Park Ji-young (; born December 25, 1980), professionally known as Kahi, is a South Korean singer, dancer, and actress known for her work as a former leader of South Korean girl group
After School. As of June 2012, Kahi graduated from After School and continued her career as a solo singer and actress with Pledis before her contract ended in January 2015.
Early life
Kahi was born in
Daegu
Daegu (; ), formerly spelled Taegu and officially Daegu Metropolitan City (), is a city in southeastern South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; the fourth-largest List of provincial-level ci ...
on December 25, 1980. She was raised by her grandparents. She found her passion for dancing when she was 16 and also around this time became fascinated by the
hip hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
group
Roo'ra
Roo'ra () was a co-ed hip hop and dance-pop vocal group from South Korea who was one of the country's most popular musical acts of the 1990s. The group debuted in 1994 with the hit album ''Roots of Reggae''. Their second album, ''The Angel Who L ...
, which would motivate her to become a singer. However, due to family opposition and practical conditions, she could not receive professional training, so during high school, she trained herself in singing and dancing. Her father prevailed upon her to go to a university in a rural area. At first, she obeyed his wishes, however, she was unable to endure being a college student and eventually left her hometown to pursue a dancing career. She did not speak with her father for the next seven years. She went to
Seoul
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
alone and without funds. One day a friend took her to an interview to be a backup dancer. She did well at the audition and got the job. She started her dancing career at age 18.
Career
2000–2007: Dancing and S.Blush
In 2000, Kahi was chosen as the main dancer for
DJ Doc's mega-hit, "
Run to You". However, this instant success also brought her huge stress and eventually forced her to leave for a period of time. To make an income, she worked as a cleaner, waitress, and sales clerk. A choreographer in
SM Entertainment
SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1995 by Lee Soo-man. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies and has been responsible for fostering and popularizing the car ...
gave her a chance to become a temporary dancer for
BoA, which became a full-time position. She gradually gained fame as a dancer and her work with BoA lasted more than three years. Besides BoA, she was also an important backup dancer for Country Kko Kko,
Jinusean
Jinusean (stylized in all caps; ) is a South Korean Hip hop music, hip hop duo signed to YG Entertainment. The duo, which is made up of Kim Jin-woo (also known as Jinu) and Noh Seung-hwan (also known as Sean), debuted in 1997 and rose to fame wit ...
,
1TYM
1TYM (, pronounced as "One Time") was a four-member South Korean group. They were Teddy Park (also known as Park Hong-jun), Oh Jinhwan, Song Baekyoung, and Danny Im (also known as Im Taebin).
History
In the late 1990s, YG CEO Yang Hyun Suk ...
,
Lexy,
Chae Yeon,
Eun Ji Won, and many others. She was also the dance teacher for
Son Dam Bi, May Doni, and
Kim Jung Ah, her future bandmate.
Around 2006, after more than five years career as a professional dancer, she began working also as a singer. She joined the
Korean American
Korean Americans () are Americans of full or partial Korean ethnic descent. While the broader term Overseas Korean in America () may refer to all ethnic Koreans residing in the United States, the specific designation of Korean American impli ...
girl group "S. Blush", whose first digital single peaked at No. 2 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Hot Dance Chart in May 2007.
However, due to various reasons, the band soon disbanded.
2007–2012: Debut with After School
In late 2007, Kahi contacted some friends in the industry at
Pledis Entertainment
Pledis Entertainment () is a South Korean entertainment company founded by Han Sung-Soo in 2007. The label is home to Bumzu, Hwang Min-hyun, and groups Seventeen and TWS. Its name originates from the Pleiades, a star cluster in the constellat ...
. Together, they planned for and produced a new group. In January 2009, after years of work and selection of members, the group
After School was introduced. After School would undergo many member changes and image changes, but Kahi remained as the leader. Rumours of her leaving the group had begun as early as 2010 when Pledis Entertainment initially announced she would release a solo album. In 2010, Kahi joined the cast of reality-variety series ''
Yeongunghogeol'' (, "''Heroes''").
The promotional campaign for Kahi's solo debut started in mid-February 2011, with the album jacket photos released on February 9 and a teaser video on February 12.
[가희, 블랙 섹시 vs 청순 화이트..'돌아와 나쁜너' 티저공개 (''Kahi Releases Teaser for "Come Back, You Bad Person"...Black Sexy vs. Innocent White'')]
''Stoo.com''/''Asia Economy''. February 12, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2011. The album photos were noted for highlighting the singer's "S-line", while netizens and news articles commented on the contrasting "black vs. white" images and "charisma" in the teaser.
The
mini-album
A mini-LP or mini-album is a short record album or LP, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered full-length. It is distinct from an EP due to containing more tracks and a slightly longer running length. A mini- ...
was then released on February 14, 2011. The music video for "Come Back, You Bad Person" was released on February 14, 2011, and Kahi began promotional activities on 18th. In early 2012, Kahi was cast in
Dream High 2, playing a teacher at Kirin Art School.
2012–present: Group departure and solo career activities

In June 2012, it was announced Kahi would be leaving After School to pursue a solo singing and acting career. In March 2013, Kahi was rumoured to be having a solo comeback, but it was put on hold. Later over a year from her last solo release, Pledis Entertainment announced on September 25, 2013, that Kahi would be releasing her second mini album, titled "Who Are You?", on October 10.
In 2014, Kahi acted as the lead role of Bonnie in the musical and Korean adaptation of
''Bonnie & Clyde'' alongside
ZE:A's
Hyungsik. Following After School's sixth anniversary in January 2015, Kahi announced that she was leaving Pledis Entertainment. In 2016, she was a dance trainer on the girl group survival show ''
Produce 101
''Produce 101'' () is a reality television talent competition franchise created by South Korean entertainment conglomerate CJ E&M, based around the formation of a K-pop girl group or boy group. The format is noted for having no panel of judges ...
''. In late 2016, it was announced that she would return as a judge and dance trainer for the male version of Produce 101 titled ''
Produce 101 Season 2''.
In June 2018, she also became a one-day dance trainer/judge for
Produce 48
''Produce 48'' () is the third season of the South Korean reality competition series ''Produce 101''. It was a large-scale project in which the public "produces" a girl group by voting for members out of a pool of 96 contestants from South Kore ...
.
Personal life
On March 26, 2016, Kahi married entrepreneur Yang Jun-mu (CEO of Incase Korea) in a private ceremony in Hawaii.
In May 2016, Kahi announced that she and her husband were expecting their first child. On October 3, Kahi gave birth to a son, Yang No-ah. Their second son, Yang Si-on, was born on June 16, 2018.
Discography
Compilation albums
Extended plays
Singles
Collaborations
Music videos
Writing credits
* After School - "When I Fall" (2009)
* After School - "With U" (2010)
* Suki - "One Love" (2010)
* Son Dam-bi - "Beat Up by a Girl" (2010)
* After School - "Someone Is You" (2010)
* Kahi - "Slow" (2013)
* Kahi - "Sinister" (2013)
* Kahi - "Hey Boy"(2013)
Filmography
Variety shows
TV drama
Musical
Awards
References
External links
* Kahi o
Instagrm*
*
{{Authority control
After School (band) members
1980 births
Living people
Musicians from Daegu
K-pop singers
South Korean female idols
South Korean dance musicians
South Korean women pop singers
South Korean television actresses
South Korean musical theatre actresses
Pledis Entertainment artists
Seokyeong University alumni
21st-century South Korean singers
21st-century South Korean women singers
Actresses from Daegu