Jinny from Secret Number: nearly a Blackpink member, then found her own way to K-pop stardom

Jinny trained alongside the future members of Blackpink, before leaving YG Entertainment
She appeared as an independent artist on various reality shows before joining Secret Number

K-pop, Mandopop and other Asian pop

Jeff Benjamin

Published: 10:15pm, 24 Oct 2020

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One surprising aspect of the K-pop industry is the way some performers develop long backstories even before they are officially introduced. While singer Jinny made her debut with the promising girl group Secret Number this year, her story has been years in the making.

Her early life

Park Jin-hee was born in Los Angeles, California, in January 1998. Jinny grew up loving pop stars including Justin Bieber, and K-pop artists such as Big Bang and 2NE1 – in particular G-Dragon and CL.

Jinny followed in her idols’ footsteps by becoming a trainee under YG Entertainment, the South Korean label that manages Big Bang, 2NE1 and Psy among others.

Jinny is the main rapper in K-pop girl group Secret Number

Fluent in English and Korean, as well as possessing a talent for songwriting, Jinny was considered a top future contender at YG. For years, the label teased new girl groups – promoting one as a “future 2NE1” featuring four young female trainees dancing in the summer of 2012.

Jinny trained alongside the future members of Blackpink – Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa – as well as other future K-pop stars including Miyeon from (G) I-dle), Lee Seo-yeon of Fromis-9, and soloists Kim Eun-bi and Jang Hanna. Collectively, the trainees were known as “Pink Punk” – a nickname given to them by the label and assumed to be their group name upon debut.

While Jinny trained with Blackpink, and seemed to be particularly close with Lisa by the look of several photos, she was not in the final line-up for the group. In 2017, she left YG after five years of training.

In 2018, she reappeared on the singing competition survival show Produce 48. Now an independent artist, Jinny caused a stir among viewers who expected her to dominate the show due to her impressive history.

Despite a hyped-up entrance and well-received performance of Chung Ha’s Rollercoaster, Jinny did not make it to the final stages of the competition, with many fans complaining about her lack of screen time on the show. Ultimately, Jinny was eliminated in episode five, ranking 68th of the 96 participants.

While the Produce 48 results may have been disappointing, Jinny continued her indie route by connecting with fans on social media and uploading her own songs on a SoundCloud account.

At the end of 2019, it paid off when Jinny was announced as the first member of Secret Number, a new girl group under Vine Entertainment.

Her role in Secret Number

Jinny is the main rapper, and a lead dancer and vocalist. On their debut single Who Dis? Jinny displays her confidence and attitude on the catchy, brassy pop track both in her lyrics and performance. With rap lines written by the idol herself, she declares: “I’m gonna be a star.”

Jinny’s international background made her a perfect candidate for Secret Number. As a Korean-American who attended the Seoul International School where English is spoken in class, Jinny adds to Secret Number’s global appeal.

In fact, only one member of Secret Number was born in South Korea. Jinny and the Korean-raised SooDam are joined by fellow American Denise, Japanese member Léa, and Indonesian member Dita, the first female Indonesian K-pop idol.

Her image

Leaving a well-known company such as YG Entertainment is not easy, neither is embarking on an independent K-pop route.

When Jinny first appeared on Produce 48, she received support from other famous names who recognised the hard work she had put into her career and the promise she showed as an independent artist.

Kim Sohye, who came fifth in the premiere season of Produce 101 for a spot in I. O. I, as well as Kim Jaehwan, who came fourth in the second Produce 101 season for a spot in Wanna One, both recorded supportive messages for Jinny. Both competed without an agency behind them and understood the challenges Jinny faced.

“I was on Produce 101 as an individual trainee, and with your love and support I became a member of Wanna One,” Jaewhan said in his message. “Park Jinny went through intense competition to become a member of Produce 48. Just like I did, these individual trainees need your love and support. They are very desperate so please support them.”

Even Jiwoo, a member of Kard under well-known agency DSP Media, voiced her support. “When I see [Jinny] perform, I can see her charisma and strength,” she said.

In her own words

While Jinny’s path to K-pop stardom has been long, her bright mindset explains why she has endured.

In a 2020 interview with Korea’s MS Sports News, Jinny was asked what advice she would give herself five years ago when she was in training mode. Jinny wisely responded with: “You’re doing good enough and just endure a little bit more.”