Draft:Kim Min-ji (singer)

Kim Min-ji (born 7 May 2004), also known mononymously as Minji, is a South Korean singer. Kim is a member of the South Korean girl group NewJeans, which debuted under ADOR on 22 July 2022.

Early life and education
Kim Min-ji was born on 7 May 2004 in Chuncheon, Gangwon, South Korea as one of three children, with a younger sister and an older brother who attends Kyung Hee University, which she revealed while performing at a music festival hosted by the university. During her elementary years, she learned English while studying abroad in Canada as a homestay transfer student. Kim attended Hanlim Multi Art School, where she graduated in February 2023. She declined to take the 2023 CSAT college entrance exams after graduating.

Kim, during middle school, received many business cards from various entertainment agencies, including SM Entertainment. She was a Source Music trainee before the company was acquired by Hybe Corporation in 2019.

2021–2022: Pre-debut activities
In July 2021, Kim made a cameo appearance in BTS's 2021 music video for "Permission to Dance", alongside group member Hanni. Pre-debut, Kim was also known as "The Girl", the face of Hybe Corporation's 2019 Plus Global Auditions.

2022–present: Debut with NewJeans and solo activities
Kim debuted as a member of the South Korean girl group NewJeans with the surprise-released music video for their debut single "Attention" on 22 July 2022, without any prior promotion or information on the group's lineup. NewJeans quickly rose to widespread popularity with the success of their following singles: "Hype Boy", "OMG", and "Ditto", the latter of which featured lyrics written by Kim. "Ditto" became NewJeans's first entry on Billboard Hot 100 and won Song of the Year at the MAMA Awards, the Melon Music Awards, the Golden Disc Awards, and the Asia Artist Awards.

On 15 October 2022, Kim made an appearance as one of the special MC's at KCON Japan alongside Junki Kono of JO1 and Hwang Min-hyun of NU'EST. In January 2023, she was announced as a special MC for KBS' Music Bank program for the January 20 and January 27 airings of the show, alongside actor Lee Chae-min.

Endorsements
Kim has topped the South Korean Brand Reputation rankings multiple times since her debut. In February 2023, Chanel Korea announced that they had signed Kim as one of their brand ambassadors for the categories of beauty, fashion, and watches and jewelry. Kim is the first person to be named ambassador for all three categories at the same time.

Since 2023, Kim has been the face of the Seoul Jazz Festival, appearing on magazines to promote the event. She appeared on the cover of W Korea's special edition for the 15th anniversary of the Seoul Jazz Festival as well as the cover of the W Korea special edition for the 2024 festival.

Personal life
Kim also appeared in a March 2024 video campaign for the South Korean National Election Commission broadcast on radio and other platforms to encourage younger generations to vote in the 22nd legislative election.

Songwriting credits
All credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association, unless cited otherwise.