Many people are surprisingly unaware that TWICE's Mina was born in San Antonio, Texas, USA.

Due to her strong image as a Japanese member, most tend to think she was born in Japan.

However, Mina was born on March 24, 1997, in San Antonio, Texas, to Japanese parents.

The United States grants citizenship based on birthplace, while Japan recognizes nationality if at least one parent is Japanese.

As a result, Mina is known to have held dual citizenship in the U.S. and Japan during her childhood.

Shortly after being born in the U.S., she returned to Japan due to her father's job as a doctor, and she spent most of her childhood in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, before moving to Korea. Therefore, Mina often introduces herself as being from Kobe.

While she was born in the U.S., it is accurate to say that her upbringing and identity are Japanese.

Her native language is Japanese, not English. Her English name is known to be 'Sharon,' and while her English skills are not at a native level, she shows a stable performance during overseas activities.

She often takes on English greetings during overseas concerts or interviews and handles English narration in songs quite naturally.

There are stories that her experience in an English theater club at a prestigious private school in Japan helped her with English expression.

Mina's father is known to be an orthopedic specialist who worked at a famous university hospital in Japan. She grew up in a stable family environment, and her mother also had a strong interest in arts education. Perhaps because of this, Mina experienced various hobbies from a young age, with ballet being the one she pursued the longest.

Mina trained in classical ballet for an impressive 11 years. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this background has significantly shaped who she is today.

Ballet is not just about learning to dance; it also involves mastering posture, balance, strength, expression, and patience. According to her classmates, she was diligent enough to stretch or practice ballet moves in the hallway during breaks.

As a result, when you watch TWICE's performances, Mina's unique movements stand out. The way she uses her fingertips, her posture with her neck and shoulders, and her balance while turning give a different feel compared to the other members. There is a restrained elegance rather than exaggerated movements, and a calm yet sophisticated atmosphere naturally emanates from her.

The reason fans describe Mina as 'swan-like' stems from this image created by her ballet experience.

Interestingly, Mina did not originally dream of becoming a singer. Her life changed when she was street-cast by a JYP Entertainment representative while shopping with her mother during her middle school years. She then moved to Korea to begin her trainee life and debuted as a member of TWICE after being selected as a final member through the Mnet audition program 'SIXTEEN' in 2015. Although her trainee period was relatively short, she succeeded in debuting thanks to her basic dance skills and consistent effort.

Since her debut, Mina has participated in numerous hit songs such as 'CHEER UP,' 'TT,' 'LIKEY,' 'FANCY,' 'Feel Special,' and 'Talk that Talk,' becoming a global K-pop star. Especially leveraging her background as a Japanese member, she plays an important role in TWICE's activities in Japan and has shown stable performances during global tours, including in the U.S.

Mina is a rare individual with a unique background of being born in the U.S., raised in Japan, and achieving success as a global singer in Korea. Her distinctive background of being born in San Antonio, growing up in Kobe, and debuting in Seoul reflects a life where the cultures of three countries naturally blend.

Her quiet and neat personality, elegant movements stemming from her long ballet experience, and her diligence in honing her skills all contribute to the special charm we know as 'TWICE's Mina.'