James Profile: Age, Height, Career, Facts & More
James’s path to CORTIS wasn’t a straight line. Years before the group ever debuted, he was part of a different BigHit pre-debut project that ultimately disbanded without ever releasing music — a setback that could have ended his career before it began.
Instead, James used those extra years to build a genuine reputation behind the scenes, choreographing viral routines for some of HYBE’s biggest acts before finally making his own debut as CORTIS’s oldest member and main dancer.
This complete profile breaks down everything fans want to know about James — his age, height, career, personality, and the fun facts that keep circulating through the fandom.
Quick Facts About James
- Real Name: Zhao Yufan / Chao Yufan (赵雨凡)
- Stage Name: James (제임스)
- Birth Date: October 14, 2005
- Zodiac Sign: Libra
- Birthplace: Hong Kong (raised in Taiwan)
- Position: Main Dancer, Rapper, Vocalist, Choreographer
- Height: Approximately 178 cm (5’10”)
- Blood Type: A
- Nationality: Thai-Chinese (Hong Kong-born, raised in Taiwan)
- Languages: English, Chinese, Thai, Korean, and some Japanese
- Agency: BigHit Music (HYBE); represented by Republic Records in the US
- Group: CORTIS
- MBTI: INTP
Early Life and Background
James was born Zhao Yufan on October 14, 2005, in Hong Kong, to a Thai mother and Chinese father, and was raised primarily in Taiwan — a genuinely multicultural upbringing that left him fluent in multiple languages well before his idol career began.
Before joining BigHit Entertainment in 2020, he trained under a different company, and in March 2021, he was revealed as a member of the pre-debut group Trainee A. That project ultimately disbanded without a debut in 2022, but James remained with BigHit Music, using the extra years to keep refining his craft.
He’d also built a serious athletic foundation before pursuing entertainment full time, holding a black belt in taekwondo and gaining experience in semi-professional ice hockey — a background that’s often cited as the source of his discipline and stamina as a performer. For his first company audition, he reportedly sang Shawn Mendes’ “Treat You Better.”
Career Highlights
A Choreographer Before His Own Debut During his years at BigHit following Trainee A’s disbandment, James quietly built one of the more unusual résumés in K-pop: he received songwriting and composition credits on TXT’s “Deja Vu” and “Miracle,” and on ILLIT’s “Magnetic,” “Tick-Tack,” and “Cherish (My Love).”
He also choreographed several of these tracks — most notably, a producer was so impressed by his spontaneous freestyle to ILLIT’s “Magnetic” that it became the song’s official choreography, a genuinely rare distinction for a then-unreleased trainee.
Debut and CORTIS’s Formation James officially debuted as the oldest member of CORTIS, BigHit Music’s third group after BTS and Tomorrow X Together, on August 18, 2025, with the digital single “What You Want.”
As main dancer, his choreography background and years of pre-debut experience gave the group an immediate performance-level polish, and he contributed to the songwriting and production of tracks including “GO!” and “JoyRide” on the group’s debut EP, Color Outside the Lines.
A Group Built on Creation CORTIS operates without fixed member positions, with all five members — including James — contributing directly to songwriting, music production, videography, and choreography across the group’s discography, an approach that plays directly to James’s dual strengths as both a performer and a behind-the-scenes creative.
Rapid Global Rise CORTIS’s rise since debut has been remarkably swift. The group’s second EP, GreenGreen, released May 4, 2026 and led by the single “RedRed,” charted across numerous international markets, including a peak of Number 2 on Japan’s Oricon Albums chart and top-10 placements in Belgium, France, and Austria.
In 2026, CORTIS also headlined NBA All-Star Game weekend, a historic first for a K-pop group, and embarked on a sold-out world tour.
Personality and Public Image
James has picked fellow member Juhoon as the person he’d want to take with him to a remote island, reasoning that Juhoon’s naturally calm temperament would make the whole experience feel like a genuine vacation rather than a source of stress — a small but telling window into how James thinks about the people around him.
As the group’s oldest member and its only fully non-Korean member, he’s brought a distinctly international perspective to CORTIS, something outlets like Forbes have pointed to when describing the group’s sound as more globally influenced than typical rookie acts.
Fun Facts and Trivia
- James’s choreography for ILLIT’s “Magnetic” began as a spontaneous freestyle that a producer liked enough to make official.
- He was previously part of the pre-debut BigHit project Trainee A, which disbanded without a debut in 2022.
- He holds a black belt in taekwondo and has experience in semi-professional ice hockey.
- He’s fluent in English, Chinese, Thai, and Korean, with some knowledge of Japanese.
- He’s CORTIS’s oldest member and its only fully non-Korean member currently under BigHit Music.
- His first audition song was Shawn Mendes’ “Treat You Better.”
- He currently rooms with fellow member Juhoon.
Social Media and Where to Follow
James is active across CORTIS’s official group platforms, including Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and YouTube, where his dance performances, choreography breakdowns, and behind-the-scenes production content continue to draw significant fan engagement.
His pre-debut choreography and songwriting credits for labelmates like TXT and ILLIT are frequently highlighted by fans who appreciate seeing his creative fingerprint across HYBE’s broader catalog well before his own debut.
Following CORTIS’s rapid 2026 rise — including their GreenGreen EP, their historic NBA All-Star Game appearance, and their sold-out world tour — James’s technically sharp, disciplined performance style continues to be one of the most consistently praised elements of the group’s live shows.
Conclusion
From a disbanded pre-debut group to a viral choreographer for some of K-pop’s biggest acts, and finally to CORTIS’s oldest member and main dancer, James’s career reflects a rare combination of patience and genuine creative talent.
Whether fans are drawn in by his precise, disciplined choreography, his multicultural background and multilingual fluency, his pre-debut production credits for TXT and ILLIT, or his steady, internationally minded perspective within the group, James continues to prove why he’s regarded as one of the most quietly accomplished performers of his generation.
As CORTIS’s global reach continues to expand, all eyes remain on James to see what he’ll dance, choreograph, and create next.
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