2026 could be the end of co-ed group KARD, who are coming up on their 10th anniversary in December and the end of their exclusive contracts with DSP Media. In a recent livestream, group rapper BM confirmed KARD is currently working on what might be their last album together – for now, at least. While this doesn’t necessarily mean a disbandment is on the horizon, it does put into perspective how pivotal KARD’s inception and growth has been in K-pop over the last decade as one of the few lasting (and most popular) co-ed groups.

Before KARD, co-ed groups in K-pop were a rarity, as the industry typically prioritises all-boy groups and all-girl groups. Although there were a few that were active for a short time – S#arp, Koyote, Co-Ed School, and Sunny Hill among them – co-ed groups who weren't instrumental bands or more hip-hop-oriented acts (like MFBTY) were considered hard to market because of how the industry is clearly structured around gendered appeal.

For boy groups, labels want to attract a predominantly female audience, building parasocial bonds that drive album sales, concert tickets, and merchandise. Similarly, for girl groups, the strategy centres on aspiration and desirability – an image fans can idealise or identify with. With co-ed groups, most companies worry the formula breaks down: that close on-screen interaction between male and female members will generate fan friction, or fuel dating rumours that destabilise both acts.

Granted, some K-pop companies flirted with the idea of a co-ed group, but would usually end up making temporary project groups or subunits with idols from their respective boy and girl groups. The best examples of this would be Trouble Maker, a duo comprised of 4Minute's HyunA and Beast's Hyungseung, and Triple H, a trio consisting of now-soloist HyunA and PENTAGON members Hui and E'Dawn – both of which were formed under CUBE Entertainment. Each became a novelty in their own right, but neither was built to last. In 2016, KARD set out to be something different.

Before officially debuting, KARD members BM, Jiwoo, Somin, and J.Seph released their first pre-debut track, “Oh NaNa,” featuring DSP labelmate, Hur Youngji. Right out of the gate, the quartet shook up the music industry with the single’s dancehall and reggae flavor and a choreography that dared to lean into the sensuality of the style instead of pretending it didn’t exist. Whereas most male and female K-pop idols are often scared to interact for fear of backlash from fans or becoming victims of dating rumors, KARD embraced their co-ed nature and all the flirtatious fun that came with it, while still maintaining a more familial vibe off-stage.

It’s this duality that helped propel the group to new heights that previous co-ed groups hadn’t seen, including being named as one of Billboard’s“10 Best New K-pop Groups in 2016,” just eight days after “Oh NaNa,” and becoming the first co-ed group to enter the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart in January 2017. After releasing a string of singles, KARD embarked on its first North and South American tour, and they hadn’t even officially debuted yet, proving the fanbase had already grown strong and the demand was loud. However, that demand was almost exclusively in North and South America as opposed to the group’s home base of South Korea.

After making their official debut in July 2017 with "Hola Hola," KARD spent the next three years building on its success and making a name for themselves overseas, but finding themselves at a standstill in terms of popularity in Asia. According to various South Korean sources, part of the problem is the group's lack of promotions in Korea, with the quartet prioritising the Western market over their country of origin. But KARD simply followed the demand – and the demand wasn't coming from home.

That dynamic reinforces something the industry has been slow to acknowledge: East Asian K-pop fans are less likely to support co-ed groups, while other audiences are quicker to embrace and celebrate them. KARD's consistent interest in exploring Latin genres deepened that further, earning them a genuine following in the region that has only grown stronger over time.

This leads us to the 2020s, where KARD's momentum in K-pop begins to waver – particularly with the group's inevitable hiatus after rapper J.Seph enlisted in the military in late 2020. Although they've maintained a steady presence throughout the U.S. and South America, the group's prowess was no longer what it was in the first two to three years of their career, with a new generation of K-pop groups swooping in to claim the spotlight. KARD has opened doors for more co-ed groups to exist and thrive in the industry – just look at THEBLACKLABEL's group AllDay Project.

Nevertheless, no other co-ed group has stood the test of time the way KARD has, with nearly 10 years in the making. Even as members pursue other ventures following their contract expiration in December – BM has already begun making plans to pursue an acting career alongside his solo music – KARD's impact on K-pop remains undeniable. This next album may close the chapter, but the blueprint they wrote isn't going anywhere.