Carmen

From Bali to Seoul

Carmen (카르멘) was born and raised in Bali, Indonesia, and debuted with Hearts2Hearts. On 11 February 2025 Ilyo Shinmun reported that she was born in Denpasar, Bali, and that her real name is Nyoman Ayu Carmenita. The same article wrote that she grew up in the traditional dance troupe her parents run, that she speaks Indonesian, Balinese and Korean, and that she plays the piano. Her athletic side also began in Bali. On JTBC’s Knowing Bros (아는 형님) in March 2026 she said, “When I lived in Bali I was a high-jump and running athlete,” and that she had won prizes in competitions (OSEN).

The Indonesian press reported her route to SM Entertainment. On 9 March 2025 detikBali reported that she applied to an audition on her own in 2022 and, once COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, went to Jakarta for the final round of SM’s trainee selection. When the agency revealed the members ahead of the debut, her name reached number one on X’s (formerly Twitter) real-time trends in Indonesia (The Korea Economic Daily).

Why she started singing

At the media showcase on the day The Chase was released, she described what started her singing: “I’ve loved singing since I was little. I saw our seniors Girls’ Generation’s ‘The Boys’ on TV, and it was so cool that I wanted to copy it” (The Korea Economic Daily). She named BoA as her personal role model, adding, “I want to stay active for a long time, like BoA” (Ajunews). Asked in Newsen’s interview marking the Asia Star Entertainer Awards in May 2026 what she wanted to achieve, she named a world tour: “I hope our songs can be a good comfort or a small happiness to many people.”

Occasions linked to Indonesia

On 20 October 2025, the day the first mini album FOCUS came out, Carmen said, “I was so happy to finally be able to perform in Indonesia” (My Daily). The group’s fan meeting in Jakarta on 28 March 2026 fell on her birthday, so a moment was set aside for the members to sing her happy birthday, and she said, “I don’t think I’ll ever forget this moment today” (Edaily).

Around the same time she was invited to one occasion after another linking Korea and Indonesia. On 27 March she attended, with Jiwoo, the signing of an agreement between SM Entertainment and the Korean Committee for UNICEF to support schoolchildren in Indonesia, and the two said, “We hope that children in Indonesia can be healthy and happy at school” (Newspim). On 1 April she was invited to the state luncheon held at Cheong Wa Dae’s Yeongbingwan for the state visit of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (The Chosun Ilbo). On 24 August she visited the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul and shared her experience of working in K-pop with Ambassador Cecep Herawan (CNN Indonesia).

Awards and giving

Having taken part in SM Entertainment and the Korean Committee for UNICEF’s ‘UNICEF Team’ campaign in September 2025, she said in her Marie Claire Korea interview, “I realised that helping someone is a joyful and rewarding thing for me too.” At the K World Dream Awards at KINTEX in Goyang on 27 August 2026 she received the K World Dream Solo Popularity Award in the female solo category. According to Celeb Media, she said, “It’s a meaningful award and an honour, and I can’t believe it. It feels like a dream,” and then also greeted the audience in her native Indonesian.