Idol girl group Kara will not be present on the upcoming Korean New Year special variety shows. Kara was very active on last years Chuseok and New Year specials but they'll be absent this year because of Japanese promotions and preparations for their third mini-album. Kara's representative said, "On February 5th, Kara has to leave for Japan for a showcase. All of the special programs are being filmed while Kara's in Japan, so it was hard to be part of them. Also, it is right before their third mini-album comeback. They don't even have enough time to practice these days, so it's realistically impossible for them to be part of these specials." Fans are very disappointed to see Kara go away for these holiday specials. They will make it on one special however, but it's kind of a bummer since only Goo Hara will be on SBS Big Match, which will air on the 14th. After their Japanese showcase, they will head straight back to Korea to practice for their comeback. Kara will spend 3 nights in Japan and hold two showcases with 4,000 fans. Unfortunate, but hopefully they have enough time to practice for their comeback. That way, they'll be fully prepared to go up against SNSD!