GWSN, also known as Girls in the Park, is a South Korean multinational girl group formed in 2018 with consists of seven members: Miya, Seokyoung, Seoryoung, Anne, Minju, Soso and Lena. The group debuted on September 5, 2018 with the title trackPuzzle Moon from their extended playThe Park in the Night Part One.
Name
GWSN is an abbreviation of Gongwon Sonyeo, "Gongwon": which the group describes like a place "where anyone, who is male or female or old or young, can go and enjoy themselves, heal their wounds and dream". The abbreviation also has a separate meaning in English, with G standing for 'Ground' and WSN standing for the directional markers 'West', 'South' and 'North', the significance being that the group wants to reach out to people from every direction. 'Gong-won' can also be translated into Gong, meaning Zero in Korean, and Won which represents the English word one; meaning that when the seven members get together, they will forever be one.
History
2018–2019: Debut with ''The Park in the Night'' series
On June 14, 2018, Kiwi Pop, a subsidiary of Kiwi Media Group released a teaser image for their first girl group named GWSN and the opening of their social media accounts with their reveal date set to June 18, 2018. Shortly after, members were each revealed along with a short video and an image starting with Minju, followed by Lena, Anne, Soso, Seoryoung, Miya, and finally Seokyoung - who was a former contestant on Mnet's Produce 101TV series, where she came in 30th place. In order to increase their pre-debut popularity, the group held multiple busking events all over South Koreain public spaces, performed in middle schools and high schools, as well as held live video events on their page and uploaded dance covers of popular songs onto their . On July 8, Mnet announced a reality TV show named Got Ya! GWSN featuring all the members of GWSN. On September 5, 2018, GWSN made their debut with the extended play The Park in the Night Part One with the lead single, "Puzzle Moon". They then went onto holding their debut showcase at Yes24 Live Hall, Seoul, South Korea. They officially made their debut in the Korean music programM Countdown on September 6. On March 13, 2019, GWSN released their second EP The Park in the Night Part Two, with the lead single "Pinky Star ". GWSN released their third EP The Park in the Night Part Three along with the lead single "Red-Sun " on July 23. This was funded through fan contribution on Makestar, where a total of US$27,491.03 was raised.
2020: ''the Keys''
On January 17, 2020, it was announced that member Soso would be taking a hiatus due to a ruptured ankle ligament and that the group will continue to promote as six members. On April 3, 2020, it was reported that GWSN was moved to a new sub-label from Kiwi Media Group known as MILES. The group made their comeback on April 28 with their 4th mini album the Keys and its title track "Bazooka!", without member Soso.
