KARD announces disbandment after 9 years, group to conclude their journey with final album and world tour
by K-Soul · allkpopK-pop co-ed group KARD will officially conclude its group activities after nine years together, bringing an end to a career that carved out a unique place in both the Korean and global music industries.
On July 6, agency DSP Media announced in an official statement that KARD will release their first full-length album, 'Where To Now? (Part.2: NOWHERE),' on July 28, before embarking on a final world tour.
The agency confirmed that the decision to disband was reached after careful discussions with all four members. DSP Media stated, "After thoughtful discussions with the members, we mutually agreed to conclude KARD's journey with these upcoming promotions."
The company also expressed its gratitude to the group's fans, known as HIDDEN KARD. It expressed, "We sincerely thank HIDDEN KARD for staying with KARD throughout the years. We ask that you continue to support and encourage each member as they begin the next chapter of their individual careers."
DSP Media added that it hopes the group's final album and world tour, which the members have prepared with their full dedication, will leave fans with lasting memories. "We hope the new album and tour become treasured memories for fans. Please continue to show your unwavering love and support as KARD closes this chapter in the most KARD-like way possible."
KARD officially debuted in 2017 and immediately stood out as one of the few four-member co-ed K-pop groups in the industry. Their debut drew significant attention from both the public and critics, as they became the first major co-ed idol group to debut in roughly seven years following Coed School.
Even before their official debut, KARD built a strong international fanbase through their pre-debut project releases, earning far greater recognition overseas than in South Korea. In 2016, Billboard named them one of its "Top 10 New K-pop Artists of 2016," highlighting the group's exceptional global potential.
Their second pre-debut project single, 'Don't Recall,' became a breakout success. The music video surpassed 1 million YouTube views within just 12 hours of its release and exceeded 2 million views in only 22 hours, demonstrating the group's rapidly growing international popularity.
The song also performed exceptionally well on global music charts. 'Don't Recall' topped the U.S. iTunes K-Pop Chart immediately after its release. More impressively, despite being only the group's second pre-debut single, it entered the Worldwide iTunes Song Chart at No. 63—an uncommon achievement for an act that had not yet officially debuted. Driven by its strong overseas following, the song later climbed to a daily peak of No. 25 on the global chart.
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