K-pop: IVE's agency apologizes after sharing deepfakes of An Yu-Jin
What's the story
Starship Entertainment, the agency of K-pop group IVE, has issued an apology for posting deepfakes of its members Jang Won-young and An Yu-Jin. The controversy started when the agency shared the content on its official Weibo account with a caption that was seen as malicious toward An. Facing backlash from fans, Starship clarified that the post was made by a staff member in response to malicious comments and has since been removed.
Damage control
Starship took corrective measures post-incident
In their apology, the agency expressed deep regret for the distress caused by a member of their staff mishandling a China-based social media account. They said, "Upon thoroughly reviewing the situation, we have determined that the incident resulted from a failure in our internal protocols." As a corrective measure, they reassigned the staff member involved from all related responsibilities and took stringent disciplinary actions.
Legal steps
Agency is taking legal action against defamatory individuals
Apart from internal corrective measures, Starship is also pursuing legal action against those who spread fake news. They added, "To protect all parties involved, we are also taking legal action against individuals who spread false information or engage in defamatory behavior." The agency reiterated its commitment to learn from this experience and grow as a more responsible company.
Previous incidents
Not the 1st time K-pop idols faced such issues
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time K-pop idols have been targeted with malicious AI-generated content. Earlier, groups like BLACKPINK, (G)I-DLE, TWICE, BABYMONSTER AN, and even Single's Inferno's Dex have been subjected to similar issues. These incidents emphasize the need for stricter regulations and safeguards against the misuse of technology in targeting public figures.