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Kim Chi (drag queen)

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Kim Chi
Kim Chi performing with Werq the World 2025 at Caesars Windsor, Windsor, Ontario.
Born
Sang-Young Shin (신상영)

(1987-08-08) August 8, 1987 (age 38)
United States
OccupationDrag queen
Known forRuPaul's Drag Race season 8
Height1.94 m (6 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
Korean name
Hangul
신상영
RRSin Sangyeong
MRSin Sangyŏng
Websitekimchithequeen.com

Sang-Young Shin[1] (Korean: 신상영; born August 8, 1987),[2] known professionally as Kim Chi, is an American drag queen, artist, entrepreneur, and television personality best known for competing on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. Shin was the first Korean-American contestant on the show as well as the first Korean-American drag queen on American national television.[3] She[a] owns the beauty brand Kim Chi Chic Cosmetics.

Early life

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Sang-Young Shin was born in the United States on August 8, 1987, and lived in South Korea as a child.[7][8] Her parents, who are divorced, also live in Chicago. As of 2016, Shin lived in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago.[9] She attended Okemos High School.[10] As of 2017, her mother did not know she did drag until she reached fame on TV.[11][12] Shin studied graphic design in college before working as an art director and exploring sculpture, fashion design, and painting.[3]

Career

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Early career

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Shin began performing in drag in Chicago in 2012.[7] She chose the stage name "Kim Chi" as a play on kimchi, the Korean dish, while also noting that it resembles a Korean woman's name.[13] As she established herself in Chicago's drag scene, she developed a highly stylized persona inspired by anime, fashion, and Korean popular culture, characterized by elaborate makeup, sculptural costumes, and exaggerated femininity. Shin has described the character as "a live action anime character" whose fashion aesthetic could be described as "bionic doily", adding that she celebrates "all things cute, fun, weird, and exotic."[13]

During her early years as a performer, Shin became friends with future RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Trixie Mattel and helped her secure one of her first drag bookings in Chicago after Mattel had difficulty finding work in her hometown of Milwaukee.[7]

Television and film

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Shin in 2017

Shin gained national recognition in 2016 after competing on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, becoming the first Korean-American drag queen to compete on the series and the first Korean-American drag performer to appear on American national television.[3] She won the season's opening challenge and sent the prize money to her mother, telling her she had earned it through makeup work.[1] Shin advanced to the finale and finished as runner-up to Bob the Drag Queen. During the finale, she performed the original song "Fat, Fem, & Asian", written specifically for her, which addressed stereotypes surrounding race, body image, and femininity within the gay community.[1][14]

Following the competition, Shin returned for several Drag Race franchise productions. She competed in the television special RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular in 2018.[15]

Outside the Drag Race franchise, Shin served as a guest judge on the drag-themed episode of the first series of Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star in 2019.[16] She later appeared on the spin-off competition RuPaul's Celebrity Drag Race in 2020[17] and competed on the Hulu reality competition series Drag Me to Dinner in 2023.[18]

In 2016, Shin appeared as Chic in the short film Lipstick City, directed by fellow drag performer Shea Couleé.[19]

Kim Chi at RuPaul's DragCon LA in 2023

Live performances and public appearances

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Following her appearance on RuPaul's Drag Race, Shin accepted speaking engagements at universities and toured internationally as a performer. In March 2017, she was invited to the Loyola Marymount University College of Communication and Fine Arts for "A Fabulous Evening With Kim Chi: Exploring Gender Identity Through Drag". She became the first drag queen to appear at the university, where she performed and participated in a question-and-answer session while in full drag.[7]

The following month, Shin performed at the Arizona State University West campus in Phoenix, Arizona, during the university's Asian Heritage Week and Pride Week celebrations. The appearance was organized by Emily Kwon, president of the Asian-Pacific American Students' Coalition, who invited Shin to perform for students.[20]

In May 2017, Shin joined the North American leg of the Werq the World tour, an international drag concert tour hosted by Bianca Del Rio and Michelle Visage. The tour also featured Alaska Thunderfuck, Alyssa Edwards, Detox, Latrice Royale, and Violet Chachki.[21]

Business ventures

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Following her appearance on RuPaul's Drag Race, Shin expanded into the beauty industry through cosmetics collaborations and other commercial ventures. In 2016, she partnered with Sugarpill Cosmetics to develop a collection that included Kim Chi Liquid Lip Color, a donut-scented lipstick, and Kim Chi Electric Teal Eyeshadow.[22]

Later that year, Shin released Kimchiji, a package of emoji and stickers featuring her catchphrases and illustrations associated with her drag persona, which was made available through Apple as the Kimchiji Keyboard App and Kimchiji Sticker Pack.[13]

Three years later, in 2019, Shin announced the launch of her own cosmetics brand, Kim Chi Chic, in collaboration with Bespoke Beauty Brands, founded by Toni Ko, the founder of NYX Cosmetics.[23]

In 2025, Shin collaborated with Korean-American streetwear brand Sundae School to create Kim Chi Over Flowers, a line of cannabis edible gummies inspired by Korean flavours including yakgwa, a traditional honey cookie, and omija, a five-flavour berry.[24]

Shin published two books in 2025: a superhero graphic novel co-written with Stephan Lee, Donutella Hamachi and the Library Avengers, and a cookbook, Kim Chi Eats the World.[25]

Recognition

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In June 2019, a panel of judges from New York magazine placed her 17th on their list of "the most powerful drag queens in America", a ranking of 100 former Drag Race contestants.[26]

Bibliography

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  • Donutella Hamachi and the Library Avengers, co-written with Stephan Lee; illustrated by Utomaru (Candlewick Press: 2025)
  • Kim Chi Eats the World (Union Square & Co.: 2025)

Discography

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Singles

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Year Song Ref
2016 "Single" [27]

Filmography

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Movies

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Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2016 Lipstick City Chic Short film by Shea Coulee [19]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2016 RuPaul's Drag Race (season 8) Herself Contestant (Runner-Up) [citation needed]
2016 RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked 9 episodes
2016 Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul 1 episode
2018 RuPaul's Drag Race (season 10) Guest
2018 RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular Contestant [15]
2019 Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star Guest Judge [28]
2020 RuPaul's Celebrity Drag Race RuPaul's Drag Race Spin-Off [29]
2023 Drag Me to Dinner Hulu original [18]

Music videos

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Year Title Artist
2016 "Fantasy" Acid Betty
2016 The Realness RuPaul
2016 Straight Outta Oz Todrick Hall
2016 Expensive[30] Todrick Hall
2017 Me4U[31] Danny L Harle
2018 Pose[32] Naomi Smalls

Web series

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2015 Cooking w/ Drag Queens Herself Guest [33]
2016 Vanity Fair: 103 Years of Drag Queen Fashion Herself Vanity Fair video short [34]
2016 Bobbin' Around Herself Guest [35]
2016 Ring My Bell Herself Guest [36]
2017 $tranger$ for Ca$h Herself Guest, with Milk [37]
2017–2018 M.U.G. Herself Co-Host [38]
2017 PMB Herself Guest [39]
2018 Pardon My French Food Herself Recurring [40]
2019 The Pit Stop Herself Guest [41]
2019–2020 Werq the World Herself World of Wonder exclusive [42]
2019 Gaymer Guys Herself Guest [43]
2019 Runway Rewind Herself Guest [44]
2022 Binge Queens Herself Guest, Produced by World of Wonder [45]
2024 Monét's Slumber Party Herself Guest [46]

References

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  1. ↑ Shin is referred to both by he/him[4] and she/her[5][6] pronouns. This article uses she/her for consistency.
  1. 1 2 3 Larkworthy, Jane (2 May 2016). "The Many Faces of the One and Only Kim Chi". W. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  2. ↑ Lee, Johnathan (2018). Asian American History Day by Day: A Reference Guide to Events. Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-3133-9928-2. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2020-09-07.
  3. 1 2 3 "Drag queen Kim Chi hopes to spread Korean culture to world". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on July 20, 2017. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
  4. ↑ Wortham, Jenna (May 15, 2016). "RuPaul's Drag Race Highlights the Struggle for Acceptance". The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Kim Chi's website". Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  6. ↑ Sim, Bernardo (December 6, 2022). "Here's How Much Money Queens Spent to Compete on RuPaul's Drag Race". Pride. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 McManus, Gracie (18 Mar 2017). "Kim Chi challenges gender norms in drag performance". The Los Angeles Loyolan. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  8. ↑ "Q&A WITH DRAG SENSATION KIM CHI". Center for Asian American Media. 16 May 2016. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  9. ↑ "Will One of These Boystown Queens be the First Chicago Winner of 'RuPaul'?". 6 January 2016. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  10. ↑ @KimChi_Chic (June 30, 2018). "When you're not listed under your high school's notable alumni but the dad of Jon Benet Ramsey is" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. ↑ Moore, Chadwick (1 Mar 2017). "Like a Virgin: Drag Star Kim Chi on Their Single-Minded Ambition". Out. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  12. ↑ The Try Guys (2018-10-31), My Dad's First Drag Show (Featuring Kim Chi), archived from the original on 2021-06-05, retrieved 2019-03-15
  13. 1 2 3 Weisenstein, Kara (9 Nov 2016). "Kim Chi Emoji Are Here to Make America Glamorous Again". Vice. Archived from the original on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  14. ↑ Picardi, Phillip (28 Oct 2016). "Watch as Drag Queen Kim Chi Gives Soo Joo Park an INSANE Makeover". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  15. 1 2 "Kim Chi, Shangela, Trixie Mattel & More to Compete in 'RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2018-11-02. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  16. ↑ "Kim Chi to appear on Glow Up's next episode and it's a drag spectacular". Queertist. Archived from the original on 2020-05-08. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
  17. ↑ Desta, Yohana (22 October 2019). "RuPaul Announces Drag Race Spin-Off Featuring All-Celebrity Competitors". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 2021-01-17. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  18. 1 2 Rice, Lynette (May 1, 2023). "'Drag Me To Dinner': Hulu Announces Premiere Date For Unscripted Series From Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  19. 1 2 Shea Couleé (2017-07-07), Open TV Presents: Lipstick City by Shea Couleé, archived from the original on 2020-11-21, retrieved 2019-05-22
  20. ↑ Bandala, Marci (6 Apr 2017). "Kim Chi celebrates the art of drag and Asian Heritage Month at ASU West". The State Press. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  21. ↑ Crowley, Patrick (26 May 2017). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' Werq the World Tour: Kim Chi and Alyssa Edwards Talk Crazy Fan Moments & Unusual Gifts". Billboard. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  22. ↑ "Kim Chi Liquid Lip Color". Sugarpill Cosmetics. Archived from the original on 17 April 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  23. ↑ "A Kim Chi Makeup Line Is Coming". Papermag. Archived from the original on 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
  24. ↑ Jude Cramer (January 23, 2025). "Kim Chi's new THC gummies deliver bold Korean flavor (in more ways than one)". Into. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  25. ↑ Sim, Bernardo (December 17, 2025). "In her author era, Kim Chi is avenging libraries and eating the world". Out Magazine. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  26. ↑ "The Most Powerful Drag Queens in America: Ranking the new establishment". New York. June 10, 2019. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Kim Chi Debuts Her New Single, "Single"". 2016-05-16. Archived from the original on 2019-12-31. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  28. ↑ Edtiro, QUEERTIST. "Kim Chi to appear on Glow Up's next episode and it's a drag spectacular". Queertist. Archived from the original on 2020-05-08. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
  29. ↑ Desta, Yohana (22 October 2019). "RuPaul Announces Drag Race Spin-Off Featuring All-Celebrity Competitors". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 2021-01-17. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  30. ↑ Tharrett, Matthew. "Kim Chi, Willam, Mariah, Alaska And Laganja Get "Expensive" With Todrick Hall". New Now Next. Archived from the original on 2016-10-11. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  31. ↑ Gore, Sydney. "Watch Danny L Harle's Cozy Music Video For "Me4U" Starring Kim Chi". The Fader. Archived from the original on 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  32. ↑ Piedra, Xavier. "'Drag Race' Star Naomi Smalls Strikes a 'Pose' With Kim Chi in New Video: Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2019-01-10. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  33. ↑ Cooking w/ Drag Queens - Kim Chi - Bi Bim Bap (Korean style mixed rice). YouTube. May 6, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  34. ↑ 100 Years of Drag Queen Fashion | Vanity Fair. YouTube. October 12, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  35. ↑ Bobbin' Around Ep. 5 (Ft basically everyone). Bob The Drag Queen. July 26, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  36. ↑ RING MY BELL with KIM CHI. YouTube. November 25, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  37. ↑ $TRANGER$ FOR CA$H: Milk & Kim Chi. YouTube. July 11, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  38. ↑ M.U.G. with Kim Chi & Naomi Smalls - RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 2 "Then & Now. YouTube. January 12, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  39. ↑ PMB: w/ Kim Chi and WILLAM. YouTube. June 9, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  40. ↑ Drag Queens try french "Andouillette" (w/ Latrice Royale, Kim Chi) | Pardon my french food #2 | VF. YouTube. July 15, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  41. ↑ The Pit Stop Season 4 Episode 4: Kim Chi Spills the Tea | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 4. YouTube. January 5, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  42. ↑ Joey Nolfi (July 14, 2020). "Watch Naomi Smalls, Kim Chi celebrate Drag Race sisterhood by a dumpster". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  43. ↑ GAYMER GUYS: Kim Chi!. YouTube. June 22, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  44. ↑ LOUIS VUITTON SS 2008 FT. KIM CHI | Violet Chachki's Runway Rewind. YouTube. September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  45. ↑ SPOILER ALERT: Binge Queens - RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 7, Episode 1 Preview, May 27, 2022
  46. ↑ Maas, Jennifer (28 June 2024). "Dropout Sets Drag Queen Monét X Change-Hosted Variety Series 'Monét's Slumber Party' With 'Pee-Wee's Playhouse' Twist (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
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