Korea's teeniest girl group breaks down at Seoul fan meeting
Kara members wept and thanked their fans for sticking by them through contract disputes. K-Pop group Kara held their first fan meeting since their contract disputes last April.
Demonstrating the extent of the petite girl group's popularity in Japan, the two-hour mini concert at Jamsil Indoor Stadium on Saturday evening was broadcast live across 83 movie theaters in Japan for 20,000 fans who had gathered for the occasion.
The girl group sang and sashayed their way through eight songs, including their most recent single "Jet Coaster Love," and sat down for an emotional question-and-answer session with the audience that concluded with all five members breaking down in tears and thanking their fans for making their comeback possible.
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Although they had been the underdog in the K-Pop girl group scene, lagging far behind Girls' Generation and the Wonder Girls in popularity and album sales, Kara's Japanese debut in 2010 was a startling success.
They became the first foreign female artist to reach number one on all music charts as well as DVD sales charts. Their Japanese success was soon echoed in Korea, as the K-Pop industry quickly scrambled to figure out why it had previously failed to appreciate them.
The group was threatened with disbandment due to contract disputes with their agency, DSP Entertainment, earlier this year as three members sued for contract termination from the label while two decided to remain with DSP. The dispute was resolved in April, with all five members continuing to remain under DSP's management.
“When Kara was going through the break-up controversy, every single newspaper and television program in Japan ran the story all day,” said correspondent Nakazume Yasue, who covered the event for Sankei Sports newspaper. “They are absolutely huge in Japan.”
The group’s miniature build and cute image seems to have been the main reason behind their Japanese popularity, and member Goo Hara’s slightly wide-set, manga-like eyes and features in particular have garnered a massive following in Japan.
“Each member has a distinct image and personality, which is why they are so popular in Japan,” said Nakazumi. The group also had their own Japanese television show called “Urakara,” which ended in April.
