Table of Contents
About
KARD (Korean: 카드) is a popular South Korean co-ed group formed by DSP Media, known for blending various genres such as hip-hop, EDM, and pop in their music. The group made their debut in 2017 and quickly gained recognition for their unique concept of a co-ed group, which was a rarity in the K-pop industry. KARD consists of four members: J.Seph, BM, Somin, and Jiwoo.
Biography
- Group name: KARD (카드)
- Debut date: July 19, 2017
- Company: DSP Media (Label: RBW)
- Number of members: 4
- Members: J.Seph, BM, Somin, and Jiwoo
- Fandom name: Hidden Kard (히든 카드)
Official SNS
- Instagram: @official_kard
- Twitter: KARD (카드) / KARD JAPAN OFFICIAL (Japan)
- YouTube: KARD
- TikTok: @official.kard
Career
Pre-debut
Somin debuted in DSP Media’s Japanese girl group Puretty in 2012, which disbanded in 2014. She later competed in “Kara Project,” finishing second, and debuted as the leader of April in 2015 before leaving the group in November.
J.Seph trained for five years, while BM trained for four and a half, initially preparing to debut as a hip-hop duo. Before his debut, BM featured in Goo Ha-ra’s song “La La La” and performed as her dance partner.
Jiwoo trained under FNC Entertainment for two years before joining DSP Media in 2016.
Activities After Debut
DSP Media first announced the formation of KARD on December 1, 2016 after opening several social media accounts under the group’s name. After being revealed in a sequential order, all the members of the group were revealed by December 5, with the label elaborating more on their card-game concept.
The group consists of BM (King card), J.Seph (Ace card), Somin (Black JokeR), and Jiwoo (Color JokeR). Their unique “card game” concept included the addition of “hidden card” features in their pre-debut releases. Their first project single, “Oh NaNa,” featuring Heo Young-ji as the first “hidden card,” was released on December 13, 2016, gaining international recognition and ranking #5 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart. Similar to its predecessor, “Don’t Recall” charted on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart and peaked at number 5 in its issue dated March 18, 2017, but remained on the chart longer, charting for 12 weeks. On April 21, 2017 LG Electronics announced KARD as the global ambassador for the G6 Smartphone. As part of this collaboration, all content for their final project single, “Rumor,” including its music video, was produced in partnership with LG. Released on April 24, 2017, the video featured choreographer Z.Sun as the group’s third “hidden card.”
In 2017, KARD embarked on their first international tour, “Wild KARD,” covering North and South America. They officially debuted on July 19, 2017, with their EP “Hola Hola,” which charted well on Billboard and Gaon. The album’s eponymous title track also entered the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart at number 4, while other tracks of the album, “I Can’t Stop“ and “Living Good” ranked number 10 and number 12, respectively. They continued touring extensively in Europe, North America, and Asia while releasing their second EP, “You & Me,” in November.
In 2018, they participated in Super Junior’s “Lo Siento.” Somin and Jiwoo joined Super Junior to perform the song on various Korean music programs. They also released their third EP, “Ride on the Wind.” The EP debuted and peaked at number 7 on the Gaon Album Chart for the week ending July 28, 2018. The EP also debuted and peaked at number 8 on the Billboard World Albums chart. On August 19, KARD held their first solo concert in South Korea since their debut, completing their “Wild KARD in Seoul” concert held at the YES24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.
KARD made their comeback on March 27, 2019, with their first digital single “Bomb Bomb,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart. They followed this with concerts, including 2019 Wild KARD in Seoul and performances at the 2019 Dream Concert. In July, they embarked on their Play Your KARD Right Tour in India.
On September 21, they released “Dumb Litty,” which also peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart, leading to their debut on the Billboard Social 50 chart. In October, they toured the U.S. for Wild KARD Tour in USA 2019 and later appeared at Young Hollywood.
In 2020, they released their fourth EP, “Red Moon” (February), and their first single album, “Way with Words,” featuring “Gunshot” (August). J.Seph enlisted for military service in October, leading KARD to promote as a trio. BM debuted as a soloist in July 2021.
J.Seph was discharged in early 2022, and in June, KARD made their full-group comeback with their fifth EP, “Re:“,” featuring “Ring The Alarm.” They renewed their contracts with DSP Media in July.
In 2023, KARD confirmed a comeback in April. On May 3, a teaser was released for their sixth mini album, “Icky” which was released on May 23. On June 6, it was announced the group will hold a world tour, titled “2023 KARD World Tour <Playground>,” from July 6 to September 8, 2023. On November 2, 2023, DSP Media announced that the group had signed with UTA to handle international activities.
On August 13, 2024, they released their seventh mini-album, “Where to Now? (Pt. 1: Yellow Light).” On December 7, 2024, KARD announced their fourth digital single “Detox”, scheduled for December 17, 2024.
Discography
Mini albums
- Hola Hola (2017)
- You & Me (2017)
- Ride On The Wind (2018)
- Red Moon (2020)
- Re: (2022)
- Icky (2023)
- Where To Now? (Part.1 : Yellow Light) (2024)
Single albums
- Way With Words (2020)
Digital singles
- Oh NaNa (2016) (pre-debut)
- Don’t Recall (2017) (pre-debut)
- Rumor (2017) (pre-debut)
- Bomb Bomb (2019)
- Dumb Litty (2019)
- Without You (2023)
- Fireworks (2023)
- Detox (2024)
Remix singles
- KARD Remix Project (2023)
- KARD ‘Without You’ Remix” (with Alok) (2023)
Features
- SUPER JUNIOR – “Lo Siento” (2018)
OSTs
- The Lovebirds 2 OST (2017)
Controversies
Racism Incident
In July 2017, KARD appeared on the Brazilian variety show “Turma do Vovô Raul,” where host Raul Gil made racist gestures and comments toward the group and a young Japanese child in the audience. The interpreter avoided translating the offensive remarks, leaving the members unaware.
The incident sparked controversy, with Korean fans criticizing the show and Brazilian netizens retaliating. This highlighted ongoing issues of racism against East Asians in Latin America.
Meanwhile, KARD fans have expressed frustration over the group’s lack of Korean promotions and frequent overseas tours.
Somin’s Bullying Controversy
Amid discussions about APRIL’s past controversies, former member and original leader Somin was once again mentioned in connection with the bullying scandal involving Lee Hyunjoo.
Somin, who left APRIL in 2015 before the group gained recognition, faced allegations that she was the first to bully Hyunjoo. Some netizens claimed that her departure did not absolve her from responsibility, while others argued that since she had left before Hyunjoo allegedly experienced bullying, she had no involvement in the incident.
The debate divided opinions, with some questioning whether Somin played a role in the controversy, while others defended her, stating that her exit from APRIL predated the accusations against the group.
Facts about KARD
- BM and J.Seph, both surnamed Kim, are called the “Kim Brothers,” while Jeon Somin and Jeon Jiwoo, who share a surname and birth year, are nicknamed the “Jeon Siblings.”
- Their debut was planned as a three-phase project with hidden members featured in each release. The group members trained for an average of 5.5 years.
- The male members use stage names, while the female members use their real names, breaking a DSP Media tradition.
- In July 2017, their official name changed from K.A.R.D to KARD.
- Unlike many K-pop groups, all members had personal Instagram accounts from the start.
- Jiwoo’s participation in “Good Girl” significantly boosted KARD’s Korean fanbase, but their global audience remains dominant. Despite this, DSP Media often uploads behind-the-scenes and daily life content without foreign language subtitles, leading to frequent complaints from international fans and even Korean fans criticizing the company’s lack of effort in catering to their primary audience.
