Girl group Afterschool adds new member

Korean girl group Afterschool introduced Tuesday its newest member, Ga-eun.

The 17-year-old will make her official debut on the group’s upcoming album, which will be released June 21.

Ga-eun has the Afterschool “vibe” with a baby-face and a model-like figure, Afterschool’s management agency Pledis said. The company pointed out that Ga-eun demonstrated the most powerful vocal and dancing abilities among the candidates who vied to become the ninth member of the group. 

“Ga-eun went to junior high in Japan and speaks native-level Japanese. We have high expectations for her contribution to Afterschool’s activities in Japan,” the agency said.

The group has had several changes in its members. The agency said that it does not have an ideal number of members in mind, and does not intend to permanently fix the number of members at nine.

According to Afterschool’s “school system,” its members enter and graduate like students, the agency said.

The girl group started as a five-member outfit in 2009 since which two original members have left and six have been added.

Afterschool is scheduled to start a Japan tour on April 27.

By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)