K-content powerhouse’s YouTube channels disrupted by hacks
Ji-Eun Jeong and Dong-jin Hwang
Jul 22, 2024 (Gmt+09:00)
Lovely Runner scene streamed on tvN’s YouTube channel (Captured from official tvN YouTube) The YouTube channels of South Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM Co.'s units, with more than 8 million subscribers, were disrupted for 14 hours by cyberattacks, allegedly by crypto bros — dogmatic supporters of virtual currencies, industry sources said on Sunday.
The official YouTube channels of tvN dramas and TVing — CJ ENM’s affiliated TV station and over-the-top service — on the world’s largest online video-sharing platform were hacked at around 4 am local time Saturday, according to sources.
The two channels deliver popular Korean content such as drama series and entertainment shows. The drama YouTube account of tvN, which aired box-office hit series such as Lovely Runner, has 7.1 million subscribers, while the TVing channel has 985,000 subscribers.
The cyberattacks removed or hid most video clips uploaded on the two channels and showed only the logo of US crypto firm Ripple while changing the channels' names to the virtual currency company.
The channels were recovered by YouTube’s support and normal service restored at around 6 pm local time.
“The cyberattacks by external hackers changed the names of the channels and uploaded irrelevant content,” said TVing and tvN. “We are sorry for the inconvenience and hope for users' understanding.”
GROWING CYBERATTACKS
Official YouTube channels of Korea’s major public and private institutions have been suffering from an increase in cyberattacks.
Cyberattacks reported in Korea rose 12% in 2023 to 1,277 cases compared with the previous year.
In March, the official channel of K-pop star Ive with 3.7 million subscribers was hacked and its name changed to SpaceX, the spacecraft manufacturer founded by Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk.
Ive's Accendio music video (Ive's official YouTube channel) The Korean government’s YouTube accounts were attacked in September 2022. The names of the administration’s channel, which is managed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, were changed.
A cyberattack on Korean 24-hour news channel YTN's YouTube account in June 2022 hid existing video clips while airing films promoting cryptocurrencies for two and a half hours.
Many popular individual YouTube channels have also been hacked and their original clips replaced by streaming videos advertising cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and Ethereum.
CRYPTO BROS
Crypto bros — individuals in the cryptocurrency community who exhibit certain discernible traits that form a subculture that can be exclusionary and contentious — were suspected of launching most of the attacks, industry sources in Seoul said.
The Ministry of Science and ICT said there aren't many ways to prevent hacks on YouTube channels as the companies’ server managers cannot prevent such attacks.
Cyberpunks penetrate the vulnerabilities of individual computers, which operate the YouTube accounts.
“We need to develop countermeasures accordingly as cyberattacks are becoming more intelligent and professional,” said an official with the Korea Internet & Security Agency under the Science Ministry.
The agency handles cyber security issues involving the private sector, while the National Intelligence Service (NIS) manages those of the public sector.