Shin Ji of Koyote shares X-ray to refute jaw surgery allegations: 'It was only dental work'

Shin Ji, a member of the group Koyote, has personally addressed allegations that she underwent double-jaw surgery.

A video titled "The story many of you have been curious about — I'll tell you now" was uploaded to Shin Ji's YouTube channel on Wednesday.

In the video, Shin Ji said she had begun dental treatment while taking a break from YouTube, adding that some people had mistaken her jaw joint treatment for double-jaw surgery.

She explained that her molars had originally been built up to prevent her jaw from being pushed back, and that after she had her teeth lengthened because she could not bite through food, many people said it did not look good. "So as I gradually had the upper and lower teeth filed down, the molars ended up higher, which made it look uncomfortable when I closed my mouth," she said.

Shin Ji said even she noticed something was off. "I thought to myself, 'Why does Shin Ji's mouth look like that?'" she said, adding that she then visited a dentist to have the raised molars lowered and new teeth made.

Her dentist said that due to an open-bite jaw structure caused by a temporomandibular joint disorder — in which the teeth do not close properly — it must have been extremely difficult for her to sing as a performer.

On the double-jaw surgery allegations, the dentist said, "We are not surgeons, so it was actually flattering that people thought we had achieved a double-jaw result with this simple technique," and went on to say, "I absolutely do not touch bone. It was purely prosthetic dental treatment."

The dentist added that closing the open bite had shifted Shin Ji's appearance from a cute look to a more mature one, and that the awkwardness in closing her mouth was because the muscles she had used for more than 40 years were not yet accustomed to the repositioned jaw joint.

Shin Ji also released an X-ray showing no signs of jaw surgery. "My image has been chubby and cute, hasn't it? I'm already in my 28th year since debut. Time passes, and I've also lost weight," she said.

She said she believed the misunderstanding arose from the combination of her dental treatment and the changes in her appearance. "I never even thought people could misunderstand, but before I knew it, it had become accepted as fact," she said. "There were even comments about double-jaw surgery side effects, so I wanted to clear up those misunderstandings."