During an interview held ahead of the release of their first full-length album and the expiration of their exclusive contracts, mixed-gender group KARD quieted the room as J.seph calmly shared the recent passing of his father.

With their exclusive contracts coming to an end, KARD will wrap up their activities with this first studio album and world tour. While they repeatedly emphasized that this is a contract expiration rather than a disbandment, closing the chapter on a 10-year journey clearly carried a heavy weight for the members.

The interview had been mostly cheerful, but the atmosphere shifted when the question was asked, "What is something you wanted to say to each other over the past 10 years?"

J.seph shared the unexpected news with a relatively composed expression, revealing that his father had passed away three weeks ago.

"My father passed away three weeks ago, and back then, I kept waiting for the time the members would come. Having them by my side like that gave me so much strength," J.seph said, his eyes welling up with tears. "Looking back after going through those chaotic moments, it sounds a bit cheesy, but I really felt that family is family."

BM then shared his thoughts, saying, "We debuted at the ages of 21 and 25, and it felt like we were learning about society together. Spending 10 years together, we saw and lived with each other more than our actual families or friends." JIWOO also added, "I am so grateful and fortunate that I was able to debut as KARD and that I could be with these members."

At this point, the female members eventually shed tears. Even after wrapping up the interview, the KARD members could not stop their tears and repeatedly expressed their gratitude to the reporters. It was a moment of brief silence that touched the hearts of everyone present.

Meanwhile, KARD will release their first full-length album "Where To Now? (Part.2) : NOWHERE" at 6 p.m. on the 28th. The title track "Back To Life" is a dancehall track based on moombahton that sophisticatedly reinterprets KARD's signature tropical sound, with all members participating in writing the lyrics. The album contains a total of 10 tracks, including "Armor", "At Least", "Signal", the fan song "Always", and solo tracks for each member. KARD will kick off their world tour starting with "KARD 2026 WORLD TOUR 'NOW HERE' IN SEOUL" at Gavin Art Hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on August 8.

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)