SEOUL – A string of health issues plaguing (G)I-dle members is hampering the K-pop girl group’s promotion of new album 2.

(G)I-dle’s Shuhua is taking a break from group activities as she has not been feeling well since Feb 2, according to their agency Cube Entertainment.

Cube Entertainment announced via fan community platform Weverse on Feb 3: “Shuhua will not be able to participate in the Soundwave pre-order fan-signing and video-call event scheduled for Saturday.”

Shuhua, 24, also sat out MBC’s music show Music Core on Feb 3.

The announcement came less than a week after Cube Entertainment cancelled a (G)I-dle press conference due to members Minnie and Yuqi falling ill.

The agency said on Jan 27 that Minnie, 26, and Yuqi, 24, went to the hospital the previous day due to a fever and migraines. The group’s other members are Miyeon, 27, and Soyeon, 25.

(G)I-dle worked on 2 while on the group’s second concert tour, I Am Free-ty World Tour, which concluded in Singapore in October 2023.

They brought up the new album during the tour and at iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball Tour in the United States in December 2023.

Minnie exited mid-performance during the final show of the Jingle Ball Tour in Philadelphia on Dec 12 due to health issues. On Dec 15, Shuhua took time off after testing positive for influenza A.

Despite these hurdles, the group’s album is doing well, taking the No.1 spot on the iTunes top albums chart in 24 regions and Apple Music’s top albums chart in eight regions.

It had more than 1.8 million pre-orders, becoming the group’s second million-selling album after their sixth EP, I Feel, which was released in May 2023. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK