Less than a year since its debut, South Korea’s NewJeans has already achieved major milestones, including topping the Melon Top 100 charts with its debut singles “Attention” and “Hypeboy” in the fastest time for a girl group. It’s no wonder NewJeans is making waves as one of the hottest fourth generation K-pop girl groups, with people certainly sitting up and paying “attention” to all five members.
But what do we know about NewJeans’ eldest member and de facto leader Minji, who confidently sets the tone for the group during interviews and live broadcasts with her charming personality?
1. Minji is an ambassador for Chanel Korea
NewJeans members are also charting their own successes outside the group. In February, Minji was named as the official Chanel Korea ambassador. She represents not just one, but three different divisions of the prestigious luxury brand – beauty, fashion, and watches and jewellery.
According to her agency Ador, this is the first time that Chanel Korea has selected just one ambassador to cover three categories. Not only that, Minji also appeared on the cover of Elle Korea’s March issue in Chanel’s signature tweed – another accomplishment, as it was her first time appearing solo on a magazine cover, per Soompi.
Further proving her brand power, Minji topped the Korean Business Research Institute’s brand reputation rankings in January, with Blackpink’s Jennie and NewJeans’ Hanni following her on the list.
2. She was the first member selected for NewJeans
The 18-year-old Minji was actually the first member recruited for NewJeans. During her trainee days, she was already the so-called the face of the group, appearing on posters and promotional videos for the Plus Global Audition in 2019 as “#the_girl”.
Her elegant and classic looks earned her the nickname “Korea’s Olivia Hussey” from fans, too.
On the show Yoo Quiz on the Block, she revealed that she had been popular ever since middle school and received many business cards from various agencies including SM Entertainment, according to AllKpop.
Her middle school graduation album photo, which shows her flawless looks and natural beauty, became a hot topic online, per Koreaboo.
3. She once studied in Canada
On Kim Young-chul’s PowerFM radio show, Minji shared that she studied English in Canada as a homestay transfer student during her junior school years, which explains her fluent English during interviews.
In a recent interview with Sirius XM, Minji joked about her English accent struggles as she was influenced by her bandmates Danielle and Hanni, who have Australian roots. “I learned English in Korea. So I learned English in an American accent,” she said. “But I went to Canada for a few months, so it changed into a Canadian accent. But I met these two Aussie girls and changed into … honestly, it mixed a lot.”
She also showed her smooth Japanese skills as a special MC at 2022 KCON Japan.
4. She had a cameo in a BTS music video
In 2021, before NewJeans’ debut, Minji had a cameo in BTS’ music video “Permission to Dance” with Hanni, dressed in uniforms and dancing along to the song. So when NewJeans made its debut, eagle-eyed fans were quick to recognise the duo.
Recently, Minji and her bandmate Hyein once again supported BTS, this time for J-Hope’s solo single “On the Street”. The video for the single sees the duo with J-Hope, who shows off his playful moves to NewJeans’ recent track “OMG” before launching into the dance challenge for his own song.
5. She is known for her kind heart and healthy lifestyle
Minji has shown that she knows how to take care of both herself and others. In a recent Nike campaign interview, Minji revealed her daily routine: time for herself, exercising to her favourite music and reflecting on her day in her diary. With her many talents, it’s no surprise that she won one million Korean won (US$768) on the web entertainment sports show Idol Dream Team in January.
But it’s her kindness that really shines through: she used her prize money to treat her Hybe agency employees with thoughtful gifts that included sweet messages and rabbit-shaped madeleine desserts.
From her healthy daily routine to her acts of kindness, Minji proves that taking care of yourself and others is truly a winning combination.
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