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| yna@yna.co.kr 2026-07-28 09:12:45
SEOUL, July 28 (Yonhap) -- Coed K-pop group KARD will bring its decade-long journey with DSP Media to a close after releasing its first full-length album Monday, saying it has no regrets despite falling short of becoming a top act in South Korea.
"KARD and DSP Media both did our best over the past 10 years," member BM said in a recent group interview in Seoul. "We felt it might be time for each of us to spread our wings outside the company."
The quartet will release its first studio album, "Where To Now? (Part.2): NOWHERE," on Monday before embarking on a world tour that will serve as the final chapter of its activities under DSP Media.
The members stressed that the move does not mean the group is disbanding.
"This isn't a breakup. It's simply the end of our journey with DSP," BM said. "We can still feature on each other's songs, and if the opportunity comes, we could reunite under DSP someday for a commemorative album."
KARD began its career with the project single "Oh NaNa" in December 2016 before officially debuting with the EP "Hola Hola" the following year. As one of the few coed groups in K-pop, the act drew early attention overseas, particularly in Latin America, with its tropical sound and moombahton-based music.
Although the group performed at international music festivals and held world tours across North and South America, it struggled to achieve comparable recognition at home.
J.Seph candidly reflected on that reality.
"I don't think I worked hard enough over the past 10 years," he said. "Other than when we were overseas, there was basically nothing to do in Korea. I often think I would have worked much harder if we'd had greater recognition here."
Jeon Jiwoo said she felt especially sorry for fans who continued to support the group despite its limited domestic activities.
"Even though we rarely had schedules in Korea, fans always came to the airport or fan sign events," she said. "I'm grateful, but also sorry. I couldn't simply ask them to keep waiting for us."
She attributed the group's popularity in Latin America to its distinctive moombahton sound and the rarity of a coed K-pop group.
"The genre itself appealed to Latin American K-pop fans, and once they got to know us, I think they found each member's individual charm," she said.
The album contains 10 tracks, including the title song "Back To Life," "Armor," "Signal," "Always," and solo songs by each of the four members.
BM described the album as both bittersweet and liberating.
"It's our first full-length album, but also our last, so there's sadness as well as a sense of relief," he said. "After going through so many musical trials and errors, I think we've returned to KARD's true identity."
The moombahton-based dance track "Back To Life" evokes the group's early musical style, with the members drawing inspiration from songs such as "Oh NaNa" and "Hola Hola" during the album's production.
Jeon Somin said the group adopted the concept of a "last carnival" for the release.
"We wanted to end this chapter with vibrant energy and leave on a happy note," she said.
The members also reflected on the close bond they built over the past decade, describing one another as family.
BM, who contributed songs for both the group's tracks and the members' solo songs without taking songwriting fees, jokingly responded when the others thanked him.
"Pay me back after you become superstars," he said with a laugh.
J.Seph became emotional during the interview, shedding tears as he recalled the years they had spent together.
Following the album's release, KARD will launch a new world tour on Aug. 8 in Seoul before performing across Europe, Asia and South America.
"We're preparing the songs that many people know, along with medleys of tracks fans have wanted to hear," Jeon Somin said. "We wanted to include as much as possible within the limited running time."
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