Jini is starting fresh with her first solo EP, “An Iron Hand In A Velvet Glove.”

“Thank you so much for waiting for me, and I just wanted to make good memories together in the days to come,” Jini said during a press showcase held Wednesday for her solo EP “An Iron Hand In A Velvet Glove” at the Shinhan pLay Square Hall in Mapo District, western Seoul.

“I want to show a more positive side of myself in the future, alongside some never-seen-before sides of myself,” she added.

Jini, whose name is Choi Yun-jin, debuted as a member of the girl group NMIXX under JYP Entertainment in February 2022. Using the stage name Jinni, she was active in the group for less than a year. After two album releases, JYP Entertainment announced in December 2022 that they would end her exclusive contract with the agency, and Jini would leave NMIXX for “personal reasons.” Jini signed with fledgling agency United Artist Productions (UAP) in April 2023. The agency changed its company name to ATOC in early September.

However, Jini did not clarify why she departed from NMIXX and JYP Entertainment.

“I won’t be able to tell you the reason [about the departure] as this involves a personal reason, but I am determined to be diligent as I make my debut as a solo artist,” Jini said.

“I’m at the stage where I just made my first step, so I don’t have a big objective in mind. But I plan on meeting more with my fans and communicating with them,” she added.

“An Iron Hand In A Velvet Glove” comprises five tracks, including the lead track “C’mon.” “C’mon" is an energetic track based on the synth-pop genre that sings about the feeling of falling in love in a catchy melody.

The title of the EP refers to the two different sides of Jini, according to her agency ATOC.

The album also features “Bad Reputation,” a song Jini wrote for the first time.

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]