Health concerns grow for (G)I-DLE as two members fall sick

Shuhua of girl group (G)I-DLE [NEW1]

Concerns are growing for girl group (G)I-DLE regarding the health of its members.

Shuhua of (G)I-DLE tested positive for influenza A and will take time off, her agency Cube Entertainment said Friday.

“Shuhua visited the emergency room early Friday due to having a mild fever and cold symptoms and she tested positive for influenza A,” Cube Entertainment said. “Shuhua will pause all activities and take some time to rest as the doctor advised."

“We have decided to cancel the group’s prerecording of the ‘2023 Music Bank Global Festival’ performance, which was scheduled Friday, due to the contagiousness of the flu and the safety of the artist and fans,” her agency added. “We apologize for causing concern to the fans. Our company will do our utmost to keep a close eye on the health of the members.”

Minnie of (G)I-DLE left the stage during her performance due to health issues at the "Jingle Ball 2023 in Philadelphia," the previous day.

Future schedules for Minnie, including her unit performance with IVE Liz and Leeso during the “2023 Music Bank Global Festival,” will be put on pause until the artist’s condition recovers, the agency said Wednesday.

The group finished its U.S. radio station iHeartRadio's annual "2023 Jingle Ball Tour" schedule as of Wednesday, U.S. time. The group joined the tour and performed in Los Angeles on Dec. 2, followed by cities including Chicago, Detroit and New York.

The group is scheduled to release its second full-length album in January 2024.

(G)I-DLE debuted in 2018 under Cube Entertainment. It consists of five members: Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua. The group is known for its hits "Latata" (2018), "Lion" (2019), "Tomboy" (2022), "Nxde" (2022) and “Queencard.”

To find out more about (G)I-DLE, visit Celeb Confirmed!

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