James (제임스)

James was born Zhao Yufan on October 14, 2005, in Hong Kong, to a Thai mother and Chinese father. He grew up mainly in Taiwan, giving him a multicultural upbringing that later shaped his identity as one of K-pop’s most internationally fluent idols — he speaks English, Chinese, Thai, and Korean fluently, plus a bit of Japanese.

Before joining BigHit Entertainment (now BigHit Music) in 2020, James trained under another company. In March 2021, he was revealed as a member of the pre-debut project group Trainee A, which disbanded in 2022. During this period and after, James quietly built a reputation behind the scenes: he received songwriting and composition credits on TXT’s “Deja Vu” and “Miracle,” and ILLIT’s “Magnetic,” “Tick-Tack,” and “Cherish (My Love).” He also choreographed several of these tracks — most famously, a producer liked his spontaneous freestyle to ILLIT’s “Magnetic” so much that it became the song’s official choreography. He additionally performed as a backup dancer for Jungkook’s live stages of “Seven” and for SUGA’s D-DAY concert.

On July 14, 2025, James was officially announced as a member of BigHit Music’s new boy group, later revealed as CORTIS on August 7. The group — Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho — debuted on August 18, 2025, with the digital single “What You Want.” Their debut EP, Color Outside the Lines, followed on September 8, 2025, debuting at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 — the second-highest debut for a K-pop act’s first album at the time.

James celebrated his 20th birthday during the group’s first official trip to Los Angeles, just as CORTIS was beginning to climb global charts. Throughout 2025 and into 2026, the group swept multiple rookie honors, and in November 2025, a viral clip showed James recreating the “Seven” choreography he once performed as a backup dancer — this time as a headlining idol, a moment fans called a “full circle” career milestone.

Beyond music, James is known for his love of anime, his collection of over 100 hats, his piano skills, and his easygoing yet determined personality, which bandmates and fans describe as quietly focused and resilient.