News surrounding Kep1er has been drawing considerable attention among K-pop fans on online forums. In particular, photos from the group’s fan-con, RSVP: Respond Our Code, held in South Korea recently, have unexpectedly become a hot topic, attracting millions of views in a short period.
Specifically, Kep1er held the fan-con on November 7 and 8, 2026, at Yonsei University Centennial Memorial Hall Concert Hall in Seoul, South Korea. The venue has a capacity of approximately 829 seats. However, what caught the public’s attention was a group photo featuring the six members and the audience, which was posted on social media after the event.
The photos showed numerous empty seats, particularly on both sides of the auditorium and in the balcony section. They quickly spread across social media, with one post garnering more than 3 million views and triggering thousands of comments expressing surprise at the low attendance.
Thousands of commenters voiced their astonishment at the sparsely occupied venue. Many pointed out the stark contrast with Kep1er’s earlier years, when the group was highly active and regularly held concerts and fan meetings attended by large numbers of fans. Some even questioned the group’s current appeal, noting that numerous seats remained empty despite the venue having a capacity of fewer than 1,000 people. The situation attracted even more attention because Kep1er was once one of the most prominent rookie girl groups of 2022, boasting a sizable international fanbase and impressive commercial achievements in Japan.
Kep1er is a girl group formed through Mnet’s survival show Girls Planet 999. The group officially debuted on January 3, 2022, with nine members: Choi Yujin, Mashiro, Xiaoting, Chaehyun, Dayeon, Hikaru, Bahiyyih, Yeseo, and Youngeun. From the beginning, Kep1er attracted significant attention thanks to the show’s popularity and their debut song, “WA DA DA.”
Their debut album, FIRST IMPACT, sold 150,153 copies on its first day alone, setting a record for the highest first-day sales by a girl group’s debut album in Hanteo Chart history at the time. This achievement quickly established Kep1er as one of the most notable rookie girl groups of 2022.
The group also made a strong impression beyond South Korea, rapidly expanding into Japan and achieving considerable commercial success there. According to Oricon’s 2022 rookie artist revenue rankings, Kep1er ranked No. 1 with estimated music revenue of 880 million yen. This was particularly noteworthy because Kep1er became the first foreign act since IZ*ONE in 2019 to top the category.
That same year, “WA DA DA” received Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), while the group continued expanding its promotional activities, releasing new music, and organizing fan events in the Japanese market.
However, Kep1er’s efforts to maintain their popularity did not continue as smoothly as they had during their early years. After the group’s original project contract period ended, they reached a major turning point, with only seven members agreeing to continue. Mashiro and Yeseo concluded their activities with Kep1er in July 2024, reducing the lineup to seven members. In March 2026, Youngeun also officially left the group after taking a hiatus due to health issues. Kep1er is currently continuing as a six-member group consisting of Yujin, Xiaoting, Chaehyun, Dayeon, Hikaru, and Bahiyyih.
These lineup changes coincided with signs of declining commercial performance. The mini-album CRACK CODE, released on March 31, 2026, sold only 77,115 copies in its first week on Hanteo, a decrease of 129,454 copies, or 62.6%, compared with the 206,569 copies sold by their debut album FIRST IMPACT over the same period. Compared with the 287,109 copies achieved by DOUBLAST in 2022, the decline was even more pronounced, exceeding 73%. This marked a considerable gap from the group’s debut era, when Kep1er repeatedly set impressive sales records.
Notably, in April 2026, Kep1er unexpectedly announced the cancellation of four out of six scheduled dates for their Kep1arcade fan meetings in Japan, which had been planned for May. The group had initially intended to meet fans in Osaka, Tokyo, and Aichi across six sessions. However, only the two weekend events in Osaka on May 16 and Tokyo on May 17 went ahead, while the other four sessions scheduled for May 15, 19, 20, and 22 were canceled.
The agency explained that the decision was due to unavoidable circumstances and that the cancellations had been made at the organizer’s request. Although it did not confirm whether ticket sales were a factor, the announcement still prompted questions about Kep1er’s ability to maintain its popularity in Japan, a market that had previously generated significant revenue for the group.
From a rookie act that once broke debut sales records, topped Oricon rankings, and attracted a substantial international fanbase, Kep1er is now facing numerous challenges in maintaining its position. The images of a sparsely occupied auditorium at the group’s latest fan-con in Seoul have further highlighted the contrast between its peak years and its current situation.
Sources: kenh14