Former Kara Jiyoung Reveals She Became a Trainee and Debuted as an Idol Because of Kim Yoonji - Here's How

Actress and singer Kang Jiyoung, a former member of Kara, shared how she became a trainee under DSP Media and later debuted as a K-pop idol.

Former Kara Jiyoung Shares She Was Able to Debut through Her Cousin Kim Yoonji

On Nov. 29, Kang Jiyoung made a guest appearance on the recent recording of SBS's "Same Bed, Different Dreams 2 - You Are My Destiny." The show focuses on the life of celebrity couples, one of which is Choi Woo Sung and Kim Yoonji, who is Jiyoung's cousin.

During the filming, former Kara Jiyoung surprised everyone by unveiling that she was able to debut because of Yoonji.

Kang Jiyoung was added to Kara one year after the group's debut, along with the late Goo Hara. The two replaced Kim Sunghee, who left the group due to parental pressure.

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Jiyoung and Hara were chosen from the auditions DSP Media held in 2008. Kang was only 14 years old at that time, making her the youngest member of Kara.

In response to what the former Kara member said, Kim Yoonji detailed that she was a trainee at DSP Media for only one day, and the director asked her if she had pretty friends who could join the company.

"So, I introduced Jiyoung and mentioned how pretty she is. A month later, she debuted in Kara," Yoonji continued.

READ MORE: KARA Making a Reunion? Seungyeon Shares What the Former Members Plan on Doing

Former Kara Jiyoung then said, "When I was uncertain about what I want, I ended up choosing the path of becoming a singer through her suggestion."

Kang Jiyoung was only a member of Kara until April 2014 as she decided not to renew her contract with DSP Media to focus on her studies with language and acting skills in London.

A few months after leaving the group, Jiyoung moved to the Japanese company Sweet Power to begin her activities in Japan as an actress under the stage name Kanji.

Kang Jiyoung's Activities in Japan after Leaving Kara

Following her departure from Kara, Kang Jiyoung was not only active as an actress but also as a singer while under Sweet Power.

Jiyoung's first project in Japan is the live-action of Hell Teacher Nube, where she took the role of the heroine named Yukime.

In March 2016, the former Kara member made her solo debut in Japan under the stage name JY with her first EP "Radio," which contains three songs. The title song, also called "Radio," peaked at No. 2 on the iTunes Pop Song Chart.

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JY dropped more music in the following years including her first solo studio album "Many Faces ~Tamensei~" in May 2017 and the EP "Hoshi ga Furu Mae ni" in March 2018.

While she releases more singles and albums, Kang Jiyoung also appears in different films, web series, dramas, and musicals. Her latest movie appearance is on Showgate's "Love and the Grand Tug-of-war," where she played the role of Yeo Ji Hyun.

Meanwhile, her most recent drama is JTBC's "Sweet Munchies," where she took the role of Kim Ah Jin.

Watch the music video for Kang Jiyoung's Japanese debut song "Radio" here!

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Written by Mhaliya Scott