K.A.R.D is a mixed K-pop group signed under DSP Media. The group consists of four members, named: Jiwoo, J.Seph, BM, and Somin. On July 19, 2017, K.A.R.D made its official debut with the EP Hola Hola.
K.A.R.D released three project singles before their official debut, with one song, ”Oh NaNa” hitting the fifth position on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart, and the music video gaining over 1.2 million views in 72 hours. The group picked up the Rookie Award at the 2017 Asia Artist Awards and also earned the Top Co-Ed Idol title at the 2019 Korea First Brand Awards.
After a brief hiatus, K.A.R.D made their comeback in June with the fifth EP Re: and title track “Ring the Alarm”, much to the joy of their large fanbase – who refer to themselves as “Hidden Kard”. Here are the four members of the group, with some of their information for those who wish to get to know them better.
BM
Kim Jin Seok — better known by the stage name BM (short for Big Matthew) — was born on Oct. 20, 1992. He is 30 years old and stands at 187cm (six foot, two inches) tall. He is a Korean-American rapper, songwriter, and producer. As a college student, BM was part of a dance crew and had no interest in K-pop until his mother signed him up for a K-pop star audition, which ignited a passion for the art. While his initial attempt at becoming an idol was not successful, he auditioned three more times and became a trainee at DSP Media in 2011. He was a trainee for four and a half years before his official debut as a member of K.A.R.D. BM and his group mate J.Seph were initially set to debut as a hip-hop duo, but the management company decided to incorporate more members for a group. As a part of K.A.R.D, BM represents the letter “K” and the King card. In 2020, BM launched a clothing line called Staydium and donated the profit to breast cancer research associations. He debuted as a soloist with the digital single “Broke Me” on June 9, 2021.
Somin
Jeon So Min, also known as Somin, was born on Aug. 22, 1996. She is 26 years old and 163cm (five foot, four inches) tall. She is a singer, songwriter, and composer. In 2012, Somin debuted as a member of the girl group Puretty but the group disbanded two years later. She went on to participate in the project survival show KARA Project which was set up to find new members for the existing girl group KARA. While she was a fan-favorite, and advanced to the end of the competition, Somin was eliminated in the final stage. In 2015, she debuted again with the group April, but left later that year to focus on her studies. She made her final debut in 2017 with K.A.R.D where she has remained since. Somin represents the letter “R” and the black Joker card.
J.Seph
Kim Tae Hyung, also known as J.Seph, was born on June 21, 1992 and is the oldest member of K.A.R.D. He is 30 years old and stands at 178cm (five foot, 10 inches) tall. He is a rapper, songwriter, and producer. J.Seph was a trainee for five years before his official debut and was initially meant to debut as a hip-hop duo alongside fellow member BM. He represents the letter ”A” and the Ace card in the group. On Oct. 5, 2020, J.seph enlisted for his mandatory military service and was discharged on April 4, 2022 – just in time for the group’s highly anticipated comeback.
Jiwoo
Jeon Jiwoo, who goes simply by the stage name Jiwoo, was born on Oct. 4, 1996. She is 26 years old and is 165cm (five foot, five inches) tall. She is a rapper, singer, and songwriter. Jiwoo had a very early interest in music and dance when she was in elementary school and caught the eye of a scout from FNC Entertainment. She signed a contract with the company and was a trainee there for five years before switching to DSP Media and debuting with K.A.R.D two months later. She represents the letter “R” and the colored Joker card.
Published: Oct 31, 2022 03:53 pm