In February 2017, there was a rumor that ZE:A was disbanding, but was later denied by the agency, in April 2017. The agency also added that the group would come back again when the time is right. In the meantime, the members are focused on their own careers and some of them have even joined other companies. Kevin is also pursuing his solo career and even became a host of SBS’ PopAsia Live in 2017. Let’s get to know him better!
Full Profile of Kevin
Kevin or Kim Ji-yeop (his real name) was born on February 23rd, 1988, which means he is 31 years old now. He debuted as a member of a group called ZE:A with 8 other members. He was the lead dancer, lead vocalist, and rapper of the group. He is 180 cm (5’11”) tall and weighs 66 kg (145 lbs). He has a younger sister named Michelle. He graduated from Epping Boys High School. He has social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram with the same username @kevinkim88.
Fun Facts
He was born in Korea but was raised in Sydney, Australia. His nationality is also Australian. He is fluent in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese. Whenever he thinks that everything is getting unreasonable, he immediately starts speaking in English! He likes to shop online and play video games. He also likes composing. He likes to keep vitamins, nutrients, and medicine in his room’s drawer.
He appeared in Seo In-young’s “I Want You” music video. He also was a cast for the musical theater Aladdin in 2006. He is the only member that all the ZE:A members will let their sister date (except Hee-chul). He was a member of The Romantic & Idol in the second season. He made a video of him reacting to ZE:A’s music videos on YouTube.
According to Cosmopolitan, he is the most eligible bachelor in Australia which has made him win the Australia Bachelor of the Year title. His favorite quote is: “I’m willing to go anywhere, at any time, to do anything for Jesus.” He was a DJ for four years in Arirang Hotbeat. Currently, he is a host for SBS’ PopAsia Live in Australia, after moving back to his house in Australia.
Kevin in ZE:A’s Subunit
Kevin was a ZE:A member who is full of talents. This was proven by the fact that he was included in two out of the three ZE:A’s subunit groups.
ZE:A-Five
ZE:A-Five is a subunit of ZE:A that consisted of five members, including Kevin, Siwan, Min-woo, Hyung-sik, and Dong-jun. The group released their Japanese album on February 7th, 2013, titled The Classic with three different editions including unique goodies. On February 9th, 2013, they held a special mini-concert to commemorate the album release and included a hugging event. On March 24th, 2013, they held a showcase at Lotte World Garden Stage to introduce their first mini-album Voulez-vous. The mini-album contained 6 different ballad songs plus two instrumental versions of songs. As the agency stated (as cited by Soompi), the subunit group would emphasize on their sensual voice rather than powerful performances and idol-music. Days before, they released a video and a photo teaser of their debut song “The Day We Broke Up.” The song itself was produced by Brave Brothers and Star Wars.
The video contained an English narration and showed the members in various positions with properties in the white field. Meanwhile, in the photo teaser, they wore mostly white outfits and posed on a white bed. They also released an album preview video where each member acted out the theme of each song.
The subunit released the music video on March 25th, 2013, and was stage-debuted on March 28th, 2013, on Mnet’s M!Countdown with their debut song “The Day We Broke Up.”
Here is the full discography of ZE:A-FIVE!
ZE:A J
Kevin was also part of another subunit called ZE:A J, with Min-woo, Tae-heon, Hee-chul, and Dong-jun. They debuted in Japan on January 21st, 2015, and released the mini-album Roulette containing five track singles with the title track “Roulette.” The mini-album was released in two versions, the special edition which included a making-of DVD and the normal edition which contained a CD jacket featuring a random photo of the group. As cited by Koreaboo, the agency stated that each member brought their own image in Japan which made them debut in Japan. “Tae-heon is already popular in Japan for his sweetness, while Hee-chul and Dong-jun are known for their sculpted looks. Kevin has the image of a gentleman and Min-woo has his cute looks,” said the agency. The group would be promoting for a week in Japan. The group continued on by making their debut in China on August 7th, 2015. The agency, as cited by Soompi, wanted this group to show a friendly and warm image to the Chinese fans through the promotion. They released a single album with the title track “Marry Me.” Dong-jun also participated in writing and composing the song. The song was released on Chinese music sites, such as QQ Music, Baidu Music, Sina Music, etc. Meanwhile, the music video was available in Chinese portal sites, like PPTV, Tudou, and others. They also held a fan meeting in Hainan on August 20th, 2015.
In 2016, their members Min-woo and Tae-hoon were enlisted but the group still made a come back with the three remaining members (Kevin, Hee-chul, and Dong-jun). They released another Japanese mini-album titled Just Tonight on April 20th, 2016, and released a music video. This time, they had a more mature concept than before.
Here is their full discography!
