Minnie's Profile
- Real Name: Nicha Yontararak
- Native Name: ณิชา ยนตรรักษ์
- Nicknames: Ni Ni, Cat Minnie
- Birthday: Oct 23, 1997 (27 years old)
- Blood type: O
- Height/Weight: 167.1 cm (5'6") / 48 kg (106 lbs)
- Gender: Female
- Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
- MBTI: INFJ-T (The Advocate)
- Birthplace: Chachoengsao Province, Thailand
-
Nationality:
Thai
- Profession: Singer, Songwriter, Actress, Composer
- Language Skills: Thai, Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese
- Current Agency: Cube Entertainment
- Debut: May 2, 2018 (with (G)I-DLE)
- Years Active: 2018–present (7 years)
- Group: i-dle
Minnie, whose real name is Nicha Yontararak (ณิชา ยนตรรักษ์) and Korean name is Kim Min-hee (김민희), is a Thai singer, songwriter, music producer, and actress based in South Korea. She was born on October 23, 1997, in Bangkok, Thailand.
She is a member of the K-pop girl group i-dle under Cube Entertainment, where she has served as the Main Vocalist since the group’s debut on May 2, 2018. Minnie officially made her solo debut with the mini album Her on January 21, 2025.
Early Life
Minnie was born into a musically inclined family, with her mother, aunt, and uncle all playing the piano. She began learning piano at the age of five and started vocal training at seven.
Her mother, who often played the piano, was Minnie’s main inspiration for pursuing music. She studied at Wattana Wittaya Academy and later received vocal training at Grammy Vocal Studio (also known as G-Vocal Studio) in Bangkok, the same institute attended by CLC’s Sorn.
During her school years, Minnie was a class leader, a member of the photography club, a cheerleader, a drummer, and an actress in school plays. She also studied Chinese for four years.
In 2014, Minnie’s vocal coach encouraged her to audition for Cube Entertainment. After passing the audition, she moved to South Korea in early 2015 at the age of 17 to become a trainee under Cube Entertainment, where she trained for three years before debuting. Minnie was first publicly introduced as part of Cube’s trainee project Cube Tree on March 22, 2016.
Career
Minnie began her trainee journey at Cube Entertainment in 2016, when she was introduced through the Cube Tree trainee project. This was the period where she received intensive training in vocals, songwriting, and stage preparation.
On May 2, 2018, Minnie officially debuted as a member of (G)I-DLE with the mini album I Am and its title track “Latata.” The song quickly became one of the group’s breakout hits, propelling them into the K-pop spotlight. In the same year, Minnie contributed as a lyricist for the track “Blow Your Mind” from the project To NEVERLAND.
In 2019, she expanded her songwriting activities, penning lyrics for “For You” in the Japanese version of Latata. That year, she also collaborated internationally with Chinese-Australian artist Wengie on the track “Empire,” released on October 18, 2019. This marked one of Minnie’s first ventures into global music collaborations outside of South Korea.
In 2020, Minnie co-wrote and contributed lyrics for the digital single “I’m the Trend,” highlighting her growing role in the group’s music production. That same year, (G)I-DLE released the mini album I Trust with the title track “Oh My God,” where Minnie delivered powerful main vocal performances.
Between 2021 and 2022, Minnie continued co-writing and recording songs for (G)I-DLE’s releases. In 2021, the group released the mini album I Burn with its widely promoted title track “HWAA.” In 2022, (G)I-DLE unveiled their first Korean full-length album I Never Die, where Minnie co-wrote the track “Already.”
In 2023, Minnie played a key role in songwriting for the mini album I Feel. The group achieved massive success with the hit track “Queencard” and expanded their international presence through tours in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
In 2024, Minnie and (G)I-DLE released the mini album 2 with the title track “Super Lady,” further solidifying their position in the global K-pop industry. Outside of music, Minnie became the House Ambassador for Miu Miu, walked the runway at Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025, and took on brand partnerships as Global Ambassador for Mediheal, Brand Ambassador for SKIN U, and Asia Ambassador for 3CE Stylenanda in 2024.
In 2025, Minnie embarked on her solo career. On January 7, 2025, she released the pre-release track “Blind Eyes Red.”
On January 21, 2025, Minnie officially made her solo debut with her first mini album HER, consisting of seven tracks, including the title track “HER.” Minnie actively participated in composing and writing lyrics for most of the songs. The album features collaborations with Yuqi of (G)I-DLE in “Drive U Crazy” and Ten of WayV in “Obsession.”
Fun facts
- Known as the “meme queen” of i-dle for her naturally funny expressions
- Has twin brothers, Mic and Mac; her parents chose her name to start with “M”
- Left-handed and considered the strongest member of the group
- Can whistle well and flip her eyelids, a quirky talent she shows on variety shows
- Extremely ticklish but enjoys being tickled, leading to funny moments
- Longtime fan of Troye Sivan and hopes to collaborate with him
- Frugal in daily life but loves shopping, creating an interesting contrast
- Enjoys green tea, sashimi, beer, wine, and occasionally vodka and whiskey
- Representative animal: mouse; nickname “Fried BobCat” from Queendom
- Excellent student and class president in middle school, but lazier in high school
- Dislikes perilla leaves and egg yolks, but loves fried tofu and durian
- Has four dogs in Thailand; favorite color is pink
- Became cold during trainee years as many friends left, but cheerful again after (G)I-DLE’s debut
- Most emotional member of the group, cries easily, but stays calm on stage
Habits
- Overthinks and gets anxious under pressure
- Cries often, easily touched; has experienced anxiety and depression
- Careful with money despite wealthy background
- Affectionate but rarely shows it; tends to keep sadness to herself
- Needs inspiration to compose, but works quickly and perfectly when inspired
Likes & Dislikes
- Likes emotional music with a dark vibe
- Likes Billie Eilish and pop music; listens to sad ballads when tired
- Likes pink and purple; once dyed her hair purple at the ends as a highlight
- Likes green tea and skincare, especially sheet masks
- Likes shopping, strolling with Soojin, and having breakfast with the group abroad
- Likes taking film photos to capture memories
- Likes Super Junior, her longtime favorite K-pop group
- Dislikes feeling powerless due to language barriers
- Dislikes when her hair color or appearance doesn’t match her vision
- Dislikes feeling stuck without creative inspiration
Celebrity Friends
- Yuqi: best friend in the group, often hang out, gave her a vacuum cleaner as a housewarming gift, currently roommates
- Lisa (BLACKPINK): closest celebrity friend, met as trainees, introduced Minnie to the Thai idol circle, filmed “Thai Food” video together
- BamBam (GOT7): like a brother, introduced by Lisa, often seen together, Minnie guest-starred on “Bam House”
- Sorn (CLC): Thai best friend, often film YouTube videos together, once dined with Minnie and Elkie, lived nearby in Korea
- Nichkhun (2PM): “big brother” of the Thai idol circle, part of a group chat with Lisa, BamBam, Sorn, and Minnie
- Elkie (CLC): close friend since Cube trainee days, former roommate, communicate in English, often livestream and film together. (🔗)
- Lia (ITZY) is Minnie’s close friend they often meet at events and music shows through i-dle and ITZY
Photo Gallery
