Starship Entertainment () is a South Korean entertainment company founded in 2008 and became an independent subsidiary of

Kakao Entertainment Kakao Entertainment Corp. (), stylized as kakao ENTERTAINMENT, is a South Korean entertainment, mass media, and publishing company founded in 2021. A subsidiary of the internet company Kakao, it was established subsequent to the merger of the la ...

in 2013. They had been recognized for their contributions to the Hallyu Wave, being home to several prominent

K-pop K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, go ...

groups and soloists. These include the groups such as

Monsta X Monsta X (; stylized as MONSTA X) is a South Korean boy group formed through the reality survival program ''No.Mercy'' under Starship Entertainment. The group is currently composed of six members: Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney ...

, Cosmic Girls,

Cravity Cravity () is a South Korean boy band formed by Starship Entertainment. The group is composed of nine members: Serim, Allen, Jungmo, Woobin, Wonjin, Minhee, Hyeongjun, Taeyoung, and Seongmin. They debuted on April 14, 2020, with their extended ...

, and Ive and soloists such as

K.Will Kim Hyung-soo (; born December 30, 1981), better known by his stage name K.Will (), is a South Korean singer. The name is a combination of the first letter 'K' of his last name 'Kim' and the English word 'Will', which means will. He debuted in ...

Yoo Seung-woo Yoo Seung-woo, also stylised Yu Seung Woo (, born February 26, 1997), is a South Korean singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is signed to Starship Entertainment's subsidiary label Highline Entertainment. Career 2012-2014: Superstar K4 and d ...

Brother Su Kim Hyung-soo (Korean: 김형수) (born December 22, 1990), better known as Brother Su (Korean: 브라더수), is a South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer. Su debuted in 2010 and has been signed under Starship Entertainment's subsid ...

Jeong Se-woon Jeong Se-woon (, born May 31, 1997) is a South Korean singer-songwriter signed under Starship Entertainment. Career 2013–2017: Pre-debut Jeong's first public appearance was in 2013, as a contestant in the third season of ''K-pop Star''. He ...

Wonho Won-ho is a Korean masculine given name. Its meaning differs based on the hanja used to write each syllable of the name. There are 35 hanja with the reading "won" and 49 hanja with the reading " ho" on the South Korean government's official list o ...

, and

Kihyun Yoo Ki-hyun (; born November 22, 1993), better known mononymously as Kihyun, is a South Korean singer and songwriter. He is a vocalist in the South Korean boy group Monsta X from Mnet's survival show ''No.Mercy'', which debuted under Starship ...

. The label was formerly home to Sistar,

Boyfriend A boyfriend is a male friend or acquaintance, often specifying a regular male companion with whom a person is romantically or sexually involved. A boyfriend can also be called an admirer, beau, suitor and sweetheart. The analogous female ...

Junggigo Go Jung-gi (born September 5, 1980), better known by his stage name Junggigo, is a South Korean singer. Discography Studio albums Tribute albums Extended plays Singles as lead artist Collaborative singles Soundtrack appearanc ...

, Mad Clown, and

Jooyoung Kim Joo-young (; born March 9, 1991), better known as Jooyoung, is a South Korean singer-songwriter. He debuted in 2010 has released several singles and two extended plays, ''From Me To You'' (2012) and ''Fountain'' (2018). Career Prior to his ...

. They also manages actors under its subsidiary label

King Kong by Starship King Kong by Starship (), formerly known as King Kong Entertainment () before the merge in 2017, is a South Korean actors agency that was founded in 2009. History It was founded in 2009 by Lee Jin-sung, then an employee of IHQ Inc., and having ...

History

2008–2012: Founding and beginnings

Starship Entertainment was founded in 2008 by the couple Kim Shi-dae and Seo Hyun-joo with Kim Young-suk. Kim Shi-dae previously worked as a

road manager In the music industry, a road manager is a person who works with small to mid-size tours (in terms of personnel involved, based on the size of the production). Job responsibilities include (but are not limited to): *advancing show dates *making t ...

for K-pop band Cool and worked for

Big Hit Entertainment Big Hit Music (; formerly Big Hit Entertainment) is a South Korean music label established in 2005 by Bang Si-hyuk. It was re-branded and re-structured into an independent label under Hybe Corporation (formerly Big Hit Entertainment Co., Ltd. ...

between 2005 and 2007, while Seo Hyun-joo worked for

JYP Entertainment JYP Entertainment Corporation () is a South Korean multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate founded in 1997 by J. Y. Park. It is one of the largest entertainment companies in South Korea, and operates as a record label, tale ...

. Starship's first artist was ex-Big Hit singer

, who released his first single "Love 119" for the label in 2008. In 2010, Starship debuted their first girl group Sistar. The following year, they debuted their first boy group

2013–present: Expansion and subsidiary labels

In 2013, Starship announced its first subsidiary label "Starship X", which rapper Mad Clown was signed under. On December 18, 70% of the label's shares was acquired by its distributor

LOEN Entertainment Kakao M (; formerly Seoul Records, YBM Seoul Records and LOEN Entertainment) was a South Korean entertainment company established by Min Yeong-bin in 1978. It is currently one of the largest co-publisher companies in South Korea. The company op ...

(renamed to Kakao M in 2018 and predecessor of

), making it an independent subsidiary of the latter. As of 2022, Kakao Entertainment still is the largest shareholder of the label, holding a 59.73% stake. Starship signed singer

, following his appearance on ''

K-pop Star 3 The third season of the South Korean reality television competition show ''K-pop Star'' premiered on SBS on November 24, 2013, airing Sunday evenings at 4:55 pm KST as part of the '' Good Sunday'' lineup. Jun Hyun-moo replaced Yoon Do-hyun as h ...

'' in July 2014. In December, Starship partnered with

Mnet M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...

to produce the survival show ''No.Mercy'', from which they formed their second boy group

, with the seven winners of the show, debuted in 2015, and promoted as a hip hop boy group. In April 2015, Starship signed a mutual management contract with the Chinese label

Yuehua Entertainment Yuehua Entertainment (Chinese: 乐华娱乐, Korean: 위에화 엔터테인먼트) is a privately held Chinese multinational entertainment group and talent agency based in Beijing. The company was founded in June 2009 by former Huayi Brothers empl ...

. In December, they jointly debuted a new girl group Cosmic Girls, also known as WJSN, aimed at appealing to both South Korean and Chinese audiences. In May 2015, Starship acquired 100% of

King Kong Entertainment King Kong by Starship (), formerly known as King Kong Entertainment () before the merge in 2017, is a South Korean actors agency that was founded in 2009. History It was founded in 2009 by Lee Jin-sung, then an employee of IHQ Inc., and having ...

's shares in a strategic partnership alliance. In January 2017, Starship and King Kong registered their merger. The agencies mutually agreed to use the name Starship Entertainment while the division that manages the actors would operate under the label "King Kong by Starship". In 2017, Starship launched another subsidiary label

House of Music ''House of Music'' is the fourth and final album by American R&B band Tony! Toni! Toné!, released on November 19, 1996, by Mercury Records. It follows the success of the band's 1993 album '' Sons of Soul'' and a hiatus during which each member p ...

, which focused on recruiting smaller, independent artists, with MoonMoon being the first signed under the label. In November 2018, Starship renamed the label "Highline Entertainment". In 2017, the label's first girl group Sistar disbanded, with members Dasom and

Soyou Kang Ji-hyun (born February 12, 1992), known professionally as Soyou, is a South Korean singer. She is best known as a former member of the South Korean girl group Sistar. Life and career 1992–2010: Early life and career beginnings Soyou ...

remaining under Starship. In 2019, their first boy group Boyfriend disbanded. In December, Starship acquired the performance production company Shownote at 100% stake. It was established in 2005 and accumulated experience in producing live entertainment in various fields such as musicals, concerts, plays, showcases, children's performances, exhibitions, and fan meetings. In 2020, Starship began expanding Highline, which currently houses artists such as

, and

DJ Soda Hwang So-hee (, born April 7, 1988), known by her stage name DJ Soda, is a South Korean DJ. Hwang has built her reputation on being a frequent headliner for several Asian music festivals, including "S20 Songkran Musical Festival". Career 20 ...

. On April 14, Starship debuted their new boy group

. In August, Starship won the Korea Creative Content Agency Award, for their contributions to the Hallyu Wave. In June 2021, the label partnered with Eshy Gazit's new label venture Intertwine, in partnership with BMG. Monsta X and Wonho were the first two artists involved in the partnership, securing both global distribution deal and expansion. On August 22, Starship is reported to form a new girl group featuring former

Iz*One Iz*One ( ; ko, 아이즈원, Aijeuwon; ja, アイズワン, Aizuwan; stylized as IZ*ONE) was a South Korean–Japanese girl group formed through the Mnet reality competition show '' Produce 48''. The group was composed of twelve members: J ...

members

Jang Won-young Jang Won-young (; born August 31, 2004), known mononymously as Wonyoung, is a South Korean singer and model. She is a member of Ive under Starship Entertainment and is also a former member of project girl group Iz*One after finishing first in ...

and

An Yu-jin An Yu-jin (; born September 1, 2003), better known mononymously as Yujin, is a South Korean singer. She is the leader of the South Korean girl group Ive under Starship Entertainment. Yujin rose to prominence after finishing fifth on Mnet's gir ...

, and expected to debut in the second half of 2021. On December 1, Starship debuted their new six-member girl group Ive. In April 2022, Starship has appointed Lee Hoon-hee as the new CEO. He is an expert in the Korean entertainment industry, who has experienced music and media contents, and has served as CEO of KOEN Media Production Department, CEO of

SM C&C SM Culture & Contents ( ko, 에스엠컬처앤콘텐츠; SM C&C) is a South Korean advertising, production, travel and talent company under SM Studios, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SM Entertainment. The company operates as a talent agency, televi ...

, and the Head of Production at KBS. He will lead Starship with the current CEO Lee Jin-sung (CEO of King Kong by Starship). In July, Starship participated in The Blue Tree Foundation's campaign to declare support for non-violence through their artists. It was established to prevent school and cyberbullying, and to heal the victims, is conducting a "national non-violence campaign" in which the citizens can participate to publicize the seriousness of violence and to spread a culture of non-violence. On August 8, Starship released a statement announcing that all the members of Monsta X, except I.M, renewed their contracts. He decided not to renew his contract with the agency but will still continue to participate in the group's future plans. On October 24, Yang Jae-woong's older brother Yang Jae-jin, a psychiatrist and broadcaster, has signed an exclusive contract with the agency.

Partnerships

Active

Universal Music Japan , often referred to as just Universal Music Japan or UMJ, is a Japanese subsidiary of the Universal Music Group founded in 1990. It is the largest subsidiary for a foreign company in the country regarding music distribution. The company is resp ...

* Sony Music Japan * Intertwine

Former

* Being Group * Kiss Entertainment

Artists

All artists under Starship Entertainment are collectively known as Starship Planet.

Musicians

Soloists

Groups

WJSN WJSN (; ), also known as Cosmic Girls, is a South Korean girl group formed by Starship Entertainment. The group debuted on February 25, 2016, with the extended play '' Would You Like?'' and with twelve members: Seola, Xuanyi, Bona, Exy, Soo ...

(with

) *

* Ive

Project groups

* YTeen (with KT) *OG School Project (with

Cube Entertainment Cube Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean entertainment company. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and music publishing house. Cube are known for h ...

) *YDPP (with

Brand New Music Brand New Music (Hangul: 브랜뉴 뮤직, also stylized as BrandNew Music and initialized as BNM) is a South Korean hip hop company founded in 2011 by rapper . History 2003–2012: Founding and first-generation artists Kim Se-hwan (Hangul: � ...

) * WJMK (with Fantagio Music)

Starship X

Kiggen Lee Ki-won (born March 13, 1979), better known by his stage name Kiggen, is a South Korean rapper, singer, lyricist, composer and record producer who is a former member of hip hop group Phantom and the president of the Brand New Music label ...

Highline

* Leon * DJ Vanto * dress * Jang Seok-hoon * PLUMA * ROVXE * M1NU * Seungguk

Actors/actresses

Influencer

* Yang Jae-jin

Former artists

* Sistar (2010–2017) ** Bora (2010–2017) **

Hyolyn Kim Hyo-jung (; born December 11, 1990), better known by her stage name Hyolyn (효린), is a South Korean singer and songwriter, now under the management of her own self-started production company Bridʒ. She is a former member of the South Kor ...

(2010–2017) ** Dasom (2010–2021) **

(2010–2021) *

(2011–2019) *

Mind U Mind U (Hangul: 마인드유, formerly known as Acourve (어쿠루브)) is a South Korean duo formed by Bridge Media in 2013. They debuted on October 25, 2013, with "What I Want To Say", then later re-debuted under Starship Entertainment Stars ...

(2017–2022) * Duetto (2017–2022) *

I.M Im Chang-kyun (; born January 26, 1996), known by the stage name I.M or mononymously as Changkyun, is a South Korean rapper, singer, and songwriter. In 2015, he debuted in the South Korean boy group Monsta X, through the Mnet's survival show ' ...

(2015–2022)

Starship X

(2013–2018) * Mad Clown (2013–2018) *

(2014–2021) * #Gun (2015–2022)

Highline

* MoonMoon (2017–2018; contract terminated due to occlusion of a formal criminal record) *

(2018–2021) * Lil Reta (2020–2022)

Discography

Awards

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Starship Entertainment Companies based in Seoul Entertainment companies established in 2008 Contemporary R&B record labels Hip hop record labels Labels distributed by Kakao M Music publishing companies K-pop record labels Publishing companies established in 2008 South Korean record labels Talent agencies of South Korea South Korean companies established in 2008