James

James's real name is Zhao Yufan (赵雨凡). He is of Thai heritage on his mother's side and Chinese heritage on his father's side. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Taiwan, he brings a uniquely international background to CORTIS. Source: KProfiles

James is CORTIS's oldest member and the only fully foreign, non-Korean member currently signed under BIGHIT Music. Source: KProfiles

Before debuting with CORTIS, James trained under another entertainment company before joining BIGHIT Entertainment in 2020. He later became a member of the highly anticipated pre-debut team Trainee A, which ultimately disbanded without debuting in 2022. Source: Kpop Fandom Wiki

James is fluent in five languages: English, Mandarin Chinese, Thai, Korean, and basic Japanese. Source: KProfiles

He is an only child. Source: KProfiles

Long before becoming an idol, James spent nearly ten years playing competitive ice hockey, training with Hong Kong's Typhoons & Selects program. He also practiced taekwondo before eventually focusing entirely on music and dance. Source: KPopFancy

Prior to his own debut, James performed as a backup dancer for BTS's Jungkook during promotions for "Seven" (feat. Latto), including performances on Inkigayo and at AGUST D's D-DAY The Final concert. Source: KProfiles

James has already built an impressive résumé as a songwriter and choreographer, contributing to songs by fellow HYBE artists. His credits include co-writing and helping choreograph TXT's "Deja Vu" and ILLIT's "Magnetic." Source: Kpopping

When pronounced using Korean phonetics, James's Chinese name can sound similar to the Korean name "Jo U-beom," occasionally leading new fans to mistakenly assume he's Korean. Source: KProfiles

James is officially registered with the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) under registration number 10043641, listed under both "JAMES" and "ZHAO YUFAN," confirming his professional songwriting and composing credits. Source: KProfiles

He reportedly owns a collection of more than 100 hats and has openly described himself as a passionate anime fan. Source: KPopFancy

When asked which member he'd bring to a deserted island, James chose Juhoon, explaining that Juhoon's calm personality would make the experience feel more like a relaxing vacation than a survival challenge. Source: KProfiles

James's comfort drink is chocolate milk, while his favorite foods include crème brûlée pudding, bubble tea, and sweet red bean buns. Source: KProfiles

In November 2025, a video of James recreating Jungkook's "Seven" choreography went viral among fans. Many described it as a full-circle moment, as he was now performing the choreography as a debuted idol rather than as Jungkook's backup dancer. Source: KPopFancy

In addition to his skills as a dancer, vocalist, songwriter, and choreographer, James can also play the piano, further showcasing his well-rounded musical background. Source: KPopFancy