JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<ul id="set-1">
        <li>item 1</li>
        <li>item 2</li>
        <li>item 3</li>
        <li>item 4</li>
        <li>item 5</li>
        <li>item 6</li>
        <li>item 7</li>
        <li>item 8</li>
    </ul>

    <ul id="set-2"></ul>

JavaScript

let list = $('#set-1').find('li'),
                midRange = Math.ceil(list.length / 2),
                first = list.slice(0, midRange),
                last = list.slice(midRange);

            $('#set-1').html('');

            first.each(function() {$('#set-1').append('<li>'+ $(this).html() +'</li>')});
            last.each(function() {$('#set-2').append ('<li>'+ $(this).html() +'</li>')});