Singer Jina announces comeback after decade away, says past stories 'never captured the real me'

Singer Jina, who left the entertainment industry after being fined on charges of soliciting prostitution, has spoken out about her experience and announced her return.

On Saturday, Jina posted a video on her social media titled "Hello, Meet Again. Chapter 2. Finding My Voice."

"For the past few years, I watched people from a distance create stories about me," she said in the video. "Those words never captured who I really am. And for a long time, I chose silence — not because those things were true, but because I wasn't ready yet."

She added: "People often mistake silence for having nothing to say. But sometimes silence is simply all you need to endure and survive. It can be the space needed to heal, or the choice to wait until you can finally speak in your own voice with confidence."

"Just standing here, approaching my forties, already means a great deal," Jina said. "I didn't want to go back to the past — I wanted to introduce who I am now."

She continued: "I'm not here to prove my worth to strangers. Music has always felt like home to me, and that's why I've returned."

Reflecting on the photo shoot that accompanied the video, she said it "felt less like a simple shoot and more like the beginning of something I had long dreamed of." She promised that "someday I will tell my own story in my own voice — not through sensational headlines or baseless rumors."

Jina marks her 16th debut anniversary this year. She launched her career in 2010 with the digital single "Things I Want to Do When I Get a Lover" and went on to release tracks including "Get Lost, Live Well," "Black & White" and "Top Girl." In 2016, she was indicted on charges of violating the Act on the Punishment of Arrangement of Commercial Sex Acts and fined 2 million won ($1,340).

After being effectively pushed out of the industry, Jina left South Korea and settled in Canada. She has recently resumed activity on social media, sharing life updates and announcing a remake of "Get Lost, Live Well." On her 16th debut anniversary she wrote: "Sixteen years already. Thank you for still remembering me and staying by my side."

In a post marking that anniversary, Jina also opened up about the pain she endured during that period. "People say I handled it well, but I was falling apart, losing my vitality, crumbling in silence," she wrote. "I didn't survive because I was strong — I survived because I had no other choice."