Eli Kim

Ellison "Eli" Kyong Jae Kim (born March 13, 1991), also known by his stage name Eli, is a Korean American singer, rapper and actor. He is a member of South Korean boy band U-KISS. He is a rapper in the group and one of the three English-speaking members of U-KISS.

Early life

Eli was born in Los Angeles, California to Korean parents. He spent most of his years in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He has a younger sister named Minah and an older sister named Hannah. He attended Ni River Middle School and Riverbend High School in Virginia. After dropping out of high school, he went alone to Beijing, China at the age of 15 to pursue his studies where he also learned Mandarin. He studied the techniques for Taekwondo and Kung Fu for 12 years, opening an opportunity for him to be cast as an extra in a Chinese movie. He is fluent in both English and Mandarin.

Music career

U-Kiss

Eli is the fourth addition to the Korean boy band U-KISS, which was formed by NH Media Entertainment in 2008. They were launched in Power of Atamix in Japan alongside other Korean boy bands such as Paran. They also debuted in South Korea days later.