Nicole Jung facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicole Jung
Jung in July 2022
Born	Nicole Yongju Jung (1991-10-07) October 7, 1991 (age 33) Glendale, California, U.S
Other names	Jung Yong-ju
Occupation	Singer
Musical career
Genres	K-pop
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2007–present
Labels	JWK Dreamusic
Korean name
Hangul	정용주
Hanja	鄭龍珠
Revised Romanization	Jeong Yong-ju
McCune–Reischauer	Chŏng Yong-chu

Nicole Yongju Jung (born October 7, 1991), known simply as Nicole, is an American singer. She is famous for being a member of the South Korean girl group Kara. Her first solo mini-album, First Romance, came out on November 19, 2014.

Early Life and School

Nicole Jung was born in Glendale, California, USA, on October 7, 1991. Her parents are Korean. She went to Mark Keppel Elementary School and Toll Middle School.

When she was younger, Nicole was very active. She sang in the choir and was part of the drill team. She also played the violin for four years and took many dance classes.

Nicole decided to try out for DSP Media, a music company in South Korea. She sent a video of herself singing songs by Ivy and Black Eyed Peas. She got an offer from DSP Media and moved to South Korea. It was a big change, and she had to get used to a new culture and missed her friends. Her mom moved with her and later opened a Korean BBQ restaurant.

Nicole also appeared on a TV show called "KAIST" (later renamed "Nicole The Entertainer's Introduction to Veterinary Science"). It was about veterinary science at Konkuk University. The first episode aired on November 12, 2009, and she "graduated" from the show in January 2010.

Music Career

2007–2013: Starting with Kara

Nicole joined the girl group Kara on March 29, 2007. She was the youngest member when they debuted with their song "Break It." The original members were Park Gyuri, Han Seungyeon, and Kim Sunghee.

Later, Kim Sunghee left the group. In July, two new members joined: Goo Hara and Kang Jiyoung.

Kara released their second mini-album, "Pretty Girl," on December 4, 2008. In February 2009, they released "Honey." The song "Honey" became their first number one hit on music shows like M! Countdown.

In July 2009, Kara released their second album, "Revolution." Songs like "Wanna" and "Mister" made them even more popular. After that, they released their third mini-album, "Lupin."

Nicole at an AXN event in April 2011

In August 2010, Kara started promoting in Japan with a Japanese version of "Mister." Then, in November 2010, they released their fourth mini-album, Jumping, in South Korea.

On January 19, 2011, Nicole, along with Kang Jiyoung and Han Seung-yeon, announced they wanted to end their contract with DSP Media. However, the issue was resolved on April 28, 2011, and they stayed with the group.

During Kara's first concert in Korea on February 18, 2012, Nicole hurt her ankle. She was performing a solo dance to Michael Jackson's "Beat It." Even with the injury, she finished the concert and performed the next day. She was later seen in a wheelchair at airports. Despite her ankle injury, Nicole still hosted the SBS "Inkigayo" show with a cast on her leg. Because of her injury, she couldn't do the group's dances during their "Speed Up" promotions in Japan.

In 2012, Kara released "Kara Collection," an album with solo songs from each member. Nicole's song was "Lost," and it featured her friend Jinwoon.

Nicole's last performance with Kara was at the 2013 MBC Gayo Daejejeon on December 31, 2013. The group performed a mix of their hit songs and "Damaged Lady."

2014: Solo Debut with First Romance

Nicole performing at The Show in December 2014

On January 13, 2014, it was announced that Nicole would leave Kara. Her contract with DSP Media had ended. She flew to the United States for two months to improve her singing and dancing skills. She wanted to prepare for her solo debut.

On October 14, 2014, Nicole signed a contract with B2M Entertainment. This company was started by Gil Jong Hwa, who had worked with Kara since their beginning.

Nicole's first solo mini-album, First Romance, was released on November 19, 2014. The main song was "MAMA." By the end of 2014, the album had sold over 10,000 copies.

2015–2022: Japanese Activities and New Agencies

On April 22, 2015, it was shared that Nicole would debut in Japan on June 24. She performed her first Japanese song, "Something Special," at 'KCON 2015 Japan.' On June 24, she released the music video for "Something Special."

In December 2015, Nicole announced she would release her second Japanese single, "Don't Stop," in February 2016.

On March 2, 2016, Nicole shared on Instagram that her first solo Japanese album, Bliss, would be released on April 27, 2016. The main song from the album was "HAPPY." She held her first solo concerts, "2016 Nicole The 1st Live," on April 29 and May 1, 2016. She later ended her contracts with CJ Victor and B2M. She then joined Diamond Music for her Japanese activities.

In 2020, Nicole started her own YouTube channel.

2022–Present: Return to Music

Nicole at Music Bank in June 2024

In July 2022, Nicole signed with a new company called JWK Entertainment. It was also announced that she would release a new digital song called "You.F.O" on July 27.

In February 2023, her agency announced a new digital song, "Mysterious," for March 9.

Other Fun Activities

Nicole has worked with other artists on their songs. In 2008, she was on Sunha's album Fahrenheit in the song "String." In April 2009, she sang a duet with Kang Kyun-seong called "Happy And."

In August 2009, Nicole and singer Jay Park joined a TV show called Nodaji. In July 2010, she sang a duet with Park Myung Soo called "Whale."

Nicole was part of a special idol group called "Dazzling Red" for the 2012 SBS Korean Music Festival. This group included After School's Nana, 4Minute's Hyuna, Secret's Hyoseong, and SISTAR's Hyorin. They released a song called "This Person" in December 2012.

Nicole was the only Korean artist invited to the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards Japan on June 22, 2013. She performed her solo song "Lost" from Kara Collection.

Discography

This section lists Nicole's music releases as a solo artist.

Studio Albums

EPs

Singles

As Lead Artist

As Featured Artist

Other Appearances

Video Albums

Film and TV Shows

Movies

TV Dramas

Variety and Reality Shows

Hosting Events

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Nicole Jung para niños