KARD's 'Final Album' Sells Only 864 Copies on Day One, Sparks Debate on Fan Support

The K-pop industry has recently seen a surge in physical album collecting, with many idol groups achieving millions, even double-millions, in sales. However, some groups have also become topics of discussion due to album performances falling short of expectations. Recently, the sales figures for mixed-gender group KARD (카드)'s latest album were revealed, immediately sparking polarized discussions online.

Earlier this year, KARD announced they would release their "final album," leading many fans to mistakenly believe the group was disbanding. Although the agency later clarified that the members would pursue individual activities in the future and it was not an official disbandment, the public largely viewed this release as KARD's "farewell album."

KARD officially released their new album, *Back To Life*, on July 29. However, according to South Korean album sales data, the album sold only 864 copies on its first day. By the fourth day of release, cumulative sales reached only 4,379 copies, a figure significantly lower than many netizens had anticipated.

After the sales data was shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), it sparked heated discussion. Many netizens noted that when news of KARD's potential "disbandment" first circulated, it garnered significant online attention. Yet, when the album was actually released, the number of people willing to purchase it was surprisingly low.

One netizen commented directly, "I truly find the fan community unbelievable. Tens of thousands of people commented that they were sad about their disbandment, but not even 1,000 people bought the album. It's truly exaggerated. Some even wonder why the group would leave." Another questioned, "Where did all those people who kept discussing their disbandment go? They spoke louder than anyone, but when it came to actual support, no one acted."