NewJeans Minji’s School Popularity Almost Guaranteed She Would Be An Idol

NewJeans took the world of K-Pop by storm with their debut single “Attention,” which, despite being released without any prior promotion, still received over one million views on YouTube within twenty-four hours.

A large part of the group’s success comes from its five incredible members, Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein. The girls are incredibly multitalented, each bringing their unique color to the team.

In an appearance on Yoo Jae Suk‘s reality series You Quiz on the Block, NewJeans had the opportunity to talk about how each member came to the group. Hanni joined through a global audition. Hyein, on the other hand, joined after having a successful career as a child model.

Perhaps the member with the most remarkable backstory was Minji, who Yoo Jae Suk and his cohost Jo Seho explained was famous since she was in middle school! Even her fellow members had heard about her before they debuted together.

She was so well known that top celebrities, including Yoo Jae Suk himself, heard about her school transfer from Chuncheon to Seoul.

Minji shyly accepted the shower of compliments the group gave her, saying, “Yes, I received a lot of business cards,” confirming that numerous companies in South Korea had tried to sign her!

This is known in the K-Pop world as “street-casting,” when companies spot people they think have the potential to become a star in public. Although not everyone who is street-casted is guaranteed to debut, it’s a massive sign of approval, and only a few idols can claim to have been scouted this way!

Watch the full video below. The group talks about Minji’s popularity in school at the 0:04 mark.