KARD’s “Embarrassing” Awards Show Hitch Proves The Struggle Is Real For Mixed Gender K-Pop Groups

In the sparkling world of K-Pop, where synchronized dance moves and entrancing harmonies reign supreme, there’s one group that stands out, not just for their music, but for their gender composition. KARD, one of the few active mixed-gender groups, is paving a path that few others in the industry have dared to tread. While their music is making waves internationally, their recent revelation of an awkward award show experience reveals the unique challenges they face being in a co-ed group.

In an interview with FANTOO, the four-member band recounted a peculiar event at an award show. While it’s suspected to be the Asia Artist Awards, the specifics remain unconfirmed. Instead of providing individual waiting rooms for each act, as is the usual protocol, the artists were sorted into male and female idol waiting rooms. This unexpected twist left KARD wondering how to navigate their situation.

Should they split up into their respective gendered rooms or stick together as a team? Ultimately, they chose unity over convention, deciding to inhabit the female idol waiting room. Naturally, this decision stirred a bit of uneasiness among the group’s male members, BM and J.seph.

It felt like we would have to keep looking down.

— KARD’s BM

J.seph, who originally narrated the story, and the rest of the members — Somin and Jiwoo — nodded in agreement to BM recalling the awkwardness.

Apparently when they attended an award show (I'm guessing AAA) the waiting rooms were separated for male and female idols so bseph had to use the female waiting room and felt embarrassed lol pic.twitter.com/Tvk001rW51

— daydreamin' ♡ (@hiddeniee) June 16, 2023

The incident highlights the unique dilemmas that mixed-gender K-Pop groups must confront. Most of the K-Pop scene is divided into boy groups and girl groups, with few exceptions, KARD being one of them. This format means industry practices, like the award show scenario, are designed assuming separate genders. It’s not often you see an equal division of male and female members in one group, making for some peculiar and uncomfortable circumstances.

But these difficulties haven’t dampened KARD’s spirits. Quite the contrary, they continue to break boundaries, their music resonating with fans worldwide. It’s through overcoming these challenges that KARD remains a shining testament to the power of diversity and unity within the K-Pop realm. Their decision to stick together in an awkward situation further cements the strong bond they share.

Even with the awkward moments and trials, KARD has proven that they’re here to stay, continually dishing out hits and earning accolades, not just in South Korea but internationally. It’s these unique experiences and stories that make KARD’s journey all the more intriguing. The industry may not be entirely equipped to handle the specificities of a mixed-gender group yet, but KARD’s resolve has shown they’re not afraid to pave their own path.