NewJeans' Minji shares childhood photo on birthday: ‘Sorry for the delay’

NewJeans' Minji / Captured from Instagram account mhdhh_friends

Minji of NewJeans, who are currently on a hiatus due to a legal conflict with their label, marked her birthday by sharing a childhood photo and exchanging celebratory messages with fellow members.

Early Wednesday, a post appeared on the Instagram account mhdhh_friends, reading, “Happy birthday bro~~ Love and miss u to the end of the universe and back (many times..) Sending my biggest birthday hugs and kisses.”

Minji responded enthusiastically in Korean, writing, “Youuuuu~!!!~! Thank you!!!!!!” sparking fan debate over whether the original sender was Hanni or Danielle.

NewJeans' Minji / Xportsnews

She later posted a photo from her childhood with the message, “Sorry for the delay.”

NewJeans has been embroiled in a legal dispute with its label, Ador. In November, the members announced their intent to terminate their exclusive contracts, citing a breakdown in trust. The group subsequently declared they would continue under a new name, NJZ.

Ador, however, filed a lawsuit asking the court to confirm the validity of the exclusive contracts and also sought an injunction to prohibit the members from signing new promotional deals or pursuing independent activities as a group.

The court ruled in favor of Ador's injunction request, prompting NewJeans to cancel upcoming appearances and begin a temporary hiatus. Although the group appealed the decision, their request was dismissed. They have since filed a further appeal.

This article from Xportsnews is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.