JihyunLeader
남지현- Name
- Nam Ji-hyun
- Born
- 9 January 1990
Played Roo Si-gae in the 2018 drama Grand Prince, then acting as Son Ji-hyun.
Their story
How it started
4MINUTE was Cube Entertainment's first girl group. The five members, Jihyun, Gayoon, Jiyoon, HyunA and Sohyun, gave their debut stage on M Countdown on 18 June 2009 with "Hot Issue". HyunA was already known to the public, having debuted with Wonder Girls in 2007. At the debut the group explained its name as winning over the audience within four minutes, the length of one stage. "Hot Issue" set the fierce stage image they kept from then on, and the line-up never changed.
The breakthrough
"HuH" in 2010, co-written by Shinsadong Tiger, became their most downloaded single on the Gaon chart, according to Billboard. The same year they were named New K-pop Artist of the Year at the Billboard Japan Music Awards. The clearest peak came in April 2013. "What's Your Name?", the title track of Name Is 4Minute, reached No. 1 in Korea and on the K-Pop Hot 100.
Their sound and style
4MINUTE worked in loud, confident dance-pop. "Volume Up" in 2012 was built around a saxophone line and reached No. 3 on the K-Pop Hot 100. "Crazy" in 2015 was their first full hip-hop track, and the EP Crazy went to No. 1 on Billboard's World Albums chart. Their last EP, Act.7 (2016), was led by "Hate", co-produced by Skrillex. Two members also stepped out as the sub-unit 2YOON, releasing the country-pop song "24/7" in 2013.
How it ended
In June 2016 Cube confirmed the disbandment as the contracts ended. HyunA renewed with the agency, and the other four moved on. Sohyun thanked the fandom, 4NIA, by name in her farewell letter. Since then Jihyun and Sohyun have worked as actors, Gayoon has published an essay book about her life in Bali and Jiyoon writes web novels under a pen name. In June 2026 all five members marked the 17th debut anniversary together. No comeback has been announced.