KARA - We may be singing Pretty Girls, but in reality, we're just honest and down-to-earth girls

Being pushed aside by Girls Generation, and always behind Wonder Girls - these two factors brought about a lot of sadness to the group. While watching peer groups shine at the year end awards in 2007, Han Seung Yeon (21) shed tears.

After their first album, group KARA had a long hiatus, left inactive while other girl groups soared. Adding to this, member Kim Sunghee left the KARA, forcing the group to add two new members Goo Hara (18) and Kang Ji Young (15). The group now transformed into a 5 member group, which proved to be a wise decision, as they were able to start off anew with both and , which are now certified hits.

These 5 girls finally bagged their first number one hit, 2 years into their debut, with on Mcountdown last week. They cried so much to the point that their make-ups were gone and they could not perform their encore properly. The members, who were a very tired, due to their lack of sleep as they only rested 3-4 hours in a day felt so happy upon receiving the award that it all seemed like a dream.

"Because of the honesty that we have, as seen by how much we cried when we won first place, and the fact that we worked so hard to get to this point, are the reasons why we are here today." (Park Gyuri)

The members found themselves succeed in the gaps of the world of girl idol groups. After failing with their first album, they did not stop working, appearing in variety programs and cable networks, which earned them the nickname of 'next-door idols'. KARA started to gain mainstream attention when Nicole became a part of KBS2's Star Golden Bell, appearing in the 'Level with Me' corner, quizzing the guests with her stammering Korean and witty explanations. Next, there was the Zoo Zoo club, which gave the viewers an insight of how the groups dorms looked like, and in a special New Year episode, Hara took part in a boxing competition, showing a tough side to her, which is very different from her doll-like image. 'We may not be popular, but we are a hard working group' - this was the motto of the group, and slowly, their honesty and bright smiles started to catch the attention of many.

The song that brought them to the number one position is . The concept of the song allows the girls look like princess, while dancing cutely to the song. When they appeared for todays interview, they were made-up perfectly, wearing lacey dresses. Gyuri explained "Originally, our male and female fans were almost equal in number, but with , we now have more male fans." Now, even the older male fans - uncle fans, are going wild over them. "Recently, we saw a fan in his 40's who very shyly attended our fan meeting" she said with a smile.

Its true that it is difficult being compared to other idol girl groups. However, Nicole explained that "I'm close to my Girl's Generation Unnis, and I also like Wonder Girls very much. We are fans of each other, and since we get to see each other's performances, we learn a lot from one another."

When asked how their dorm lives were - "Currently, we are addicted to . Eating while watching TV or movies is the best", they all quipped unanimously. Since they all lack rest, they say that eating together is their happiest activity. Books (Hara), Movies (Gyuri), Cooking (Nicole) Foreign language (Seungyeon) - the girls all go back to what they like the most, as they try to live a normal life as best as possible, doing what other girls their age regularly fo. Of course, maknae Jiyoung, a first year high school student says "I'll go to school and I will study hard".

We asked them who their was. Hara said "our fans", to which Seungyeon said, "the bible". But in the end, they all agreed and said "Our parents and our families."

Take out with full credits.
Credits:MK NEWS LINK thanks to mae!
Translated by coffeebeanie@KARAholic