Aespa is a South Korean girl group that debuted in 2020 under SM Entertainment. Aespa’s unique concept features real members coexisting with their virtual characters “æ” (AI), drawing attention not only for their music and visuals but also for their innovative storytelling. In this article, we will focus on each Aespa member and explore their charm and individuality in detail.
1. Karina
- Real Name: Yu Jimin (유지민)
- Birthday: April 11, 2000
- Position: Leader, Lead Dancer, Sub Vocal, Sub Rapper
- Hometown: South Korea
- Features:
Karina is the leader and the oldest member of Aespa. She joined SM Entertainment as a trainee in 2016 and debuted after about 4 years of training.
She was scouted through a direct message on Instagram, which she initially thought was a scam, as she revealed in a radio interview after her debut.
Before her debut, Karina had already attracted attention, appearing in SHINee’s Taemin’s music video and appearing in a commercial with EXO’s Kai. Because of this, it was rumored that she might be part of the next SM girl group before Aespa even debuted.
After debuting, her stunning looks became a topic of discussion, and she is highly regarded as one of the most visual members among 4th-generation girl groups.
2. Giselle
- Real Name: Erina Uchinaga (内永 枝利)
- Birthday: October 30, 2000
- Position: Main Rapper, Sub Vocal
- Hometown: Japan
- Features:
Giselle has a Japanese father and a Korean mother. She was born in Seoul, South Korea, but grew up in Japan. She is fluent in Japanese, Korean, and English and attended an international school in Japan.
In order to pursue her dream of becoming a K-pop idol, Giselle moved to Korea and passed SM Entertainment’s notoriously difficult Saturday public audition, debuting after only about 11 months of training.
During the audition, she performed NCT127’s “Cherry Bomb”.
3. Winter
- Real Name: Kim Minjeong (김민정)
- Birthday: January 1, 2001
- Position: Lead Vocal, Lead Dancer
- Hometown: South Korea
- Features:
Winter was the first member of Aespa to be revealed. She dreamed of becoming a singer from a young age and started dancing in middle school to hone her skills.
She was so serious and sincere that she served as the vice president of the student council and was popular among her classmates.
Winter’s opportunity to join SM Entertainment came from a dance festival held in Yangsan, South Korea, in July 2016. After her dance performance caught the attention of an SM scout, she was recruited and trained for about three years before debuting.
4. Ningning
- Real Name: Ning Yizhuo (宁艺卓)
- Birthday: October 23, 2002
- Position: Main Vocalist
- Hometown: China
- Features:
Ningning is the youngest member of Aespa. She has dreamed of becoming a singer from a young age and participated in various auditions before being scouted by SM Entertainment.
In 2016, Ningning appeared as a member of SM Rookies during her trainee days and was already drawing attention before her debut.
As the main vocalist, Ningning has impressive vocal skills and is known for her powerful voice. On music programs, she delivers near-perfect performances, earning praise from fans for her talent.
On stage, she shows a mature expression, surprising fans considering she’s the youngest, while off-stage, she shows a cute and playful side, which adds to her charm.
