Once she’s invested in a conversation, MINJU stays composed, but speaks without hesitation. She’s content in quiet solitude, then suddenly, she’s Katarina, boldly taking the stage.

A video of you covering “10 Minutes” came out in September.
MINJU: I’m into old Korean songs and American pop songs, and I just love Lee Hyori’s song “10 Minutes”—the chic feel, the melody, the whole vibe. Usually what I do is do a cover for the fans whenever I’m obsessed with some song, and I went and asked the label if I could cover it as an R&B song. They even offered to film it, and I was like, “Yes, please!” So that’s what we did. In the video, I act all mad that the person I’m waiting for hasn’t shown up—like, “Where are you already?!” I tried to do it kind of ILLIT-ish and cute.

Is there a reason you cover such a diverse assortment of songs?
MINJU: I keep finding more and more things I want to share with people. Even if it’s different from what I usually listen to, I’ll do it if the fans want me to. Oh, I sang “PLAYING WITH FIRE” on this variety show on YouTube recently, and I knew the song really well, so I had fun with it, but I was a little embarrassed later. I looked a little too into it. (laughs) There’s a lot of things I’ve been eager to try lately, and someday I’d like to try singing for an audience in a smaller venue. And I’d like to sing a song I wrote myself someday too.

A song of your own, you say?
MINJU: I don’t know when I’ll have anything to show for it, but I’ve been learning MIDI and giving writing lyrics a try. I found learning MIDI’s more fun to think of it as playing a game where you make music and I’m leveling up quality-wise. I’m still learning the basics, so I actually keep what I’m doing on my own a secret from my teacher. (laughs) I was told to start by practicing the basics first. When I’m doing those assignments, I just keep telling myself, “It’s a game … It’s a game …” Oh, maybe MIDI comes a little easier to me thanks to [the rhythm game] “A Dance of Fire and Ice.” (laughs) MIDI’s also about having good timing with your hands. Now I’m glad I played “A Dance of Fire and Ice.”

Is there anything else you’re interested in like that these days? You mentioned before that you’ve watched short dramas.
MINJU: My room is honestly heaven. I keep my stuff to a minimum and my space neat and tidy, then I set the temperature just how I like it and lie down. It’s great. Sometimes I like to just lie there and do absolutely nothing. As you know, I can’t go to movie theaters because there’s no 10-second skip button (laughs) but short dramas move along really fast. And there’s that dopamine hit. (laughs) I only paid for it once, way back when, but that subscription fee is more expensive than you’d think. I haven’t paid for it since. On the gaming side of things, I had a day off recently and played “League of Legends” with my brother at my family’s place for the first time in a while. My brother’s way better than me. I guess it’s in our genes.

Have you ever felt that gaming gene kick in?
MINJU: My dad was good at games, too, actually. I heard he was great at “StarCraft” and played “League” back in the day. I lack confidence when it comes to doing anything physical but I’m good with my hands at least. Do you know “Halli Galli”? I’m good enough that I’m the best in ILLIT, but I always lose when I play my dad. (laughs)

Your voice is pretty different when you’re talking to your family. (laughs) People were really intrigued by that video where you were talking with your mom on the phone.
MINJU: I’m a total baby with them. My grandma came over the day I went home, so she slept in my room and I slept with my mom. My dad took the sofa. I honestly don’t remember this at all, but apparently I woke up in the middle of the night, went to the bathroom, came back, and said (stretches out arms) “Mom, hug me!” and hugged her. It made me realize I’m still her baby.

What are you like around your friends?
MINJU: I have friends I’ve been close to since I was eight or nine, and we’re still good friends. They’re the same friends who came to congratulate me when I debuted and at our first concert. They all play it cool and act tsundere, so they’re usually like, “You turned out well,” “Work hard,” and “Actually, I like YUNAH.” (laughs) They’re in university, so they’ve got tons of assignments to do, and they seem to deal with a lot of stress from some people in their lives, too. I have a hard time sitting still, so watching them study and push themselves for hours at a time is really impressive to me. But they also say the same thing about me.

It seems like that relaxed, everyday side of you is showing up more and more on variety shows and the like, too. I just watched the video called “Who said summer is over? ILLIT’s summer vacation starts now.” (laughs)
MINJU: Wasn’t it hilarious when we sang “It’s Me” on the karaoke machine? I had no idea that was going to make it in. I think I let loose when I’m either feeling great or, alternatively, not feeling so hot. (laughs) When we’re practicing and it’s time to take a break, we put on music and go all “yay!” with each other to hype ourselves up. Even I think we’re pretty cute and precious … (laughs) I used to overthink everything on shoots, like, “Is it okay to say this?” But now I’m much more relaxed, and it shows. And the crew helps us feel comfortable, so I try to talk like I’m at home in a way that still suits the variety format.

The suffocating awkwardness in the “John or Park?” video was done on purpose. What’s it like to film something like that?
MINJU: They told us right from the start that the concept was to be awkward, but it was even more awkward than I expected. (laughs) I was so nervous that it was the first time I’d ever shaken like that while singing. Sometimes I think, “Can they just delete this, please?” (laughs) When we shoot cover videos like that, the music is really quiet, so all everyone there hears is my voice. It was way more nerve-racking than a normal recording session. Still, I’m practicing hard for a similar shoot now and using that one as a learning experience. (laughs)

You come across as natural in so many different ways in videos, and I’m guessing becoming so close with the group has played a big part.
MINJU: Unsurprisingly, we were all a little cautious around each other in the beginning, but at some point it just felt like we knew each other inside and out. I really rely on YUNAH a lot seeing as we’re the same age and also because she knows me so well. I’m thankful I can share my concerns with her when I’m having a hard time. MOKA means the world to me, too, so it was tough whenever she wasn’t there because I really miss her. Obviously everyone in the group is special. It’s a little awkward to say this myself (laughs) but knowing the girls in ILLIT has made me a much warmer person. It’s like I can feel myself growing.

In your version of the “BURNING” concept film, you angrily saw a car in half. If you don’t mind my asking, do you ever display that kind of emotion in real life?
MINJU: They directed me to scream during the shoot. They half-jokingly said, “You can swear and just let out how annoyed you feel however you want,” but it felt embarrassing. I don’t really express my emotions directly, just get a little blunt with people when I talk. I figure it takes less out of me that way. I was like, “How am I supposed to just scream?” but I just went for it. (laughs) It felt so relieving to go “ahh!” and stomp my feet. I thought, “Oh, I should try just doing this on my own now and then.”

You can feel the annoyance in the lead single, “You’re Under Arrest,” but you have to keep a straight face through a lot of the performance.
MINJU: Most of the songs we’ve done, we’re supposed to smile, so I kept smiling at first, so of course, I practiced until I felt more confident with the facial expressions, and now it comes easily. Getting us all lined up at the same angle for the dance moves was hard, too, but once we got it down, it looked so much cooler. We only use the one arm, so now this side’s more muscular. And the whistle is seriously tricky. It keeps swinging around when you dance, and it’s so tiny that grabbing it mid-choreography was really hard.

Were you okay going through the emotions while singing it?
MINJU: When I first heard it, I thought I’d warm up to it faster than “It’s Me,” but then there was suddenly that whistle going “brrt brrt brrt!” (laughs) The “read him his rights” part had to sound a bit annoyed, and I had to restrain my voice while singing it, so it wasn’t easy. The chorus is all about being annoyed, so I tried to sing it with some punch. When I listened back to the recording, I really liked all the details in it.

There are several spots on the album where you have to convey being annoyed, so adding nuance must have been challenging.
MINJU: My favorite song’s “More,” and I love the rap-ish part in the second verse. The producer and I agonized over how to approach it. I couldn’t figure out the right way to do it. We kept recording until I found it, and when I heard the end result, I was like, “Wow, not bad!” I felt really proud. Seriously, isn’t that song great? The “I’m mad mad mad mad” part is such a rush. While recording, I did a bunch of takes for the part in the intro where I just say “warning,” like softly going “waaarning,” but the one that worked best was where I sound emotionless, like in a game. It was fun, but a little embarrassing. “POP” has a hip, groovy sound, and I wanted to really put my own spin on it. I think I got better again through practicing and the learning process.

This doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone, but I think when someone’s up onstage or working on something creative, they end up unconsciously looking inward. Do you ever have moments like that?
MINJU: I’ve kept a diary every now and then since elementary school, off and on. When I practice writing lyrics, I sometimes look back through old entries to call up old feelings, since I can forget what it was like. A diary records emotions from different times exactly as they were, so I’ll read mine and realize how things were back then. So I write about that time or try dressing it up a little nicer. (laughs) Maybe that’s why writing lyrics about my own life takes me so long.

In that case, what do you do?
MINJU: I try dreaming something up, creating a scenario or a character and writing from there. It’s hard to write lyrics about my own life because it makes me overthink things. There’s always a lot going on in my head. Sometimes the words come easily, and other days nothing comes out no matter how hard I think. (laughs) Even I don’t really know myself that well.

I’m sure there’s still things you want to express, though. After devoting so much time and energy to promoting this album, what are you most eager to convey?
MINJU: I’d love for people to see us perform and think, “ILLIT really delivers onstage,” or “These performances are amazing.” We care a lot about that. We rack our brains with our performance director. (laughs) “How can we change it up and make it more fun?” I hope that comes through. I was glad “It’s Me” turned into such a fun song onstage, too. I thought it was a great song in the first place, but I think I was also a little worried it might feel new and unusual to people. Thankfully, the response has been great. My parents even said, “This one’s going to take off for sure,” and they were thrilled to be proven right. (laughs) As a group, we try to say positive things as we prepare for this promotional period. We’re really excited and working hard.

Your latest album, “BREAK EVEN,” feels like an analogy for giving someone your whole heart and not getting the same back. Have you ever felt that way in real life?
MINJU: I don’t think I’ve ever felt that way about anyone. Maybe it’s closer to when I prepare really hard for work and things don’t turn out the way I hoped? The other way around, though—sometimes there were people who’d tell me they felt let down by me, like, “Can’t you show how you feel sometimes, too?” Looking back, I think I was being pretty indifferent. I’ve changed a lot since then, though. Actually, when I say something to someone and then they say, “That means so much. Thanks, you really made me feel better,” it makes me feel good, too.

Your MBTI even changed to “J,” the judging or so-called planner type. Was that something that came with the job?
MINJU: I really hate to cause other people trouble, so I can’t stand it when things are behind schedule just because I didn’t do my part. On days off I’m a total “P,” but when I’m on the job, I try to act like a “J.” I started to plan things out so I’d never have to feel like I could’ve done a better job if only I’d started practicing sooner.

For some reason I’ve always thought of you as easygoing, so this comes as a surprise. It reminds me of what you said on “IDOL ADVICE CLUB” about feeling anxious every single day when you were a trainee.
MINJU: My trainee days were actually enjoyable in their own way. I could probably try and do it all over again if I really had to, but honestly, I don’t know that I’d make it. I know how anxious it feels when nothing’s certain. Whatever uncertainty I face these days takes an entirely different form. I’m just grateful that I got to debut and perform onstage.

It clearly means a lot to you to get to be onstage. As a member of ILLIT, what do you want to convey up there?
MINJU: There were times early on when I honestly didn’t know how I should approach things. I struggled with how to sing as part of the group and what kind of facial expressions to make, but now I can enjoy myself. I also keep practicing so I don’t lose the things I’m already confident in. I’ve gotten more ambitious about music, too, so I hope I can give people something soon.

I imagine there’s a lot you want to do for GLLIT, too.
MINJU: When we prerecord for music shows, I get to see our fans up close and personal, and seeing their faces fills me with pride. I always pay close attention to how the fans react. I’m so proud when they tell me they loved a part I put extra care into. I’m like, “They noticed!” I love GLLIT so much, but sometimes I don’t know what to say. I always want to express myself more often, but it still doesn’t feel like enough. I try to talk with GLLIT about the most interesting things I can think of, but all I ever talk about is food … (laughs)

I’m sure GLLIT would welcome even trivial stories. (laughs)
MINJU: I’m so grateful for the way GLLIT loves me, worries about me, and cares about me like we’re family. I always have a sense of responsibility towards them. I want to look out for them more and be sweeter too.