E-Seol (이설)

When Lee Jae took the stage at the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup to perform "DNA," the official theme of the Netflix animated film *K-Pop Demon Hunters*, she brought with her something she had written herself: Korean lyrics, including the phrase "Even if I fall again, I'll rise again." That moment, watched by a global audience, crystallized the position E-Seol — known professionally by her stage name and formally as Lee Jae-yi — had been building toward. The leader and lead vocalist of the group I:mond, she had already claimed a Best Original Song win at the 98th Academy Awards for the same film weeks earlier. In the space of a single awards cycle, E-Seol moved from the K-pop sphere into a genuinely international conversation.

From the Oscars to the World Cup

The 98th Academy Awards in March 2026 marked a visible turning point. E-Seol attended as a winner, taking home Best Original Song for her contribution to *K-Pop Demon Hunters*, and her presence at the ceremony drew attention beyond the award itself. She wore a custom gown designed around Korean cultural symbolism: a pure white base evoking the historical image of Korea as a "white-clad people," with gilded bronze ornamentation drawn directly from ancient Korean gold crowns and golden embroidery. The choice was deliberate and widely noted — a formal international stage used to assert a clear cultural identity rather than conform to a generic red-carpet look.

Three months later, that instinct carried through to the World Cup opening in June 2026. Performing "DNA" alongside Andrea Bocelli, E-Seol wove Korean-language phrases into the song, drawing on lyrics she had written herself. The pairing of a hanbok-inspired dress with sneakers attracted its own wave of commentary — a decision explained in part by a practical consideration for the turf, which observers praised as a considerate gesture. Whether deliberate or incidental, the detail fit a consistent pattern: an artist attentive to context, and to the surfaces beneath her feet.

Music & Artistic Identity

E-Seol's role within I:mond is that of leader and lead vocalist, a combination that places both organizational responsibility and the core of the group's vocal output on her. Her work on the *K-Pop Demon Hunters* soundtrack demonstrates a range that extends beyond group performance into songwriting — the Korean lyrics she contributed to "DNA" were her own, suggesting an investment in the craft that goes past performance into composition.

The *K-Pop Demon Hunters* project, a Netflix animated production, gave her work unusual international distribution and visibility, situating K-pop not as a niche export but as material fit for a global streaming platform's original programming and, ultimately, the Academy's consideration.

Standing

E-Seol's trajectory in the first half of 2026 — an Oscar, a World Cup opening, a globally broadcast performance alongside one of classical music's most recognized voices — represents a level of crossover exposure that few artists from any genre achieve in a concentrated span. She carries that visibility as the public face of I:mond, and the consistency of her choices, from her award-show wardrobe to her handwritten Korean lyrics on the world's largest sporting stage, suggests an artist who has thought carefully about what that exposure is for.