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For other people known as 'Karina', see Karina.

Karina (Korean: 카리나; Japanese: カリナ) is a South Korean singer and rapper under SM Entertainment. She is the leader of the girl group aespa and a member of the female unit GOT the beat.

Career[]

2019: Pre-debut[]

On February 2019, Karina appeared in Taemin's "Want" music video and also acted as backup dancer for the song's promotional stages.[3]

2020: Debut with aespa[]

On October 28, 2020, Karina was revealed as the second member of aespa.[4][5] The group debuted on November 17 with the digital single "Black Mamba".

Before her debut with aespa, on November 1, she performed alongside Kai for the virtual showcase held by Hyundai Motors.[6]

2021: GOT the beat[]

On December 27, 2021 it was revealed that she alongside her groupmate Winter would be part of the new unit "GOT the beat" from the project Girls On Top alongside BoA, Taeyeon & Hyoyeon from Girls' Generation and Wendy & Seulgi from Red Velvet making their debut with the digital single "Step Back" on January 3, 2022.[7][8][9][10]

Personal life[]

Education[]

Karina attended Hansol High School before she took her GED to graduate.[11]

Relationship[]

On February 27, 2024, Dispatch reported that Karina and actor Lee Jae-wook are currently dating after they met at a Prada fashion show in Milan on January 14. Both of their agencies confirmed that the two recently started dating.[12]

Discography[]

Collaborations[]

OSTs[]

Producing and writing credits[]

  • All credits adapted from KOMCA, unless stated.[13]
Artist Song Album Credit
2023
Herself "Menagerie" Writing
2024
aespa "Regret of the Times (2024 aespa Remake Version)" Writing

Filmography[]

Variety shows[]

  • Travel Diary - Soul ; Seoul (History Channel, 2021)
  • Agents of Mystery (Netflix, TBA)[14]

Music video appearances[]

Endorsements[]

  • Kloud Krush (2023)[15]
  • Converse Korea (2024–present)[16]

Trivia[]

  • She was a trainee for four years.[3]
  • Karina is a fan of IU and f(x).[3]
  • She mentioned Girls' Generation as her role model.[17]
  • She was an ulzzang before becoming a trainee.[3]
  • She is a black belt in Taekwondo.[18]
  • In the group, her representative symbol is a heart. Her representative animal is a whale.[19]
  • Her favorite color is blue.[20]
  • Her favorite season is spring.[20]
  • When Karina first met Ningning, she thought she was older and so she used formal language for 3 weeks.[20]
  • Karina has a phobia (fear) of heights and birds.[21]
  • Karina's MBTI latest result is ENFP.[22]
  • She is very fond of dinosaurs (she always talks about them during the backstage of the group's MVs shootings and during an interview she mentioned that she wanted to travel back in time just to meet them). Her favorite dinosaur is the Mosasaurus.[23]
  • Her favorite food is cold noodles with pork cutlets.[24]
  • She has an older sister.[25]
    • According to Karina, her older sister works as a nurse in a large hospital.[26]
  • She is Catholic, wears a rosary ring on important days and her stage name, Karina, is an adaptation of her baptismal name, Katarina.[1][27][28]

Gallery[]

Main article: Karina (aespa)/Gallery

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Soompi: aespa Shares Meanings Behind Their Stage Names, Variety Shows They Want To Appear On, And More
  2. (전지적 참견 시점) 에스파 선배와 컬래버 하고 싶은 잭 & 드미츄리! 이들의 만남은 성사될 수 있을까...☆, MBC 210626 방송
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Koreaboo: SM Reveals 2nd Member Of New Girl Group Aespa-Here's Everything We Know About Her
  4. @aespa_Official on Twitter (October 28, 2020)
  5. SMTOWN: KARINA, the second member of SMs new girl group "aespa" has been revealed!
  6. Soompi: Watch: SM’s New Girl Group aespa’s Karina Teams Up With EXO’s Kai To Show Off Her Dancing Skills Before Debut
  7. Soompi: SM Entertainment Announced New Girl Group With BoA And Members Of Red Velvet, Girls' Generation, And Aespa
  8. Girls On Top on Twitter: "GOT the beat(GOT:Girls On Top) Special Stage ➫ 2022.01.01 New Song Release ➫ 2022.01.03. 6PM KST
  9. Sedaily: SM 새 걸그룹 티저 공개...新 프로젝트 '걸스 온 탑(GOT)'
  10. Naver: '보아→윈터' SM 新유닛 GOT the beat, 신곡 'Step Back' 1월 3일 공개
  11. YouTube: 에스파 세계관 흑막은 누구? 원더케이는 윈터 흑막설에 치킨 걸었음 | 에스파(aespa)_Next Level | 아이돌등판 | IDDP
  12. Soompi: Update: Lee Jae Wook And aespa’s Karina Confirmed To Be Dating
  13. KOMCA: Searching Works (search 10038955 under Writers & Publishers)
  14. Soompi: Girl’s Day’s Hyeri, aespa’s Karina, Kim Do Hoon, And More Confirmed To Appear On New Variety Show By “Devil’s Plan” PD
  15. Allkpop: aespa's Karina bags first solo brand endorsement with 'Kloud Krush' beer by Lotte Chilsung
  16. Soompi: aespa’s Karina Becomes New Ambassador For Converse Korea
  17. KBS World Indonesia Interview
  18. Koreaboo: K-Netizens Rank The Top 5 Rookie Groups They Want At "ISAC" (& These Are The Members Who’d Ace It)
  19. YouTube: aespa 에스파 - SYNK, KARINA
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 Melon Magazine: 우리 좀 더 친해질까요? aespa TMI 대방출!
  21. Re:Masterpiece | YouTube Original
  22. Personality Database: Karina (aespa) is ENFP
  23. Koreaboo: There’s One Animal aespa’s Karina Will Never Stop Talking About, And It’s The Cutest Obsession Ever
  24. Koreaboo: Aespa Spills On Their Celebrity Crushes, And They Couldn’t Be More Different
  25. YouTube: aespa Takes The BFF Test
  26. Koreaboo: Aespa’s Karina Has An Older Sister Who’s Supposedly Even Prettier Than Her
  27. 1교시 자기소개📓 KARINA & WINTER | ✨MY time, aespa!✨
  28. (FULL) 짱스파✨aespa의 MBC라디오 첫.방.문은 정희에서 신디와 함께💜 / 정오의 희망곡 김신영입니다

Official links[]

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