Eun Ji-won (Korean: 은지원; born June 8, 1978) is a South Korean rapper, singer, actor and entertainer. He is the leader of the first generation idol group Sechs Kies (젝스키스).
He is recognized as an ancestor of the K-pop world, paving the way for hip-hop in the Korean pop scene. He is also considered an entertainment icon, popularly known as "Eun Choding" (Elementary Eun) for his childish on-screen persona on 1 Night 2 Days. In addition to his music, he continues to appear in shows like New Journey to the West.
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Early life
Eun Jiwon was born in Seoul, South Korea on June 8, 1978. His mother, Kim Seong Ah, was a singer from the female duo, the "Lily Sisters".
Eun studied abroad in Hawaii, attending the Hawaiian Mission Academy, from Grade 9 to 12. He was schoolmates with former Sechs Kies member, Kang Sung-hun. As a teen in Hawaii, he worked part time as a cafe DJ, where he picked up an interest in music and was recruited under DSP Media.
He is related to Park Chung Hee (grand uncle) and Park Geun-hye (first cousin, once removed), who both served as the President of South Korea.
Career
1997–2000: Sechs Kies
Eun Jiwon debuted under Sechs Kies on April 15, 1997 with their first single, "School Anthem" on the program KMTV Show! Music Tank. The team was met with positive reception and rose to fame with their hit songs PomSaengPomSa and Couple. Eun described his time with Sechs Kies as hectic due to back-to-back schedules paired with little rest.
In 1998, Eun made his on-screen debut, playing the lead role in the film Seventeen, which also featured fellow Sechs Kies members.
On May 18, 2000 Sechs Kies announced their disbandment. Despite their success, the group collectively to disband with hopes to succeed in the future. Following the disbandment, the group released a final track online, titled "Thanks".
Solo career
Eun began his solo career on October 27, 2000 with the self composed mini album G. He continued to release dance music with the album G Pop, which was released on March 29, 2001. After the success of his first full album, Eun began to refine his style with his second album, Heavy G, his first full hip-hop album.
Under Waltz Music Entertainment he released his third album, Drunk in Hip Hop (including title track "Drunk in Melody") in September 6, 2003. The album was Eun's breakthrough into the hip-hop scene, solidifying his status as a rap artist and shedding his idol image. "Drunk in Melody" won Eun the Hip Hop Award at the 2003 SBS Gayo Awards and the KMTV Korean Music Awards.
Eun repackaged his third album, including an alternate version of "Mi Casa Ro" and "Never, Ever" from his first solo album.
Eun starred in the romantic comedy Marrying a High-School Girl (여고생 시집가기), which was released on December 23, 2004. The film was met with poor reviews and was criticized for its absurd plotline. Eun recounted that he was forced into the role, noting how he shaved his head in an act of rebellion against doing the film.
Eun was a member of The Movement Crew (무브먼트), a hip-hop crew founded by Tiger JK, and performed at the group concert on May 13, 2006. Eun credits Tiger JK as a major influence in his musical style. His songs often feature fellow members including Drunken Tiger, Tasha (Yoon Mi Rae), Dynamic Duo and Bobby Kim.
Eun returned with a single, "Adios," marking the beginning to his connection to Latin inspired music. His album Love, Death, Introspection (사랑 死랑 思랑) was released on October 30, 2007 with four new tracks and an instrumental version of "Adios". At this time, Eun joined the 13 Creative Unit, a subsidiary of Eyagi Entertainment.
After appearing steadily in small entertainment television roles, Eun joined the KBS reality-variety show1 Night 2 Days as a founding member. The show was met with nation-wide recognition and Eun became a staple household name. He was praised for his comedic personality as "Eun Choding" and continued to explore his career as a variety entertainer.
Personal life
Marriages
In February 2010, Eun announced that he would marry his first love, a woman two years his senior. The two knew each other since 1994 and reunited 13 years later, and eventually getting married on April 20, 2010. By marriage, Eun and soccer player Lee Dong-Gook became brother-in-laws.
On February 28, 2013, Eun announced that he and his wife divorced in August 2012 due to differences in personality. It was later revealed that the couple never registered their marriage, and thus, were in a common-law marriage.
On June 12, 2025, YG Entertainment confirmed that Eun would marry again that year. Eun married in October.
Criticism
Eun is the only member of Sechs Kies to face criticism since the disbandment for changing his musical genre from pop music to hip hop.
Discography
Albums
2001: G Pop
2002: Money
2003: Eun Ji-won Best
2003: Drunken in Hip Hop
2005: The 2nd Round
2009: Platonic
2019: G1
Filmography
Radio career
Notes: Eun was the first DJ on MBC FM4U (친한 친구), from 2002 to 2003.
