From church friends to couple: Actress Ji Ye-eun, dancer Vata confirm romance

Ji Ye-eun, left, and Vata / Xportsnews

Actress Ji Ye-eun and dancer Vata have taken their long-time friendship to the next level, quietly becoming one of the latest celebrity couples in Korea — a pairing already drawing attention for their shared background and creative collaborations.

The two began dating after growing close over time through shared interests and religion. Both born in 1994, Ji and Vata reportedly first bonded as church friends before their relationship developed into a romantic one.

Their connection had already been visible behind the scenes. When Ji performed as part of the project group “Chungju Ji Clan” with entertainer Ji Suk-jin at Waterbomb Seoul 2025 last year, created the choreography for their song “Milkshake,” offering support that now appears to hint at a deeper relationship.

Ji, a graduate of Korea National University of Arts’ acting department, debuted in 2017 through the web drama “How To.” She has since appeared in projects such as “Yellow,” “Taste of Cat” and short films including “Night Has Come” and “Acting Class.” Her popularity surged after joining the comedy show “SNL Korea” on Coupang Play, and is now a regular cast member on the long-running SBS variety show “Running Man.”

Vata, meanwhile, is best known as the leader of the dance crew We Dem Boyz, which rose to fame in 2022 after finishing as a runner-up on Mnet’s “Street Man Fighter,” a competitive dance reality show that gained significant traction among younger audiences.

He also played a key role in viral dance trends. Vata created a choreography for “Saebbing” by Zico during the dance reality show, sparking a widespread social media challenge. More recently, he gained further attention for choreographing “Like Jennie” by BLACKPINK member Jennie, reinforcing his influence in K-pop performance culture.

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.