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Happy Karina Day: From debuting in aespa to GOT The Beat; explore K-pop idol's journey on 24th birthday
aespa’s Karina is celebrating her 24th birthday and what better way to commemorate it than looking at the fabulous musical journey she has had since her debut.
Karina, born Yoo Jimin, has managed to attract everyone's attention right from her debut in aespa. Formed by SM Entertainment, Karina made her debut as a K-pop idol through the K-pop group aespa alongside Winter, Ningning, and Giselle in 2020. However, she started her journey through rigorous training in the agency until she finally got the opportunity to be part of the girl group. Her ethereal visual is one of the major aspects that pulled everyone towards her but that was not all.
Debut
In 2020, the group released the song Black Mamba and took the world by storm. With their groundbreaking concept of combining virtual avatars with real-life idols, aespa quickly garnered attention both domestically and internationally. As the group's leader, Karina played an important role in shaping the group’s unique identity and artistic direction. Although she received a lot of attention from the community and garnered a huge fanbase, she still helped her fellow members have their own moments. She adequately understood the importance of having responsibilities and maintaining synergy with the members for a successful journey ahead.
However, the artist managed to captivate the audience from the moment she stepped on the stage. Her effortless dancing and phenomenal moves made her stand out not just in the group but also in the K-pop industry. Her ability to switch between powerful performances to endearing moments is what made the fans fall in love with her. She can carry out some of the most intricate performances extremely easily, making her one of the most versatile performers in the industry. 
Subsequently, the group started to gain more fame with every new release. The song that propelled them into achieving mainstream success was Next Level. Not just domestically, but the song gained them global recognition as well. As aespa's popularity continued to grow, Karina found herself thrust into the international spotlight, gaining fame from all sectors of the global world.
GOT The Beat
In 2022, Karina achieved another milestone in her career. Apart from being part of aespa, she also went on to debut in another girl group formed by SM Entertainment itself. The name of the group is GOT The Beat, which is a sub-unit of the massive girl group project, Girls On Top. The concept of the group was that it would not have a fixed line-up and would be interchanged with every new comeback. She was part of the group alongside her teammate Winter, and some of the big names from the K-pop industry such as BoA, SNSD’s Hyoyeon and Taeyeon, Red Velvet’s Seulgi and Wendy. They debuted with the single Step Back in 2022 and released their first mini-album in 2023, Stamp On It.
Enduring rumors and controversies
However, her career has not been devoid of roadblocks, and she was met with major lows along the way. Before her debut, she was accused of insulting her senior groups, such as EXO, BTS, NCT, and so on. However, the accusations made were false, and the agency vehemently denied them. But she faced public scrutiny regardless of being innocent and had to endure malicious comments online.
Subsequently, she also found herself in the midst of a dating controversy. It was revealed that the K-pop idol was dating the popular K-drama actor, Lee Jae Wook. The news spread like wildfire, which led to the birth of many new rumors. She faced a lot of criticism online from netizens who are strictly against K-pop idol dating. Moreover, she had to also issue an official apology letter. However, due to scheduling conflicts and such, the couple broke up within just a few days of being together. Regardless of receiving hate online, she maintained her sophistication and got through the difficult times easily.
Karina's other activities
Moreover, the artist also has a growing fashion presence in the industry. She has been signed by some of the major brands to endorse their products. Luxury fashion houses have also approached her and offered her multiple projects. She has also appeared in several high-profile magazines in the industry, opening her doors for future endeavors. Most recently, she was seen at the Milan Fashion Week 2024 and became the instant talk of the town for her out-of-the-world beauty.
Apart from being an exceptional dancer, the artist is also a vocalist who has been gaining attention for her singing as well. With each passing day, she is improving her skills and honing her abilities as a vocalist. In 2023, she contributed her vocals for the OST song Sad Waltz from the K-drama, Song of the Bandits.
aespa is currently preparing for their comeback, which will possibly be released in 2024. Moreover, the group will also be going on a world tour titled, SYNK: PARALLEL. It is expected that the fans will get to see more of Karina in the future.
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