[News] Kara Hopes to Focus on Acting Next Year

It goes without saying that Kara has risen as one of the biggest power players when it comes to girl groups in the K-Pop market. They've spent a busy four years building their reputation, and now they're topping charts in both Korea and Japan.

"This year was an extremely happy year for us. We earned a lot of love in Japan and set records we never thought we'd reach. In Korea, we received so much love for our third studio album, 'Step,' which we're very grateful for. This just makes us want to work harder," Kara said.

With Hallyu growing bigger by the day, Asia seems like a small market for all of the budding artists taking a piece of the pie. As such, Kara is expanding into the North American and European market next year.

"We hope to perform in not only Asia, but in the States and Europe as well. We recently visited Australia and found more supportive fans than we had thought. We'd also like to hold our very own concert," Hara said.

Seungyeon added, "We released our 'Step' album in China and received an overwhelming response. It was moving to be so loved by so many people. We'd love to be able to formally advance into China and show what we're about."

Kara's success lies in their ability to take on any image and transform it into something all their own. A Japanese record label CEO said, "They're a girl group that turned mothers and aunts into fans along with teens."

Touching on the topic, Nicole commented, "I think Kara's girl-next-door charm works to our advantage more than anything. There is the pressure of having to show something new with each new album but I think that people generally receive us well. Through various albums, we've tried cute and sexy concepts, but I think to our fans, our cuter image is still the strongest. Kara's charm lies in our ability to pull off each new album's concept."

The reason for Kara's longevity comes from their multi-talented members. Each of the members is a multi-entertainer who can take on roles including acting in musicals, as a radio DJ, and a TV show MC on top of her singing career. Kara plans to expand on their acting careers next year.

The girls revealed, "2011 was a year where we could earn the title of 'singer,' 'radio DJ,' and 'musical actress.' In 2012, we want to work on our acting title. We were able to delve into acting a bit this year, but next year, we hope to branch out more on that."

Asked to give advice to their juniors, the group said, "We're lacking in various aspects still, but the most important thing is that we never gave up in the middle. If you work hard with one heart, we guarantee that you'll be met with positive results."

CR: SOOMPI

Proud of them <3!!