling “woo-a-hae”; to top it all off, WOOZI left a comment under the video, saying, “If you can’t beat them, join them ….” This shift in the dynamics of the relationship has been fascinating for CARAT to watch, who have framed the change as an epic about the acceptance of horanghae, while WOOZI himself has begun to push woo-a-hae even more than HOSHI does his own phrase. If you want to see more of the HoWooz dynamic—considered a standout among friendships that run deeper than simply being between people the same age—your recommended viewing for the day is In the SOOP SVT ver.

95z/Big Hyeongz: S.COUPS, JEONGHAN & JOSHUA

95z consists of the three oldest, most dependable members, or hyeongs: S.COUPS, JEONGHAN and JOSHUA. The same can be said of any group, but when yours has 13 members like SEVENTEEN does, the role the oldest ones take on to lead everyone is especially important. It’s for that reason that 95z also play a major role in contributing to SEVENTEEN’s uniquely family-like atmosphere and helping the other members get along like friends and family at the same time. This can be seen in the sixth episode of SEVENTEEN One Fine Day in JAPAN, when a small misunderstanding leads to a dispute between the older and younger teams: The atmosphere quickly deteriorates in the middle of a game when the two sides become somewhat oversensitive. It’s here when 95z say, “Wouldn’t it be better if we talked this out amongst ourselves first?” and set aside some time to do just that. It’s also only to be expected that conflict like that would arise when 13 people with different personalities and viewpoints are spending their time together. And, of course, it’s 95z who take the lead when it comes to resolving such conflict as it arises. On the other hand, when it’s just the three 95z alone, they revert to three friends goofing around. A prime example is the way JEONGHAN and JOSHUA team up to tease S.COUPS. When 95z were asked, in the ELLE Chemistry Workshop, “Among the older members, who do you want to tease the most?” JEONGHAN and JOSHUA didn’t hesitate to point to S.COUPS immediately.

ChannyKwanny/Pretenemies: DINO & SEUNGKWAN

SEUNGKWAN and DINO have a corner on the market in SEVENTEEN when it comes to pretenemy chemistry. They come across as soulmates who finish each other’s sentences—to the point of it becoming ridiculous, it’s often said. They’re all talk when they repeatedly threaten to “fold” the relationship because they’re “not a good match”; it’s clear to anyone watching that they’re more joined at the hip than anybody and, per the name, only pretenemies. In a 2017 V LIVE titled “SEVENTEEN X LieV,” the older members turn on him and call him the “kind of friend [who] points out that there was homework to go over,” but SEUNGKWAN sees this teasing going on and puts his foot down to defend him: “No, we need to be clear about this. We’re teasing him as a joke. DINO would never do that.” The climax comes toward the end of the video (1:30:20–24). As the camera pans across all the sleepy members to wrap up the video, SEUNGKWAN speaks again, this time directly to DINO, nearly off-screen, saying, “You’re not that kind of person! I know,” and they hug. Though easy to miss at only four seconds long, this scene has been considered a legendary moment in ChannyKwanny chemistry among CARAT ever since they saw it.

Rocketz: JOSHUA & VERNON 

Rocketz is a combination that CARAT finds so visually striking that they refer to them as a “face attack combo.” Aside from their sculpted appearance, the subtly humorous chemistry between its members is the real charm of this unit. JOSHUA often displays a subtle madness(?) in his use of water to crack jokes, enough to recently earn him the nickname Josua on GOING SEVENTEEN, where su is a play on a Korean term for water. Take episode 37, “How to Eat Rice the Perfect Way #2,” for example: He explains that “ramyeon tastes best when it’s cold outside,” and then, instead of continuing to eat, he suddenly takes a bucket full of ice-cold water and pours it over his head (in a scene that leads the entire group to give him a standing ovation). In another instance—episode 41, “The Truman Show of Mr. SVT’s We Live Alone #2”—JOSHUA is listening to ASMR rain sounds, then suddenly decides he wants to be out in the rain, so he grabs an umbrella and heads into the shower. On a birthday V LIVE for the 218 Broz titled “HAPPY 218 DAY🐶🐻‍❄️,” VERNON discussed the incident, saying JOSHUA “was on another level” and “he went all the way,” adding that “I actually learn something” from watching him. But VERNON is showing off a new side of himself just as much as JOSHUA does now. While JOSHUA does his thing through GOING SEVENTEEN, VERNON has proved himself on Weverse as the “meme expert boy” of all Internet memes and a living “five-minute rice soup boy.” CARAT caught on to his meme addiction, saying things like, “VERNON, what’s your Twitter ID?” “I’m worried VERNON and I might have passed each other on our Twitter timelines,” and, “He’s probably following thousands of accounts.” VERNON clarified himself in a voice-only V LIVE titled “In The Room Met Gala” on May 3, explaining, “I’m not on Twitter. I just use … the SEVENTEEN account. I don’t personally have a Twitter account.”

Leaderz: S.COUPS, WOOZI & HOSHI

These are the leaders of the hip hop, vocal and performance teams. They also take on the responsibility of leading the entire group, their efforts earning the group the collective descriptor “SEVENTEEN = A+ model for group projects” from CARAT. The leaders have also become known as the so-called “tear-jerker” combination among CARAT. Although the three are admirable and reliable, CARAT knows better than anyone the burden and pressure these leaders bear. If you’re looking for these leaders’ honest thoughts on the group, look no further than episode 23 of GOING SEVENTEEN, “TTT #3 (Camping Ver.).” Their frank confessions make their hopes and dreams of staying together as a group for a long time to come clear, even more than anyone else. Their performance of their unit song “CHANGE UP” on Mnet Present Special is a particularly good demonstration of the relationship and storied history that exists between the leaders and the other members. After S.COUPS sings the last of the lyrics (“change up"), the back of the stage opens up and the remaining 10 members, who had been behind the stage the whole time, move out as a group with all eyes on the leaders. The leaders, in turn, face the other members and walk toward them, and everyone finds their position in a group formation. The performance ends when the leaders take their positions and all 13 members stare out into the audience. The scene shows the bonds between them and their relationships, and seems to say that SEVENTEEN can only be whole when its three leaders and 10 other members join together as one. It’s fair to say that, seven years after the group’s 2015 debut, the leaders are fulfilling their role as admirably as ever thanks to the members of the group always being trusting of and following close behind them and CARAT giving them their trust and support as well.

Noirz: WONWOO & VERNON

You would be forgiven if your mind merely conjures up images of handsome characters in a noir film after first hearing the name Noirz. But the truth is more complicated—a Korean language, mix-and-match version of shortened nicknames for WONWOO (“the slow one”) and VERNON (“the guy who doesn’t know anything”). As you might gather from the particularly unique name, the two have a similar disposition, and you can see it in the “Metal Tray Dance Room” segment of the 68th episode of JTBC’s Idol Room. When HOSHI tests the button and trays suddenly fall on their heads, S.COUPS and SEUNGKWAN approach HOSHI to rebuke him, while DK is visibly shaken. Meanwhile, the sole members not to be phased be everything going on are, of course, Noirz. Not only is WONWOO not worked up about it, he even keeps his composure and adjusts his glasses as if nothing has happened. CARAT noted Noirz were “so innocent and laid back. They’re subtly funny and keep it hidden.”

JHHJ/Witz: JEONGHAN & JOSHUA

This combination features two members who are the same age and even became trainees less than a month apart—and their similarities only continue from there. Having both become trainees at age 17, they were able to understand the position one another was in better than anyone else, and as a unique configuration they share a touching tale of greatly boosting one another’s strength and will. In 2017, at SEVENTEEN in CARAT LAND, the group’s very first fan meeting concert, JEONGHAN, who normally doesn’t cry easily, bawled his eyes out when he read the note that JOSHUA had written to him: “Yoon Jeonghan, my brother. We became trainees at the same time so we went through a lot together. Anytime one of us said we were having a hard day, we always took care of each other.” JOSHUA also told JEONGHAN he was “one of the reasons I could endure training before debut" on the 39th episode of GOING SEVENTEEN, “CARNIVAL.” It’s just these sorts of displays that allow people to guess how they felt while enduring the challenging life of a trainee. According to the other members of SEVENTEEN and to CARAT, it was these trainee days together and their bright, playful personalities that emerged after their debut that led them to become the ultimate “slick wit” combination that they are today. DK has these two to thank for his having never fallen victim to a scam and living a safe life up to this point—or so goes the popular theory among CARAT. As the old saying goes, friends come to resemble one another, and the two certainly look perfectly alike these days, with JOSHUA having earned himself the popular nickname “Yoon Jeonghan’s friend Hong Jisoo.” But with the brave new side of himself that JOSHUA has shown on GOING SEVENTEEN lately, folks are beginning to say it should be the other way around: “Hong Jisoo’s friend Yoon Jeonghan.”

Bittersweet: WONWOO & MINGYU

Operating as a unit for Bittersweet in May last year, the contrast between WONWOO’s cat-like, handsomely aloof, “Bitter” character and MINGYU’s dog-like, warmly attractive “Sweet” character emphasized the contradictory nature of the two to create one charming combination. What makes them so amusing is that MINGYU is constantly attacking WONWOO, but WONWOO remains totally unaffected. MINGYU looks a little harsh at first glance, given how good he is at playing jokes and playing mean, but on top of that is the layer of WONWOO calmy smiling and brushing off whatever MINGYU says. CARAT will say things like, “You can tell Bitter is older,” or, “I’m pretty sure Bitter comes across as being on top.” The special behind-the-scenes “WONWOO X MINGYU ‘Bittersweet (feat. LeeHi)’ BEHIND” episode of INSIDE SEVENTEEN demonstrates this nicely: Throughout the recording, MINGYU never stops teasing WONWOO, saying into his in-ear monitor, “I know how you feel. Don’t pick any fights. Don’t hide your feelings!” But no matter how much he’s teased, WONWOO, utterly unfazed, simply addresses his words to the staff: “Could you play the song?” That’s Bitter for you.

MainVoz: DK & SEUNGKWAN

This configuration consists of DK and SEUNGKWAN, the main vocalists in the group, although they’re also unofficially known as the main cry-ists in the group for their tendency to cry at the drop of a hat. CARAT also considers their relationship to be a model of healthy competition. As SEUNGKWAN said in the eighth episode of GOING SEVENTEEN 2017, “It’s important for the vocal team to sing well, but harmony between us is even more important.” And, to that end, they make every effort to bring out the best in each other by sparing no compliment or support for one other, acting as mutual self-esteem guards. Take the way they share stories about how the other has grown in the very first episode of SEVENTEEN’s Dawn Is Hotter Than Day, “Vocal Team,” for instance: “Looking at each cover song, I can see your path of growth,” DK says to SEUNGKWAN. “I really felt SEUNGKWAN is one of the voices that make our team shine! I felt that once again. I think a lot of people would have been touched by the cover.” SEUNGKWAN, in turn, follows up with, “From when you first told us you were joining a musical, talent-wise, I knew you were beyond good enough to do it,” adding, “It was a really clear point of growth.” Listen to “Say Yes,” a unit song by these ever-evolving MainVoz, and bask in the individual charm each of the singers possesses to your heart’s content.

BooGyu: SEUNGKWAN & MINGYU

These two have a relationship so specific that they’re often called SEVENTEEN’s official real-life Tom and Jerry. Both are warmhearted and have a caring disposition, with a love of looking after others but also share a tendency to be pranked and teased. Their similar personalities lead to many moments revealing how they’re almost always in sync and tend to bicker as well. This comes across clearly in a scene in episode 23 of GOING SEVENTEEN SPIN-OFF, “TTT (MT SVT REALITY) #3,” where they fight about a blanket. The two are staying in the same room, briefly lying down on the bed together before arguing about the way the blanket is spread out until one of them cries, “Hey, get in bed properly!” But only for a moment, that is: When they see they’ve stirred up dust from the blanket, they suddenly break out into song together (“Becoming dust / By your side”) and their friendship is restored as they get back into bed. CARAT likes to point to this scene as a quintessential moment in BooGyu chemistry, with comments on the episode ranging from, “It’s like something from a married couple of 17 years,” to, “It’s just like watching my mom and dad.”

MY Iz: JUN & THE 8

This combination is not only made up of the Chinese members, who always have one another’s backs—it also highlights how completely different JUN and THE 8’s personalities are. JUN, the older of the two, was a huge boon to THE 8 when he was the last to become a trainee, helping him adjust to what was then an unfamiliar place to him. THE 8 was likewise almost certainly a welcome companion to JUN, who faced a similar situation as a trainee facing potential communication difficulties in a country with a language different from his own. In an episode of INSIDE SEVENTEEN offering a behind-the-scenes look at the music video for THE 8’s song “海城 (Hai Cheng),” we see he has been filming the video all day. As a treat, JUN orders him a coffee truck and gives it the name Cafe 8, and stays put at the shoot from the bright daytime when it started right through till the very end, even after the sun has set. For his part, THE 8 shows up at the set of the Chinese TV drama where JUN is shooting his part to give him his backing, making it easy to see just how much support and strength these two give one another. What’s also great is that, with JUN’s excitable personality and THE 8’s levelheadedness, their combination is one of unexpected contrast, where it’s difficult to tell who’s the older one and who’s younger at times.

12 hyeong already/The youngest and his 12 hyeong: DINO and the other 12 members

DINO is the youngest of the 13 members, earning him the nickname “12 hyeong.” The other 12 can typically be seen taking one of two stances—teasing DINO, or adoring him—but always together. To demonstrate the first case—teasing DINO all together as one—look no further than another “SEVENTEEN X LieV” from 2019. In it, the other members trick DINO, who briefly fell asleep, into believing he slept right through to the very end of the stream. S.COUPS begins with, “Okay, you’ve been with SEVENTEEN. Say the name, SEVENTEEN! Thank you!” The remaining members follow suit and wave to the camera—"Bye, CARAT!” and, “You did a good job”—and take turns saying their goodbyes. It’s terribly amusing to watch the 12 older members become the living embodiment of a mischievous kid while the youngest himself seems like the old master who’s transcendent of it all. But there are also times when the 12 members take such loving care of DINO that they could be said to have practically raised him, as seen in the “2021 SEVENTEEN ONLINE CONCERT ‘IN-COMPLETE’ DANCE PRACTICE BEHIND #2” video from INSIDE SEVENTEEN showing his solo dance. In a proper display of the communal upbring DINO has had, the other members stand all around, watching him perform his dance alone, periodically applauding him and cheering him on. As soon as he finishes, they all run over to him, each yelling out something different, like, “DINO’s a true dancer,” “I thought he was a fish,” or, “You’re so much more relaxed.” The rest of the group takes first prize when it comes to teasing DINO—and adoring him.

HamBamz/JoshiHoshi: JOSHUA & HOSHI

“When we tour overseas or have to stay in a hotel, my roommate’s always HOSHI,” JOSHUA once said in an interview. “I don’t know why—it just always works out that way.” As such, this is a combination best seen during international tours. That explains why JOSHUA shows up so frequently whenever the group is overseas and HOSHI does a V LIVE or in scenes from INSIDE SEVENTEEN from around the same time. JOSHUA, the older of the two, has an especially friendly disposition, leading him to look after the younger members and always see them as cute in his eyes, and he naturally enjoys when they joke around with him as well. HOSHI, meanwhile, is the type who takes notice whenever someone likes his jokes and then turns them up a notch. Notably, in the “HOSHI’s Eyes” episode of INSIDE SEVENTEEN, we can see how they each wait for one another to finish eating before standing up so neither will be lonely during meal time. And it only grows from there: HOSHI eats LA galbi alone with JOSHUA’s mom—without JOSHUA (JTBC’s Knowing Bros, episode 252) and HOSHI and DINO meet up with JOSHUA’s uncle for dinner while in Bangkok (INSIDE SEVENTEEN, “2019 SHUHODI's Travel in Bangkok #1”). The depth of the relationships on display are easy enough to guess given nicknames like FamilyTEEN and CommuniTEEN. At this point, the members of SEVENTEEN have naturally bonded with one another’s families and feel right at home calling each other’s parents Mom and Dad. 13 members, three units, one team: With their rock-solid relationships to keep them together, SEVENTEEN goes beyond simply being a group—they are a family.