NMIXX’s Haewon reveals the hilarious origin story behind the viral “Oemochek” meme

NMIXX member Haewon has shared the behind-the-scenes story of how her viral meme “Oemochek” (“외모췍,” meaning “visuals check”) was born.

On November 4 KST, YouTube channel TEO released a new episode of “Salon Drip” titled “Effort-Type Meme Genius and Natural Queen | EP.113 NMIXX’s Lily & Haewon.”

Host Jang Do Yeon introduced NMIXX as the “textbook definition of meme-savvy idols” and brought up Haewon’s most iconic meme, “Oemochek.”

Explaining how it happened, Haewon said, “It was during the filming of ‘Workdol’. I hadn’t slept at all and went straight to Busan. My brain was completely foggy — I was just saying random things, and when I saw a mirror in front of me, I said, ‘I should check the mirror. Oemochek!’ It just slipped out without thinking.”

She continued, “That ‘Workdol’ flight attendant episode actually took way longer than six hours to film because we were supposed to be on a real plane bound for Osaka. I was completely exhausted and didn’t even realize they were filming that part. The producer told me later they hesitated about whether to include it because it was so random,” she said with a laugh.

When asked what other things she’s “checked,” Haewon joked, “Collagen check, scalp check, even cheer check!” To this, Jang Do-yeon laughed and replied, “That’s such a perfect phrase — you can use it in any situation!”

Haewon added, “When I go abroad, international fans shout, ‘Haewon! Haewon, Oemochek!’” making everyone burst into laughter.