aespa has, without a doubt, been dominating the K-pop scene. Every song they release quickly tops the international and domestic charts. Now, the members are starting to put out solo songs, and fans are excited about the possibility of seeing a solo debut from any of them next year.
The group’s members—Karina, Winter, Giselle, and Ningning—are not only known for their music but for their influence in fashion. Currently, aespa is in the middle of their world tour, SYNK: aeXIS LINE, which will keep them busy for the rest of the year and early 2026.
As aespa heads into another exciting year, here’s everything you need to know about the members and their journey so far.
About aespa
aespa is a four-member South Korean girl group under K-pop label SM Entertainment that debuted on November 17, 2020. The group is known for their metaverse concept, which combines real members and digital avatars.
Their name merges “avatar,” “experience,” and “aspect,” and symbolizes “meeting another self and exploring a new world.” This idea, part of the SM Culture Universe (SMCU), sets them apart from other K-pop groups.
aespa’s debut single, “Black Mamba,” introduced their innovative concept. Each member has a digital avatar, called an “æ,” living in a virtual world known as the FLAT. The music video was a huge hit, getting 21.4 million views in 24 hours, setting a record for the most-viewed debut music video by a K-pop group at the time.
aespa’s rise continued in 2021. Their song “Next Level” became a viral hit and reached number two on the Gaon Digital Chart. In October 2021, they released their first EP, Savage, which topped all major Korean music charts and achieved a Perfect All-Kill. The EP also debuted at number 20 on the US Billboard 200, the highest for a K-pop rookie girl group at that time, showing their growing global influence.
The members include
- Karina – Leader, Lead Rapper, Visual, Face of the Group
- Giselle – Main Rapper, Sub-Vocalist
- Winter – Main Vocalist, Lead Dancer, Visual
- Ningning – Main Vocalist, Maknae
aespa Members
Karina
- Full Name: Yu Jimin
- Birthday: April 11, 2000
- Age: 25
- Birthplace: Paldal-gu, Gyeonggi-do
- Nationality: Korean
- MBTI: ENFP
- Height: 167.8 cm (5’6”)
- Representative Emoji: Heart
- Endorsements: Prada, YSL Beauty, Nike, Converse, Krush, Sprite, MLB Korea, Nordisk, Musinsa Beauty, Bvlgari
Karina is not only aespa leader but also part of the SM Entertainment supergroup GOT the beat along with bandmate Winter. Her journey to stardom began in an unusual way. Before becoming a trainee, she was active on social media, which is how she was discovered.
An SM Entertainment recruiter reached out to her via Instagram direct message. At first, Karina thought it was a scam, but the recruiter later sent a business card to confirm the opportunity.
She officially became a trainee in 2016 and began making public appearances as a backup dancer. In February 2019, she appeared in labelmate Taemin’s music video for “Want” and performed as a dancer during the song’s promotions.
She also performed alongside EXO’s Kai for a Hyundai Motors virtual showcase. On October 28, 2020, SM Entertainment revealed Karina as the second member of the new girl group aespa, which debuted on November 17, 2020, with the digital single “Black Mamba.”
Her stage name comes from her Catholic baptismal name, Katarina. She holds a black belt in Taekwondo and is skilled at catching objects with her feet. Her favorite color is blue, and she enjoys snacks like jelly and Pink Pringles. She also likes mobile games, especially PUBG, though her group members tease her about not being very good at them.
Karina has also pursued solo activities alongside her work with aespa. In October 2024, she contributed to her original solo song “UP” for aespa’s album SYNK: PARALLEL LINE, which earned her first solo music show award.
She has appeared on variety shows, including Netflix’s Agents of Mystery and KBS’s Synchro U. She also won the Rookie Award in the Show and Variety category at the 2024 KBS Entertainment Awards. She will release another solo song, “GOOD STUFF,” as part of aespa’s special digital single “SYNK: aeXIS LINE” on November 17.
Winter
- Full Name: Kim Minjeong
- Birthday: January 1, 2001
- Age: 24
- Birthplace: Busan, South Korea
- Nationality: Korean
- MBTI: ENFJ
- Height: 163 cm (5’4”)
- Representative Emoji: Star
- Endorsements: Polo Ralph Lauren, Chaumet, Toreta, Espoir, Mamonde, New Balance
Winter is the main vocalist of aespa and a member of GOT the beat, which also includes Karina, Taeyeon, Seulgi, BoA, and more. Her journey from trainee to top K-pop idol is as inspiring as her performances.
Winter was discovered in 2016 while performing at a school dance festival, although the scout had initially been interested in her older brother. She auditioned for SM Entertainment three times and trained for about three and a half years before being accepted. During her pre-debut years, she trained for four years, focusing on both singing and dancing. She specialized in waacking after studying under professional dancer Waackxxxy.
On October 27, 2020, Winter was revealed as the first member of aespa and debuted a few weeks later.
Offstage, Winter is known for her unique personality and habits. She has a morning routine called “EWU” (Eating As Soon As Waking Up) and enjoys snacks like chocolate and jelly even more than full meals. She also likes unusual foods such as mint chocolate and pineapple on pizza.
Growing up in a family with several military members, she had considered a career in the armed forces. Her favorite color is ivory, she enjoys action movies like Tenet, and her favorite animal is the Siberian husky, which is also her representative animal.
On the work front, she has worked on several collaborations, including the song “Nobody” with i-dle’s Soyeon and IVE’s Liz, “Officially Cool” with Bang Yedam, and “Floral Sense” with Super Junior’s Yesung. She sang several OSTs, including “Voyage” for Castaway Diva and “With You” for My Demon.
Winter performed a duet with fellow aespa member Ningning called “Once Again” for the drama Our Blues. She also participated in writing and composing her solo song “Spark” for aespa’s 2024 album SYNK: PARALLEL LINE. She will release a pop-rock solo song, “BLUE,” on November 17, which she co-wrote.
Giselle
- Full Name: Uchinaga Aeri (Korean: Kim Aeri)
- Birthday: October 30, 2000
- Age: 25
- Birthplace: Garosu-gil, Seoul, South Korea
- Nationality: Japanese
- MBTI: INFJ
- Height: 163-164 cm (5’4”)
- Representative Emoji: Crescent Moon
- Endorsements: Loewe, Maison Kitsuné, Senka, Either&, Chaumet
Giselle was born in Seoul’s Gangnam District to a Japanese father and a South Korean mother. She grew up in Tokyo, attended international schools, and became fluent in Japanese, Korean, and English. She discovered K-pop in her second year of high school, which inspired her to pursue a career as an idol.
After finishing high school, Giselle returned to Korea and passed SM Entertainment’s competitive “Saturday Open Auditions” on her fourth attempt. She trained for only 11 months before debuting, one of the shortest training periods for a female artist in SM’s history.
During training, she competed for the role of main rapper by performing a demo of what would become aespa’s hit song “Next Level.” Her performance won her the position, and she was introduced as the third member of aespa in November 2020.
Outside of aespa, Giselle has been active in music and fashion. She participates in songwriting, with credits on tracks like “Zoo” and her solo song “Dopamine” from aespa’s 2024 album. She has also featured on other artists’ songs, including BOL4’s “Lips” and HAON’s “Skrr.” Like other aespa members, Giselle is also set to release a solo song, “Tornado,” which she co-wrote and co-composed.
She loves animals and donated ₩10 million to an organization that protects abandoned animals. Giselle enjoys “emo” things, her favorite movie is Deadpool, and her favorite color is black. Her life motto is “Everything happens for a reason.”
Ningning
- Full Name: Ning Yizhuo (English name: Vivian Ning)
- Birthday: October 23, 2002
- Age: 23
- Birthplace: Harbin, China
- Nationality: Chinese
- MBTI: INFP
- Height: 161 cm (5’3”)
- Representative Emoji:
- Endorsements: Versace, Bvlgari, Fila, Kotex, Maybelline
Ningning’s love for music started early. She participated in many singing competitions and TV shows in China, including Let’s Sing Kids and China’s Got Talent. Her talent caught the attention of SM Entertainment, which recruited her after seeing a video of her performance. In 2016, she moved to South Korea alone at the age of 14 to begin her training. She joined SM’s pre-debut team, SM Rookies, in September 2016 and was revealed as a member of aespa after four years of training.
Ningning is trilingual and can speak Mandarin, Korean, and English. She enjoys art, and her childhood dream was to become a painter. In addition to singing, she can play the piano and guitar, and she has written and composed some of her own songs. Her favorite color is purple, she loves hot pot, and her favorite movie is Titanic. She is also known for her quirky habit of frequently losing her earphones and other small items.
Ningning has been active with solo music and collaborations alongside her work with aespa. She released the solo track “Bored!” on aespa’s 2024 album Synk: Parallel Line and collaborated with Jay Park on the single “WYA” in 2023.
She has also contributed to drama soundtracks, including the duet “Once Again” with fellow member Winter for Our Blues and “Count on Me” for The Midnight Studio. She is now set to release her solo R&B song, “Ketchup and Lemonade,” as part of aespa’s album SYNK: aeXIS LINE on November 17.
aespa’s Journey So Far
As stated earlier, aespa, made up of Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning, was introduced by SM Entertainment in November 2020 with a fresh concept. They debuted with “Black Mamba” and their popularity quickly soared in 2021 with their single “Next Level,” which became a massive hit.
Later that year, they released their first EP, Savage. The title track received praise for its catchy hooks and layered production. It earned aespa their first “Perfect All-Kill” by topping all major domestic charts.
aespa’s success continued in 2022. They performed at Coachella, becoming only the third K-pop girl group to appear at the festival. That year, they were named to TIME’s Next Generation Leaders list and Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia. Their second EP, Girls, released in July 2022, set a record for the best-selling album by a K-pop girl group in its first week.
Later releases, including the 2024 pre-release single “Supernova,” which stayed at number one on the Circle Digital Chart for eleven weeks. The title track from their EP Whiplash became their first top-ten hit on the Billboard Global 200. This year, they were named Billboard’s Women in Music Group of the Year.