NewJeans's Minji apologized Tuesday for the explanation she gave on why she asked "what is kalguksu" last year on the YouTube channel ChimChakMan, during a Phoning live stream on Jan. 2.

The NewJeans member has been facing criticism from some for her "poor attitude," who allege she pretended to not know the famous Korean knife-cut noodle dish to maintain her luxurious image.

She made an explanation about her gaffe from more than a year ago on the group's fan community platform, Phoning, on Jan. 2, saying, "Do you really think I don't know what kalguksu is?" and "Think again, I said I didn't know because I didn't know."

She again faced criticism for her comments as some found her reaction to be rude, and apologized to the fans in a post she uploaded on Phoning.

"I am truly sorry to Bunnies, who must have been surprised and hurt that I showed a bad attitude during a live broadcast [on Jan. 2] where I comfortably interacted with the fans," she said.

Bunnies is the name of the group's official fan club.

"I'm a picky eater and have never tried kalguksu before, so I thought about the type and taste of kalguksu, saying 'what is kalguksu?' out loud to myself," she added in the post. "I never thought there would be a misunderstanding about it as I said it to myself, so I wanted to give a clear explanation [during the live stream on Jan. 2]."

"I thought there was no use crying over spilled milk and that time will calm down the heated dispute. However, as time passed, more comments were made, even about my relationships with my members. The misunderstanding has put me in distress knowingly and unknowingly for the past year," Minji said. "I will be more careful not to make the same mistake again."

To find out more about NewJeans, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]