FIRST READ · MON 7 AM ETTHE WEEKEND LEXICON · SAT 9 AM ETKarina
- Stage name
- Karina
- Birth name
- Yu Ji-min
- Born
- April 11, 2000
- Hometown
- Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
- Position
- Leader, singer, rapper, dancer
- Agency
- SM Entertainment
- Fandom
- MY
- Debut
- 2020
- Generation
- 4th gen
Karina is the leader of the SM Entertainment girl group aespa, which debuted in November 2020. She sings, raps, dances and models, and she also belongs to the SM supergroup GOT the beat. Beyond the group she has a solo single, "Up", and brand roles with Sprite, Prada and Nike.
Where they grew up
Karina grew up in Suwon in Gyeonggi Province with her parents and an older sister. She tried many activities as a kid, including ballet, swimming, futsal, basketball and taekwondo, where she earned a black belt. Her grandmother played her older Korean songs and her mom introduced her to classical and jazz, and watching stars on TV fueled her dream of performing. A casting agent from SM Entertainment reached out to her through social media, and she first suspected a scam before auditioning and joining the company.
Birth details: koreatownla.com
In their own words
“We receive inspiration from other artists, but instead of trying to become like someone else, we want to create our own music genre,”
“I believe that anyone who uses their body to move with passion and gives their best effort is an athlete.”
“I love reading, so books are one of the ways I stay grounded and take care of myself.”
- Girls' Generation Reportedly sparked her interest in becoming a singer. koreatownla.com
- Older Korean songs Her grandmother played her plenty of them growing up. rollingstone.com
- Classical and jazz Introduced to her by her mom. rollingstone.com
Timeline
- 2020Debut with aespa
aespa debuted on November 17, 2020 with "Black Mamba" under SM Entertainment.
- 2022Joined GOT the beat
Debuted with the SM supergroup unit with "Step Back" on January 3, 2022.
- 2025Joined the Nike family
Became a Nike partner in July 2025.
- 2026LEMONADE album
aespa released their second full album, adding a sour twist to their metallic sound.
Latest
- Won at the 2026 TMElive International Music Awards
Her solo track "GOOD STUFF" made the Global Trend Songs Top 10, and aespa won Best International Group of the Year (Female) and Best Digital EP of the Year.
koreaboo.com - Solo Waterbomb Seoul set and Sprite campaign
Headlined Waterbomb in Seoul as a Sprite brand ambassador, with Sprite Zero With Tea featured in her set, and she spoke to Billboard in English without an interpreter.
billboard.com - aespa's second album LEMONADE and SYNK : COMPLæXITY tourclashmusic.com
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- koreatownla.com: Karina Aespa - Popular South Korean Music Artist & Model
- rollingstone.com: Aespa Want to Reinvent the K-Pop Girl Group Sound
- koreaboo.com: Here Are All The Winners Of The "2026 TMElive International Music Awards" Day 1 And Day 2
- clashmusic.com: A Burst Of Energy: aespa Interviewed - Clash Magazine
- billboard.com: Aespa's Karina Talks Waterbomb Festival, Sprite Campaign
- about.nike.com: Interview: KARINA Joins the Nike Family
Last researched Nov. 4, 2026