Jeng Yi was formed in 1998. In 2002, the ensemble produced and presented their first full-length concert at Artword Theatre in Toronto. In the following years, Jeng Yi self-produced a series of annual recitals, showcasing new compositions and collaborations. The ensemble has toured extensively, and has been invited to and performed at Sunfest, The Algoma Fall Festival, The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, The Music Garden, The University of Toronto, The Toronto Art Expo, Festival des traditions du monde de Sherbrooke, and The CanAsian Dance Festival. The ensemble also performed as musical accompanists in the Dora-award winning dance work Bite, choreographed by Peter Chin.

Charles Hong, Artistic Director, has been drumming and dancing since 1990. From 1992 to 1996, he apprenticed under Kim Duk Soo, master drummer and leader of the world-renowned group SamulNori. Charles Hong returned to Toronto in 1996 and soon after founded Jeng Yi. He has also studied with Dong-Won Kim, a specialist in the music of Dodang Kut, a shaman ritual practiced in the central region of the Korean peninsula. Besides his work with Jeng Yi, Charles Hong has also worked in dance, music, and theatre productions. He has performed at the Guelph Jazz Festival, Canada Dance Festival, and the McMaster University Concert Series.

He received the 2008 Dora award for Outstanding Sound Design/Composition in the dance category for his musical work on Soojung Kwon's original choreography Choonengmu, a dance work performed at the 2008 CanAsian Dance Festival. He is also an instructor of Korean drumming at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto and at York University, Department of Music.