Sechs Kies is one of the original 1st generation K-Pop idols that was formed in 1997. The group became widely known in Korea and they have always been referred to as a rival of the other famous South Korean idol groups like Shinhwa and H.O.T. Their genres cut across K-pop, dance-pop, hip-hop, and R&B. Sechs Kies debuted on the 15th of April, 1997 with their first album School Anthem. The group was under the management of Daesung Entertainment until its disbandment in 2000. They later reformed in 2016 after signing a contract with YG but are currently 4 in number. The overall sales number for Sechs Kies’s albums remain unknown because of DSP’s under-reporting and because official records are not available for albums released before September 1998.
Sechs Kies’s Members Profile
Sech Kies originally had 6 members. After they disbanded in 2000, everyone thought that the group was over. However, they made a comeback in 2006 under YG entertainment and are currently 4 members including:
Jiwon
Jiwon was born Eun Ji Won on the 8th of June, 1978. He’s the leader of Sech Kies, as well as the group’s lead rapper and lead vocalist. DSP Entertainment approached him and friend Kang Sunghun to debut them as a duet. However, four more members were added. He is part of the sub-unit, Black Kies. Jiwon was married in 2010 but got a divorce after two years.
Jaejin
Jaejin was born on the 13th of July, 1979 in Busan, South Korea. His real name is Lee Jae Jin. He is the main dancer and a rapper in Sech Kies. Before joining Sech Kies, he and groupmate Jaeduck were part of the dance crew Quicksilver. He sent an audition tape to DSP Entertainment to join Sech Kies, and both he and Jaeduck were accepted. He made his debut with his album titled It’s New. Since his solo debut, Jaijin has released three albums. He is part of the sub-unit, Black Kies.
Jaeduck
Kim Jae Duck, known by his stage name Jaeduck, was born on the 7th of August, 1979 in Busan, South Korea. He is Sech Kies’s lead rapper and lead dancer. He and Jaejin were part of the dance crew Quicksilver before joining DSP Entertainment. After Sech Kies disbanded in 2000, he joined forces with Suwon to form the duo, J-Walk. Jaeduck is part of the sub-unit, Black Kies.
Suwon
Suwon, born Jang Su Won, was born on the 16th of July, 1980. He is a vocalist and the youngest member of Sechs Kies. He joined the group after an open audition held by DSP Entertainment. After Sechs Kies disbanded in 2000, he joined Jaeduck to form J-Walk. Suwon is also an actor and is known well for his robot-acting. He is part of the sub-unit White Kies.
Former Sechs Kies Members
Sunghoon
Going by the stage name Sunghoon, Kang Sung Hoon was born on the 22nd of February, 1980. Sunghoon and Jiwon were originally scouted by DSP Entertainment for a duo before plans were changed and four more members were included. He was the main vocalist and visual of Sechs Kies. After Sech Kies disbanded, he signed under Laful Entertainment and pursued a solo career. He rejoined the group when it reformed in 2016, but left the group in 2019.
Jiyong
Ko Ji Yong, better known by his stage name Jiyong, was born on the 1st of July, 1980. He was the final member to join Sechs Kies, becoming the lead vocalist of the group. He is a native of Seoul and childhood friends with Sunghoon. After the group’s disbandment, Jiyong started his own company and quit the music industry indefinitely. He got married in 2013 and has a son, Seungjae. He appeared on the reality show The Return of Superman with his son from January 2017 till May 2019.
Info on Sechs Kies and Why They Disbanded in 2000
Ever since the debut of Sechs Kies in 1997, Daesung Entertainment (DSP) faked their sales record and intentionally made them so much lower to undermine Sechs Kies and cheat them on their earnings. They were overworked to the point that there is one video of them where Jaejin could barely move during the entire song and had to be escorted by Jiwon after the performance. After that very same performance, Jaeduck was recorded while he was vomiting into a garbage can.
The Sechs Kies members were underage but they had to come to drinking parties at adult night clubs on a hectic schedule and if they didn’t come, they were scolded and called arrogant. The company didn’t even film music videos for their title tracks. Worse, their earnings were used to push other artists especially FINKL. Ever since FINKL rose to fame, DSP started to treat Sechs Kies worse and worse. Sechs Kies initially wanted to switch companies but they were forced to disband instead.