Former 4Minute member Nam Ji-hyun has shared updates on her current life as a fitness instructor. She also reminisced about the early days of 4Minute, revealing that the group once had to share a single room due to financial constraints.
On October 3rd, the YouTube channel 'Hwang Bo-ra Variety' posted a video titled 'Hwang Bo-ra's Grueling Olympic(?) Challenge with Nam Ji-hyun After 10 Years | Idol Diet, 4Minute Update, Barre'.
Hwang Bo-ra visited the barre studio operated by Nam Ji-hyun, who is now a barre instructor. Barre is a fusion exercise combining ballet and Pilates. Nam Ji-hyun revealed, "I got my Pilates certification four years ago, and I've been doing barre for two years."
Nam Ji-hyun explained her motivation for starting fitness, saying, "As an entertainer, having a lot of free time can lead to feeling down, so I wanted to use that time efficiently and energetically." During her idol days, she took Pilates lessons daily. Currently, she holds 8 to 9 fitness-related certifications, including Pilates and barre.
Reflecting on her idol days, Nam Ji-hyun recalled the era when 4Minute was active alongside Big Bang. When Hwang Bo-ra asked if she had ever met G-Dragon, Nam Ji-hyun said, "I saw him at a broadcasting station. I was shy and only looked at the ground while greeting him, thinking 'He probably won't recognize me.'" She added, "I was too introverted and stayed in the waiting room. I wish I had mingled more and made friends."
Hwang Bo-ra asked, "Did 4Minute disband?" Nam Ji-hyun replied, "We disbanded in 2016, so it's been 10 years." 4Minute officially disbanded in 2016 after seven years. Since then, Nam Ji-hyun has focused on her acting career.
Last year, on 4Minute's 16th anniversary, Nam Ji-hyun reunited with her fellow members and gifted them bouquets. She expressed gratitude, saying, "Having run a business, I just feel thankful. The members have all come by to promote it once. I'm grateful."
Nam Ji-hyun also shared updates on the other 4Minute members. She said, "So-hyun continues her acting career, Ji-yoon is active as a singer and doing various things, Ga-yoon has written a book, and HyunA is happily married."
Nam Ji-hyun confessed the hardships behind 4Minute's glamorous activities. She said, "In the early days, the company had no money, so all five members slept in one room. It was an unavoidable situation, but the members were all kind, so there were no fights. We had our differences, but we understood each other." She added, "It feels like I experienced in a few years what others might in 20."
Kim Ji-won, TenAsia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr