EJAE and Sam Kim were introduced through music in 2017
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She has written songs inspired by their relationship, like "In Another World" and "Time After Time"
The Oscar-nominated singer and voice actress revealed that she and her fiancé are planning to get married in the fall of 2026
EJAEand her fiancé, Sam Kim, share a love for music.
The Korean-American singer-songwriter and star of Netflix'sKPop Demon Huntersmet Sam, a music producer-turned-coder, in 2017 during a songwriting session.
The two began dating shortly thereafter and Sam has since inspired EJAE's work, from her first hit "Psycho," which was sung by K-pop girl groupRed Velvet, to her recent singles "In Another World."
EJAE (whose real name is Kim Eun-jae) and Sam got engaged in the fall of 2023, but they have kept most details of their engagement private. The singer later announced the personal news onInstagramin January 2026, when she subtly posted photos of the milestone.
Behind the scenes, Sam has been a part of EJAE's career — which has been on the rise since thebreakout successand the slew of award nominations forKPop Demon Hunters— helping her write and produce her music.
Notably, Sam appeared in aVolvo advertisementalongside EJAE featuring her 2026 single, "Time After Time," in which she showed the process behind her songwriting that often involves her bouncing ideas off of Sam in the car, she toldForbes.
"I always play my songs in the car. I made the demos just to test out how it sounds in the car's speakers. Sam always gives me feedback," she said in February 2026. "It's very much true to what I do as a songwriter. We're vibing to the song together. It's literally what we do."
So who is EJAE's fiancé? Here's everything to know about Sam Kim and his relationship with theKPop Demon Huntersstar.
He and EJAE met through music in 2017
EJAE and Sam met through music in 2017.
In October 2025, EJAE toldVulturethat she and Sam first crossed paths during a songwriting session. At the time, Sam was a music producer, but he has since "switched to coding."
"He was basically my songwriting buddy, and we met during a session in 2017," she told the outlet. "We truly grew up together."
He and EJAE have collaborated on songwriting and recording
EJAE has shared that she and Sam have worked together on both the songwriting and recording of her music. He has also helped her through performance anxiety andstage fright.
While promotingKPop Demon Hunterswith co-songwriter for the filmMark Sonnenblick, EJAE told the story of how one of the film's biggest songs, "What it Sounds Like" involved Sam.
In an interview forThe 92nd Street Y, EJAE revealed that the vocal arrangement for the movie's climactic anthem was recorded in her Brooklyn apartment with Sam. "There's a lot of layers, lots of harmonies, lots of crowd," she said. "His voice is in there if you listen really closely."
EJAE has also spoken about how Sam supports her through difficult moments, including a surge of anxiety before she went on stage to perform "Golden" onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonin October 2025.
"I had a panic attack before [the show]," EJAE later shared on theZach Sang Showin November 2025. "I lost my voice that morning. We were doing so much press, and I didn't know how tired my body was. My lungs were just exhausted."
She explained that her voice cracked on the high notes of the song during rehearsals, and when she started to feel anxious about it, her fiancé "snapped" her out of it.
They took an "healthy, intentional break" several years into dating
EJAE has been open about the fact that she and Sam took a break about five years into their relationship, and that period inspired one of her singles "In Another World."
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At the time, the couple decided to take a pause while contemplating their future, according toForbes.
She told104.3 MYfmthat they took a "healthy, intentional break" to assess their relationship and see if they were meant to be.
"'It was kind of a moment of like ... 'If we were to part ways, how would I cope with that?" EJAE said in in November 2025. "For me it was thinking, 'Okay maybe in this lifetime it wasn't meant to be, but maybe in another life, in another world, it would have worked out.' "
She continued, "It wasn't that [Sam was] the issue. It was that just this current lifetime, that I had to deal with the trauma that I was dealt with in this life, it just wasn't working for us.' "
EJAE added that the experience helped her gain perspective.
He and EJAE are getting married in the fall of 2026
While EJAE has kept many details of her and Sam's engagement and wedding private, the pair are to marry in the fall of 2026.
In her November 2025 interview on 104.3 MYfm, EJAE shared that they are getting married "next year [in the fall]."
She also revealed that amid her rising career — fromthree Grammy nominationsforKPop Demon Huntersand releasing her own singles — she hadn't been able to focus on the wedding.
"I'm not even thinking about that wedding dress right now. I'm thinking about the Oscars and the Grammys," the singer said. "To figure out what kind of dress fits me ... maybe that'll help [with finding] my wedding dress."
He supports her success
Not only does Sam help EJAE with her songwriting and production, but he also supports her career success.
In an interview on theElvis Duran and the Morning Showin October 2025, EJAE spoke about the song "In Another World" and its music video, which features EJAE singing solo at a piano, interspersed with clips from her childhood.
"It's beautiful. ... The music video definitely made me cry," Sam said during the radio show appearance.
EJAE interjected, adding that Sam's tears were significant because "he doesn't cry."
"I'm not much of a crier, I couldn't hold back just watching those little clips of you as a kid, on the piano," Sam explained.
He was also one of the first to realize the breakout success of "Golden" fromKPop Demon Hunterswhen itpremiered in the summerof 2025.
"The day it came out, June 20th, I remember getting off a plane and my phone was just blowing up," EJAE told PEOPLE in February 2026. "And my fiancé loves Reddit, and his Reddit posts were all aboutKPop Demon Hunters.He was like 'Babe, I think this is getting pretty viral right now.' "
Outside of the recording studio, Sam has also attended various events with EJAE, from theKPop Demon Hunterspremiere to a 2025 Variety Hitmakers event and the 2026 Golden Globes afterparty.
Sam is set to attend the 2026Academy Awardswith EJAE as well, she told PEOPLE in January 2026.
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