KARA Members Profile & Facts

KARA (카라) is a South Korean 5-member Kpop girl group under DSP Media and RBW. The group members consist of Gyuri, Seungyeon, Nicole, Jiyoung, and Youngji. They debuted on March 29, 2007 with their first full-length album “The First Bloooooming”. 

KARA Profile

KARA Facts:

– The group’s name, KARA, is derived from the Greek word “chara” (χαρά), meaning “joy.” They interpreted it to symbolize a “sweet melody.”
– Expectations for the group were high as they were seen as the successors to their senior labelmates, Fin.K.L. However, their debut did not perform well commercially.
– In 2008, Sunghee departed from the group due to educational commitments and parental pressure, leading to the addition of new members Goo Hara and Kang Jiyoung.
– They signed with Universal Sigma in 2010.
– The single “When I Move” earned KARA their first music show win in seven years.
– A pre-release single titled “Hello,” featuring vocals from their late member Hara, was released on July 16, 2024.

Achievements

– They were the 2010’s Best Rookie Artist according to Oricon, generating revenue of some 1.3 billion yen.
– In April 2011 when their single “Jet Coaster Love” became their first number one hit in Japan and this achievement marked the first time in 30 years that a foreign female group topped the Japanese singles chart.
– Within just two years of promoting in Japan, they sold over one million physical singles, establishing themselves as one of the fastest-selling South Korean acts in the country.
– Their song “Mister” became the most downloaded song of all time by a Korean artist in Japan in 2012.
– Their album “Kara Best 2007–2010” was certified gold by the RIAJ. They were the first ever Korean group since the 1990s to release an all-Korean album that was able to break the 100 thousand copies barrier in Japan.

Disbandment & Reformation

– In 2014, Nicole and Jiyoung chose not to renew their contracts with DSP Media and subsequently left the group. Following their departure, a reality TV show titled “KARA Project” was launched to find a new member. Seven trainees from DSP Media participated in the show, and Heo Youngji, the winner, became the final member to join KARA.
– On January 15, 2016, DSP Media announced KARA’s disbandment after the contracts of Gyuri, Seungyeon, and Hara expired.
– For KARA’s 15th anniversary in 2022, members Gyuri, Seungyeon, Nicole, Jiyoung, and Youngji reunited to release an EP titled “Move Again”.

Controversy

– On January 19, 2011, four of the five KARA members announced they would terminate their contract with DSP Entertainment, citing unfair treatment. Only leader Park Gyuri remained with the company. The members’ lawyer stated that the company ignored their requests and forced tasks upon them, and that legal action had been in preparation for two months. Later that day, Goo Hara withdrew from the lawsuit and rejoined DSP, claiming she was unaware of the lawsuit’s full details.
– DSP denied the accusations, stating each member had been paid ₩300 million and expressed a desire for reconciliation. The dispute with the remaining three members, Han Seung-yeon, Nicole Jung, and Kang Ji-young was resolved on April 28, 2011.

Major Work

– Their most popular songs include “Mr.”, “STEP”, and “GO GO”.

Awards

– They have won several awards including Asia Star Award, Album Bonsang, Best K-Pop Award in Disk Album, New Artist of the Year, Best Asian Artist, Album of the Year, Best Global Group, and  World’s Best Group Selling Asian Artist.

Website: karaofficial.kr

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
X (Twitter): @kara_dsp / @KARAOFFICIAL329
YouTube: DSP Kara
Facebook: @dspofficialkara
Fan Cafe: Dejuanholic

Streaming Platform Links
Genie | Spotify | Bugs | Melon | Apple Music | Deezer

KARA Members Profile

1. Gyuri

Gyuri Facts:

– She is fluent in Korean, Japanese, and speaks a bit of English.
– She likes her eyes.
– She did some acting in elementary school.
– She became a singing trainee in middle school.
– She can use both hands equally well, and is ambidextrous.
– She was attracted to cross-dressing projects.
– She once went to Gangneung for about a month and cut off contact with everyone. She went alone and voluntarily chose isolation which felt comfortable.
– When she was a child actress, she didn’t have a professional agency and her mom was her manager.
– Gyuri tends to forget things from her past, including the lyrics of her favorite songs.
– Her hobby is sketching.
– Mochi ice cream, candy, desserts, and cakes are her favourite Japanese food.
– Read more facts about Gyuri

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
Instagram: @gyuri_88
X (Twitter): @gyuri88
YouTube: 나는규리여

Streaming Platform Links
Genie | Spotify | Bugs | Melon | Apple Music | Deezer

2. Seungyeon

Seungyeon Facts:

– She was chosen as the member who is the worst at dating.
– She says she has never won an argument with Gyuri.
– She likes her small face.
– She is shy with strangers.
– Tonkatsu sandwiches by MAISEN is her favourite Japanese food.
– She used to have a small bar of chocolate around 10 pm as her first meal and that was it during schedules.
– During the promotions of Mamma Mia, the maximum carbohydrate that she consumed in one week was less than 10 rice paper sheets.
– She is a crybaby in KARA. (IU’s Palette)
– She said, she doesn’t have aegyeo.
– She is a self-proclaimed homebody.
– She posts about her various hobbies on Instagram, such as baking and Dutch coffee.
– She had always said that she wanted to get married early.
– She was unanimously chosen by the Kara members as the member with the worst fashion sense.
– It is said that when her senior, who was her first love when she was studying abroad in the US in her third year of middle school, returned to Korea, she secretly drank all the drinks that he had left behind.
– She is the member who speaks Japanese the best.
– She broke up with her first boyfriend because of differences in values ​​as Kara became popular.
– Read more facts about Seungyeon

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
Instagram: @thesy88
X (Twitter): @fateflysy
YouTube: CODE 한승연

Streaming Platform Links
Genie | Spotify | Bugs | Melon | Apple Music | Deezer

3. Nicole

Nicole Facts:

– Nicole is close friends with Key from SHINee and Seohyun from Girls’ Generation. 
– She likes her eyes.
– Gyudon and curry is her favourite Japanese food.
– She got medication prescribed for her excessive stress.
– She rarely listens to the songs that have her English rap.
– Her mother ran a ramen restaurant called ‘Red Kitchen’ in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu until 2010.
– She falls down a lot. She once crashed head-on into a metal box during rehearsal. She also said that before her debut, she sprained his ankle three times and the bone was sticking out.
– Her idol friend is Amber from f(x).
– She wanted to be a teacher or a vet when she was young. (DIVE Studios)
– Fish doesn’t feel like meat to her. It feels like a meat alternative to her.
– She was afraid of talk shows. (IU’s Palette)
– Read more facts about Nicole

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
Instagram: @nicole__jung (Personal) / @nicole_korea.official (Official)
Cafe Daum: Nicole (니콜)

Streaming Platform Links
Genie | Bugs | Melon | Apple Music 

4. Jiyoung

Jiyoung Facts:

– For her audition at DSP Media, she performed Girls’ Generation‘s “Kissing You“.
– She likes her height, slender figure, and legs.
– She is also close friends with Dasom of SISTAR.
– She started learning Zumba dance in 2023.
– Since she is from Paju, she cannot donate blood of any kind except plasma.
– She chose Erika Toda as her role model.
– She got a tattoo in 2023.
– Read more facts about Jiyoung

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
Instagram: @kkangjji_
X (Twitter): @kkangjji_0
YouTube: 내 이름은 강지영
Threads: @kkangjji_
TikTok: @kkangjii_

Streaming Platform Links
Genie | Spotify | Bugs | Melon | Apple Music

5. Youngji

Youngji Facts:

– Before joining the group, she was a fan of A-Pink, SNSD, and KARA.
– She is close to comedian Son Minsoo, HYEJIDAEJI, comedian Lee Changho, Golden Child’s Lee Jangjun, Mijoo, and Vin.
– She had the hardest time becoming close with Seungyeon.
– She was a big tomboy in her school days.
– She played soccer every day in school and broke six pairs of glasses one year because of heading. She also often wore casts.
– After disbanding, she was in a state of mental shock that she actually developed binge-eating disorder.
– She got her driver’s license in 2016.
– Read more facts about Youngji

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
Instagram: @young_g_hur

Streaming Platform Links
Genie | Spotify | Bugs | Melon | Apple Music | Deezer

Former Members:

6. Hara

Hara Facts:

– She was fluent in both Korean and Japanese.
– If she hadn’t become a singer, Hara had dreamed of being a flight attendant, but she gave up on it due to not being tall enough for the role.
– Hara had 4 aunts she was close to, along with 10 younger cousins and several older cousins.
– She always carried a letter from her favorite aunt in her wallet for strength.
– She admitted to having some dental and minor facial cosmetic surgery, explaining that she already had double eyelids but underwent surgery to make them more defined.
– Her closest friends were Girls’ Generation’s Jessica and SUPER JUNIOR’s Heechul. 
– She liked that she never put on weight.
– She was bullied by her female seniors during her school days. She said that they made her fold her body like a flip phone and even came to the classroom to beat her.
– She had surgery for acute appendicitis.
– Read more facts about Hara

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES
Instagram: @koohara__
X (Twitter): @_sweethara

Streaming Platform Links
Genie | Spotify | Bugs | Melon | Apple Music | Deezer

7. Sunghee

Sunghee Facts:

– She got married to Yang Won Joon in May 2011.
– Her favorite flowers are roses.
– Her mother was known for singing in OSTs.
– Since 2010, she has been working as a vocal trainer.
– Read more facts about Sunghee

Note: Which KARA member caught your eye first? Let us know your story in the comments down below! 

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