Singer Jina returns to stage as K-pop judge after decade-long absence

Singer Jina made a public appearance as a judge at a K-pop festival in Canada.

Jina shared photos and videos on her social media Sunday from the 2026 Kimchi & K-Food Festival, held at Coquitlam Town Centre in British Columbia, Canada.

The event took place Friday. Jina served as a judge for the K-pop dance competition, watching and evaluating participants' cover dance performances on stage.

The organizers had announced her participation in advance, introducing the Korean-Canadian singer as a special MC for the K-pop dance championship and saying she would join both the competitors and the audience in celebrating the festival.

Jina also shared a post from an acquaintance praising her — "Our pretty Jina did so well" — and appeared pleased by the kind words.

She described the experience as feeling "blessed" and noted the judging appearance as one of the memorable moments of her August.

Jina debuted in the Korean music industry in 2010 and rose to popularity with hits including "Kkeojeojulge Jalsal-a" and "Black & White."

Her career came to a halt in 2016 after she was implicated in a prostitution case involving overseas travel to the United States. At the time, she acknowledged meeting a man through an acquaintance but denied that the encounter involved payment, saying it was not prostitution.

A court rejected her explanation and fined her 2 million won ($1,450). She largely disappeared from the South Korean entertainment scene afterward.

In 2017, she addressed the case on social media, calling the allegations "rumors" and writing that she had not given up "thanks to fans who believed in and followed me, despite the many obstacles, mental anguish and endless rumors."