Korean-American rapper and vocalist Eli built his profile as a member of U-KISS, the Seoul-based group that maintained a sustained international fanbase across the 2010s. Born Kim Kyung Jae on March 13, 1991, Eli served as the group's main rapper and one of its English-language voices, a role that gave the act a degree of accessibility in Western markets at a time when few second-generation idol groups were actively cultivating that reach.
Group career with U-KISS
U-KISS debuted in 2008, and Eli became one of its more recognizable presences, in part because his Korean-American background allowed him to speak to international audiences in a way that was still relatively uncommon in the idol industry. As main rapper, he anchored the group's hip-hop-oriented moments while also contributing as a vocalist across their releases.
Personal life
Outside his music career, Eli drew public attention through his personal life. He was previously married to broadcaster Ji Yeon-soo, a relationship that itself generated significant media coverage at the time of their union. The two later divorced. In June 2026, Eli announced he had remarried, sharing wedding photographs and describing his new partner as "a wonderful woman who brought understanding, happiness, and peace to my life during difficult times." The announcement marked his first public statement on a new relationship since the end of his first marriage. Separately, Ji Yeon-soo revealed around the same period that the son she shares with Eli had expressed a desire to become an idol, citing G-Dragon as a role model.
