Jaeyi (재이)

When Lee Jaeyi stepped onto the field at the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup to perform "DNA," the official theme song for Netflix's animated film *K-Pop Demon Hunters*, she was already carrying an Oscar. Three months earlier, at the 98th Academy Awards, she had taken home the Best Original Song award for the same film — a moment that placed her at the intersection of K-pop, global cinema, and a broader cultural conversation about Korean identity on the world stage. Known professionally as Jaeyi, the Korean vocalist is a member of the group bandi.

The *K-Pop Demon Hunters* moment

The Netflix animated feature *K-Pop Demon Hunters* provided Jaeyi with a platform that extended well beyond the usual channels of a K-pop release. Her win at the 98th Academy Awards for Best Original Song marked a significant milestone, and her appearance at the ceremony drew attention in its own right. She arrived in a custom dress built around a pure white base — a deliberate reference to the historical Korean concept of the "white-clad people" — with gilded decorations drawn directly from ancient Korean gold crowns and golden embroidery. The outfit was widely read as a considered statement about Korean cultural heritage at one of Hollywood's most-watched events, and coverage noted that after the ceremony she reportedly attended an after-party over gukbap, a grounded contrast to the formality of the night.

A World Cup stage

The arc continued in June 2026, when Jaeyi performed "DNA" at the opening stage of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup. The performance introduced a dimension that had not been present in the original release: Korean-language lyrics she wrote herself, including the phrase "Even if I fall again, I'll rise again." The inclusion of her own Korean writing in a song performed before a global football audience drew considerable attention, with commentary framing it as an assertion of Korean language and identity within a setting dominated by English and Spanish. She later performed the song alongside Andrea Bocelli at the opening ceremony, a pairing that brought further international focus to the performance. Her choice to wear a hanbok-inspired dress with sneakers was noted both for its aesthetic blending of traditional and contemporary Korean dress and for a practical consideration: the sneakers were selected in part to minimize damage to the turf, a detail that attracted its own favorable notice.