Kim Chi (drag queen)

Kim Chi was born August 8, 1987, in the United States and was raised in South Korea. Her parents, who are divorced, also live in Chicago and as of 2017 still have no idea that she does drag.

Kim Chi started her drag career in Chicago in 2012. Describing her drag aesthetic, she stated, "Kim Chi is a live action anime character whose fashion aesthetic could be described as 'bionic doily.' I imagine my aura to be an array of ultra violet colors that spews glitter. I celebrate all things cute, fun, weird, and exotic." Prior to joining RuPaul's Drag Race, Kim Chi befriended and helped season seven contestant Trixie Mattel get one of her first drag jobs in Chicago, as it was difficult for Mattel to find one in her hometown of Milwaukee.

Kim Chi was one of twelve drag queens accepted for the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, which started airing March 7, 2016. Upon joining the show, she became "the first Korean drag queen to be featured on American national television." Kim Chi won the first challenge, which came with a small cash prize. She sent the money to her mother, telling her she made it through makeup work. Eventually, Kim Chi made it to the top three along with Naomi Smalls, but lost the title to Bob the Drag Queen. During the finale, she lip synced a song specifically made for her called "Fat, Fem, & Asian", which was a commentary on dating stereotypes in the gay dating world.

After RPDR, Kim Chi partnered with Sugarpill Cosmetics to create different makeup items, including the Kim Chi Liquid Lip Color, a donut-scented lipstick described as a "Matte lavender mauve with a subtle, unique blend of transparent aqua and violet sparkles". Other items included the Kim Chi Electric Teal Eyeshadow and Kim Chi Liquid Lip Color.

In November 2016, Kim Chi released a package of Kim Chi emojis called Kimchiji. Emojis included her catchphrases, a burrito bowl, a chicken wing, and a spanking butt.

In March 2017, Kim Chi was invited to the College of Communication and Fine Arts at Loyola Marymount University for an event called "A Fabulous Evening With Kim Chi: Exploring Gender Identity Through Drag". She was the first drag queen to come to the college, and she did so in full drag makeup. Along with a performance, there was a question and answer section during the event.

In April 2017, Kim Chi performed at Arizona State University West campus for their Asian Heritage Week and Pride Week. President of the Asian-Asian Pacific American Students' Coalition Emily Kwon put on the event, inviting Kim Chi to perform for the students.

In May 2017, Kim Chi performed as part of the Werq the World 2017 tour. The tour, hosted by Bianca Del Rio and Michelle Visage, also featured drag queens Alaska Thunderfuck, Alyssa Edwards, Detox, Latrice Royale, and Violet Chachki.