FIRST READ · MON 7 AM ETTHE WEEKEND LEXICON · SAT 9 AM ETYeji
- Stage name
- Yeji
- Position
- Leader, lead dancer and vocalist
- Agency
- JYP Entertainment
- Fandom
- MIDZY
- Debut
- 2019
- Generation
- 4th gen
Yeji is the oldest member and leader of ITZY, the JYP Entertainment girl group that debuted in 2019 with "Dalla Dalla." She became the first member of the group to go solo when her EP Air arrived in March 2025, and she is also known for her love of The Little Prince.
Where they grew up
One page says Yeji dreamed of becoming a footballer as a child and claims she disliked dancing when she was younger, before she found her way into K-pop. She went on to join JYP Entertainment and debut as ITZY's leader. Her early music taste included buying the album So Cute by Byul as the first record she purchased for herself. The pages do not say where she grew up.
Birth details: scmp.com
In their own words
“Putting on an ITZY concert in front of hundreds and thousands of people! Even just thinking about it makes me happy.”
“ITZY started as a group of friends who shared the same dreams and came together to make that dream a reality.”
- Byul The first album she bought for herself was So Cute by Byul. billboard.com
Timeline
- 2019Debut with ITZY
- 2021Guess Who era
ITZY released the mini-album Guess Who with lead track "In the morning," experimenting with trap, R&B and Latin pop.
- 2025Solo debut with Air
Became the first ITZY member to go solo with the EP Air, a four-track release with a synth-pop title song she helped write lyrics for.
- 2026Motto and TUNNEL VISION tour
ITZY performed solo songs on the TUNNEL VISION tour, then released Motto with a solo track from every member.
Latest
- Asia Artist Awards 2026 Popularity Award, Female Solo Singer
Took first place in the preliminary vote with 56,380 votes on Idol Champ. The finals vote runs until November 4, and the ceremony is set for December 5 and 6 at Kaohsiung National Stadium.
starnewskorea.com - ITZY mini-album Motto
ITZY's new mini-album features eight tracks, including a solo track from each member for the first time, following the TUNNEL VISION tour.
hypebae.com
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ITZY's Chaeryeong Sets November Date for Solo Debut Album 'Lovesick'
The album and title track video arrive November 9, with a U.S. physical release and an English version of the single following four days later.
- scmp.com: Yeji from Itzy: she would have been a footballer if she hadn' ...
- nme.com: ITZY on their “challenging” 'Guess Who' album: “We tried ...
- starnewskorea.com: ITZY's Yeji, 'AAA 2026' Popularity Award Preliminary ...
- teenvogue.com: ITZY on Fiction, Friendship, and Growing Old Together
- billboard.com: 20 Questions With ITZY: New Album 'Guess Who'
- thestar.com.my: Itzy's Yeji hopes to show off potential in solo debut
- hypebae.com: K-Pop Group ITZY Talk Self-Love and New Music
Last researched Nov. 4, 2026