Biography
Who is Umji?
Early life and schooling
Umji: Kim Ye-won was born in Incheon, South Korea, on August 19, 1998. She grew up in the Yeonsu-dong neighborhood of Yeonsu-gu. She has one older brother and one older sister. Her father serves as the chairman of a dental corporation in the country and works as a dentist.
As a child, she attended English preschool. She completed her secondary education at Sinsong Middle School in Incheon. Later, she enrolled at the School of Performing Arts Seoul, which is often referred to as SOPA. She studied in the Theater Department and graduated from this institution in February 2017 alongside her peer, SinB.
Starting a career with GFriend
The performer made her professional debut on January 15, 2015, as a member of the girl group GFriend. This initial launch occurred with the release of an extended play titled Season of Glass. The project included the single track Glass Bead. The group performed live for the first time on the KBS2 program Music Bank the following day.
During her time with the group, she explored other media opportunities. In September 2016, she recorded a solo song for the soundtrack of the drama Shopping King Louie, titled The Way. In October 2016, she paused her professional activities after receiving a medical diagnosis regarding a muscle issue. She returned to the stage a month later to participate in the Melon Music Awards.
Television appearances and hosting
She has participated in various television programs throughout her career. In November 2017, she appeared as a contestant on King of Mask Singer. She successfully competed through two rounds before being eliminated by performer Sunwoo Jung-a.
In 2018, she collaborated with Sanha from the band Astro to host a talk show aimed at youth audiences called Yogobara. She continued to take on media roles in 2020. In March of that year, she released a song titled Welcome for the soundtrack of the drama of the same name. By April 2020, she became a new DJ for the Naver Now program Avenger Girls, taking over the position from her group member Eunha.
Formation of Viviz
Following the conclusion of her time with GFriend, she moved to a new management agency. On October 6, 2021, it was announced that she had signed a contract with BPM Entertainment alongside former bandmates Eunha and SinB. Two days later, the agency confirmed that the three performers would form a new trio under the name Viviz.
The group Viviz officially debuted on February 9, 2022. Their first release was an extended play titled Beam of Prism, which marked the beginning of their activities as a musical act.
Birthday and age
Umji was born on August 19, 1998, which makes Umji 28 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. Umji shares the date with 61 other famous people.
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