Kim Min-ji

Kim Min-ji, better known as Minji, is the eldest member and de facto leader of NewJeans. Born on May 7, 2004 in Chuncheon, she became central to the group's appeal because she could sell calm confidence as easily as youth-market freshness, which helped NewJeans feel more controlled and instantly legible than most rookie acts.

Her trainee path started at Source Music in 2017 and carried into the HYBE system after the label acquisition. Before debut, Minji appeared in HYBE's 2019 Plus Global Auditions rollout and made a cameo in BTS's Permission to Dance video, early signals that the company already saw her as a face worth foregrounding. She later graduated from Hanlim Multi Art School in 2023 as the group's profile accelerated globally.

What keeps Minji relevant beyond standard idol-leader framing is the mix of music, image, and brand power. She holds a lyric credit on Ditto, one of NewJeans' defining songs, and became a high-value luxury face through Chanel. Even when NewJeans becomes the bigger headline, Minji remains one of the clearest examples of how fourth-generation idol authority can look understated rather than loud.