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On March 4, 2024, fans were left in shock as reports surfaced that STARSHIP Entertainment's official YouTube channels for their artists, including IVE, CRAVITY, and MONSTA X, had allegedly fallen victim to hacking.
STARSHIP Entertainment shared a post on X, updating fans on the delayed schedule. They assured fans of their active collaboration with YouTube to address the situation and extended apologies for any inconvenience, promising swift efforts to restore the content.
According to Allkpop, Starship Entertainment promptly communicated the incident to media outlets, expressing their awareness of the situation and their ongoing efforts to resolve the issue with YouTube.
In response to the hacking, Starship Entertainment released an official statement to Korean media outlet OSEN, stating,
"We are currently resolving the issue with YouTube regarding the hacking of official channels related to Starship artists on the same day, and are in the process of recovery."
The suspected hack involved a change in the channel name to 'SpaceX,' a renowned aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company founded by Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. In addition to the name alteration, all previously uploaded videos were made private, leaving fans distressed over the loss of accessible content.
Fans stunned as STARSHIP Entertainment artists' YouTube channels fall victim to hacking
The affected channels boasted substantial followings, with IVE and MONSTA X each having over 3.37 million and 2.57 million followers, respectively, and CRAVITY nearing 800,000 followers.
The incident aligns with a pattern observed in previous hacking cases where various social media accounts, including YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, were infiltrated, and content related to SpaceX inundated the compromised channels.
Startled fans took to social media to voice their surprise.
The agency expressed its commitment to expedite the recovery process, seeking understanding from fans for the unexpected disruption.
In a separate update on February 25, IVE unveiled a group concept photo for their upcoming second fan meeting, MAGAZINE IVE. The photo featured the members dressed in denim, radiating joy as they smiled for the camera.
Despite the unfortunate hacking incident, IVE's fan meeting, scheduled for March 9 and 10 at Seoul's Olympic Handball Gymnasium, remains on track. Overseas fans can also anticipate an online stream of the event.
The girl group also revealed the concert schedule and locations for their global tour, titled Show What I Have, extending until 2024. The K-pop ensemble is set to perform in Hong Kong in July 2024, with additional stops planned in Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and other locations.
Meanwhile, K-pop group CRAVITY is set to host concerts named Luvity Games on April 6 and 7, as announced by their agency, Starship Entertainment. The shows are scheduled to be held at the Olympic Hall in southern Seoul, featuring interactive games between the members and their fans, aptly named after Cravity's dedicated fan club, Luvity.
They recently released their seventh EP, titled Evershine, on February 26, 2024, featuring the lead track, Love or Die.
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