ILLIT’s Wonhee Faces Scathing Comparison With NewJeans’ Minji After Latest Public Appearance

ILLIT member Wonhee recently became a hot topic after attending a Chanel event.

While the young idol mingling with her peers and seniors at the event generated quite the chatter, this appearance also unexpectedly planted her in the middle of a heated game of “who did it better” vis-à-vis NewJeans’ Minji.

The root of the comparison is quite simple— both idols attended their first major Chanel events around the same age. While for Wonhee, the Métiers d’Art 2026 Show was her first Chanel fashion show attendance, Minji made her first appearance at a Chanel event in 2024, at the Spring–Summer 2024 Haute Couture Show in Paris.

A viral post on Nate Pann specifically compared the two idols’ Chanel debuts and claimed that Wonhee made Minji’s Chanel look “legendary” in hindsight. Most of the comments also piled up on the ILLIT member, leaving some jabbing remarks.

• “You should compare things that are actually comparable—they’re on completely different levels lol.”
• “Honestly, right from the start, the two of them aren’t even in the same league when it comes to looks.”
• “If Minji had been there, would Wonhee have gotten the chance to do Chanel?”
• “I didn’t particularly think Minji suited it either, but comparing them like this, she looks like an angel.”
• “She’s a princess.”

However, some netizens have also defended Wonhee against such needless comparisons, pointing out the disturbing mentality behind pitting such young women against one another.