KWAVESCOPE · AGENCY PROFILE
STARSHIP Entertainment
IVE, MONSTA X, CRAVITY and the next wave of performers—with King Kong by STARSHIP alongside them.
Updated October 21, 2026 · Back to all K-POP agencies
STARSHIP at a glance
- Established: 2008, by Kim Shi-dae.
- Business family: a Kakao Entertainment-affiliated music and management company.
- Current music roster: K.will, MONSTA X, WJSN, Brother Su, CRAVITY, IVE, KiiiKiii, IDID and AEN.
- Actor management: King Kong by STARSHIP, associated with performers including Lee Dong-wook and Yoo Yeon-seok.
- 2025 standalone revenue: approximately KRW 173.2 billion; operating profit approximately KRW 10.6 billion.
- Seoul headquarters: 4-5 Samseong-ro 146-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
- Fan visits: office floors are private; public merchandise events and performances have their own announced venues.
Company overview
For one fan, STARSHIP means IVE’s bold, instantly memorable choruses. Another listener might know it through MONSTA X’s performance-heavy catalogue or K.will’s long-running ballads. A third may have come to the company’s music through CRAVITY, KiiiKiii or IDID. Those audiences overlap, but the records are far from interchangeable.
The company combines music with actor management, a combination that gives STARSHIP an unusually varied public identity. KINGKONG by STARSHIP is not a second name for IVE. It is the actor-management side of a larger company whose different teams work across recordings, television, film and commercial partnerships.
An agency guide is most useful when it doesn’t make every established artist look like a new debut or every company archive look like a list of active contracts. STARSHIP’s official roster and its release notices offer a clearer starting point: some names describe full groups, others are solo singers, and some are artists whose group releases are only part of their activity.
Company structure and artist relationships
STARSHIP is part of the Kakao Entertainment corporate ecosystem rather than the HYBE family. Kakao affiliation helps place the music business within a larger distribution, media and technology network, but it doesn’t turn artists from other Kakao-affiliated agencies into STARSHIP artists. The management contracts and actual record credits remain the most useful references.
The music and acting operations also need to be distinguished. The company’s official website places musicians and actors in separate directories and identifies King Kong by STARSHIP as its actor-focused business. Someone searching for a television actor’s next series will need different notices from someone following IVE’s latest EP.
Inside a group, individual releases may be credited to one member without becoming a debut by another full group. This is particularly important for MONSTA X and WJSN, whose members have appeared in individual musical and television projects alongside or outside group schedules.
KWaveScope A–Z artist profiles
These are the existing KWaveScope A–Z profiles that can be verified on the site. The cards below link to the artist pages; other names in the company roster are included for orientation rather than linked to guessed or unfinished pages.
Current roster, projects and historic artists
The official musician directory lists nine principal music names in October 2026. STARSHIP’s catalogue also contains earlier acts whose exclusive group relationship is no longer the main story. The actor team has its own directory, so a company-wide artist count should never be read as the number of active idol groups.
| Name | Current relationship | Why this classification matters |
|---|---|---|
| K.will | Current singer | Known for ballads and soundtracks, and active as an individual performer. |
| MONSTA X | Current group | Performance-driven boy group with a substantial catalogue and member-specific activities. |
| WJSN / Cosmic Girls | Current listed group | Official group listings coexist with individual members whose management arrangements may differ. |
| Brother Su | Current solo artist | Singer and songwriter, part of the broader music roster. |
| CRAVITY | Current group | Nine-member boy group that debuted in 2020. |
| IVE | Current group | Six-member girl group formed in 2021. |
| KiiiKiii | Current group | Five-member girl group introduced in 2025. |
| IDID | Current group | 2025 boy-group debut with a follow-up 2026 single. |
| AEN | Current project or artist name | An entry in STARSHIP’s current official musician directory. |
| KINGKONG by STARSHIP | Actor-management division | Manages acting careers; it is not an idol group or the name of a STARSHIP album. |
| SISTAR | Former group | A major group in STARSHIP history whose recorded catalogue remains influential. |
| BOYFRIEND | Historic group | An earlier boy group important to the agency’s 2010s growth. |
IVE: six members with a distinctive pop identity
IVE debuted on December 1, 2021, and rapidly established itself through songs with confident hooks and striking visual concepts. The group’s music spans the bright directness of ‘ELEVEN’ and ‘LOVE DIVE’, the singalong pull of ‘After LIKE’, and later material that shows a wider range of production choices.
The group’s appeal cannot be explained by one chart result. Each comeback creates a new opportunity for the six members’ contrasting voices and performance styles to interact. Individual brand work may attract attention, but the recordings are still credited to the group when IVE releases an IVE record.
| Member | Korean name | Role in the group’s story |
|---|---|---|
| AN YUJIN | 안유진 | Performer and group leader. |
| GAEUL | 가을 | A member of the six-person performing lineup. |
| REI | 레이 | Japanese member with distinctive vocal and rap contributions. |
| JANG WONYOUNG | 장원영 | Member whose individual public work runs alongside group promotions. |
| LIZ | 리즈 | Vocalist heard across the group’s changing sound. |
| LEESEO | 이서 | Youngest member of the six. |
In October 2026, STARSHIP published an official music video for ‘Looks Can Kill’ on October 19 while its album listing set the corresponding EP for October 26. A music-video upload and a physical or digital album release date are not always identical. Readers should check the date attached to the exact item rather than calling every promotional video a new album.
MONSTA X: strength, reinvention and solo careers
MONSTA X debuted in 2015 after the competition show No.Mercy. Their catalogue became known for powerful arrangements and demanding live choreography, but it also includes melodic pop and slower songs that reward a second listen. International touring and English-language material brought the group to audiences well beyond its original Korean fanbase.
The group’s history has included changes in individual management and military-service schedules. That makes it especially important to distinguish an announcement about MONSTA X as a group from a member’s independently managed solo activity. A label’s group page describes a shared musical identity; it should not be used to assume that every solo contract has the same terms.
| Member name | General context |
|---|---|
| SHOWNU | Leader and performer; also worked in a unit with HYUNGWON. |
| MINHYUK | Member with performance and broadcast activities. |
| KIHYUN | Recognized for his vocal work and 2026 solo release BORDERLINE. |
| HYUNGWON | Performer and songwriting contributor. |
| JOOHONEY | Rapper and producer in the group’s recording work. |
| I.M | Rapper with distinct solo recording activities and management arrangements. |
STARSHIP’s 2026 release schedule included MONSTA X’s ‘growing pains’ in February, the SHOWNU × HYUNGWON EP in May, and KIHYUN’s BORDERLINE in July. These are related but separate credits. That difference is part of the group’s long-term musical story.
CRAVITY: a growing catalogue beyond the debut
CRAVITY arrived in April 2020, introducing a nine-member group just as the industry was changing the way it reached listeners online. Early titles leaned into high energy, while subsequent albums gradually explored more melodic and playful directions.
The group’s 2026 releases show that evolution. ReDeFINE arrived in April, followed by sonorous on September 30. The official video for ‘LOUDER’ carries the same September 30 date. A fan catching up should listen across those eras rather than describing the group’s sound by its first single alone.
| Members | Note |
|---|---|
| SERIM, ALLEN, JUNGMO | Part of the original nine-member group. |
| WOOBIN, WONJIN, MINHEE | Part of the continuing ensemble. |
| HYEONGJUN, TAEYOUNG, SEONGMIN | Complete the nine-member lineup. |
KiiiKiii, IDID and the newer generation
KiiiKiii made an impression with ‘I DO ME’ in February 2025 before the March EP UNCUT GEM. The five-member group followed with further releases, including the August 2026 EP WhyKiiiKiii. Its visual language and song choices offer STARSHIP a sound distinct from IVE rather than a copy of the senior group’s approach.
IDID emerged in 2025 and developed its own catalogue through the first EP I did it., the digital single ‘PUSH BACK’ and the May 2026 single ‘FLY!’. STARSHIP also lists AEN in its current music directory. Because those names represent different projects, a new agency guide should not collapse them into a single generic ‘rookie group’ category.
| KiiiKiii member | Korean name |
|---|---|
| JIYU | 지유 |
| LEESOL | 이솔 |
| SUI | 수이 |
| HAUM | 하음 |
| KYA | 키야 |
The strongest reason to follow a young group is not simply its debut rank or company affiliation. Watch how a second and third record refine the sound, how live performances develop, and whether the members are given space to establish their own identity.
WJSN, K.will and music beyond idol comebacks
WJSN remains present in the company’s official music directory. Its history includes bright, theatrical songs and later work that emphasizes the group’s individual voices. As with other long-running groups, members’ acting and solo arrangements should be researched separately from the current group page. STARSHIP listed a WJSN single, ‘Bloom hour’, in February 2026.
K.will’s ballads offer another side of STARSHIP. His career predates the global idol boom often associated with the agency, with songs and soundtracks that remain a recognizable part of Korean popular music. Brother Su and other songwriters add to this wider music picture. STARSHIP is not solely a company that launches dance groups.
Company history and milestones
STARSHIP’s history tracks changes in the Korean pop business: early solo singing, second-generation idol groups, globally touring boy groups and, more recently, strongly branded girl groups and a succession of new acts. The table treats an agency timeline as a story of musical choices, not a claim that every historic artist is still under contract.
| Year or period | Milestone | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | STARSHIP was established by Kim Shi-dae. | The company started building a stable music-management operation. |
| 2008–2010 | K.will developed the company’s solo profile; SISTAR debuted in 2010. | Ballads and bright pop became two sides of its identity. |
| 2011 | BOYFRIEND debuted. | The roster broadened beyond its earlier solo and girl-group acts. |
| 2015 | MONSTA X debuted. | A new touring and performance-driven group became central to the company. |
| 2016 | WJSN / Cosmic Girls debuted. | The agency continued experimenting with large girl-group lineups and concepts. |
| 2017 | Actor management operated under the King Kong by STARSHIP identity. | STARSHIP widened its connection to film and television performers. |
| 2020 | CRAVITY debuted. | A new generation of boy-group performances took shape. |
| 2021 | IVE debuted with ELEVEN. | A younger girl group expanded STARSHIP’s international profile. |
| 2025 | KiiiKiii and IDID were introduced. | The agency invested in two more emerging groups. |
| 2026 | IVE, CRAVITY, MONSTA X, KiiiKiii, IDID and solo artists released new music. | The roster reflects several generations working simultaneously. |
A listening guide through the catalog
These are starting points for hearing the company’s range. The aim is not a complete discography, but a route from its early ballads to recent girl-group and boy-group releases.
| Artist or era | Where to begin | What to listen for |
|---|---|---|
| K.will | Love Blossom; major vocal ballads | Solo storytelling and strong vocal phrasing. |
| SISTAR | Alone; Touch My Body | A major part of STARSHIP’s earlier girl-group history. |
| MONSTA X | Shoot Out; Love Killa; Rush Hour | Percussive performance music with changing melodic ideas. |
| WJSN | Secret; As You Wish; Bloom hour | Theatrical pop and long-term group development. |
| CRAVITY | Break all the Rules; Groovy; LOUDER | Different stages in a younger boy-group catalogue. |
| IVE | ELEVEN; LOVE DIVE; I AM; Looks Can Kill | Clear hooks and the evolving voice of a six-member girl group. |
| KiiiKiii | I DO ME; DANCING ALONE; Pop Off Pop Off | The newer group’s own character and visual ideas. |
| IDID | STEP IT UP; PUSH BACK; FLY! | The early sound and progression of a 2025 debut. |
Latest developments in 2026
IVE releases a new video before an upcoming EP
STARSHIP’s official homepage dated the music video for IVE’s ‘Looks Can Kill’ October 19, 2026, while the EP’s track listing gives October 26 for the full release. These dates refer to different releases. If the article is updated after October 26, that distinction should be revised with the new status rather than leaving the record described as upcoming.
CRAVITY and MONSTA X keep building their catalogues
CRAVITY’s September 30 sonorous EP and ‘LOUDER’ video marked a later-2026 chapter. MONSTA X’s September release was another example of the senior group remaining active amid individual and unit work. The year’s releases do not need to be reduced to one company’s ‘single comeback season’.
KiiiKiii and IDID establish their own paths
KiiiKiii’s August WhyKiiiKiii and IDID’s May FLY! showed two different rookie-era catalogues developing through 2026. Their music is more useful to readers than premature predictions about which group will become bigger.
How big is STARSHIP Entertainment?
KRW 173.2 billion
KRW 10.6 billion
Business-information figures sourced from NICE corporate data put STARSHIP Entertainment’s 2025 standalone revenue at approximately KRW 173.17 billion and operating profit at about KRW 10.64 billion. The preceding 2024 year was approximately KRW 137.09 billion in revenue and KRW 22.56 billion in operating profit.
Different public sources may display higher consolidated totals because a consolidation can include subsidiaries or other entities. For comparison with other labels in this guide, these headline figures are the separate-company numbers. They cannot be assigned to IVE or MONSTA X as direct artist earnings, and should not be combined with consolidated results without checking the accounting scope.
The amounts are rounded, describe the year ended December 31, 2025, and are stated in Korean won. Readers should understand these as business figures, not touring attendance or fan-sales statistics.
Headquarters address and Google Maps
English: 4-5, Samseong-ro 146-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Korean for map apps and taxis: 서울특별시 강남구 삼성로146길 4-5
How to plan a visit
STARSHIP’s official company information places its main headquarters in the Cheongdam area of Gangnam, and gives the King Kong by STARSHIP actor-management office at the same street address on the third floor. The building is a working office, not an exhibition. Save the address in Naver Map or Kakao Map and let the app suggest the best transit route for your date.
Visitors often want to know whether the company has a shop. Merchandise pop-ups and the STARSHIP SQUARE store are separate from day-to-day corporate office access. Check a specific event’s address and booking terms rather than assuming the head office sells albums at a counter.
Respecting artists and staff
Photography in lawful public spaces does not confer a right to block entrances, film private workplace areas or follow staff and performers. If there is a scheduled fan event, arrive at the named venue and follow the ticket conditions.
The company manages actors as well as musicians, so an actor’s shoot or an idol’s rehearsal cannot be inferred from a photo of the building. For practical fan travel, a museum, store or public concert site generally offers a better experience than waiting near office doors.
Auditions and trainee applications
STARSHIP operates an official audition information channel and posts openings through its company website. Requirements vary by project, and an older application graphic should not be treated as a standing invitation to every age and nationality. The correct starting point is the live audition notice on the official website.
Prepare a short, clearly filmed presentation that shows the skill requested in the announcement. Always confirm file formats, submission deadlines, age criteria and consent requirements on the current application form. For minors, parent or guardian involvement is important before sharing sensitive personal details or arranging travel.
Do not pay an unsolicited intermediary who claims to guarantee a STARSHIP audition. Only the official company announcement and verified agency channels should determine where a submission is sent.
Frequently asked questions
Which company manages IVE?
IVE is managed by STARSHIP Entertainment, a Kakao Entertainment-affiliated company. It is not a HYBE label.
Is KINGKONG by STARSHIP another K-pop group?
No. It is the company’s actor-management brand, and it should be distinguished from the music artist directory.
Which STARSHIP acts are currently listed?
The October 2026 official singer directory includes K.will, MONSTA X, WJSN, Brother Su, CRAVITY, IVE, KiiiKiii, IDID and AEN.
Does IVE have six members?
Yes. The group’s six members are AN YUJIN, GAEUL, REI, JANG WONYOUNG, LIZ and LEESEO.
When does IVE’s Looks Can Kill EP arrive?
The official album listing gives October 26, 2026, while a related video was posted on October 19. Those are separate dates.
Is WJSN still listed on the website?
Yes. WJSN appears in STARSHIP’s music directory, but individual members can have separate contracts and activities.
Are the 2025 revenue figures for the whole Kakao group?
No. The revenue and operating profit presented here are STARSHIP’s own standalone amounts, not Kakao Entertainment consolidated results.
Where is the STARSHIP office?
The official address is 4-5, Samseong-ro 146-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. It is not a public fan-tour venue.
Official destinations and related reading
The STARSHIP Entertainment official website ↗ provides artist directories, albums, music videos and company information. For existing KWaveScope profiles, continue to IVE ↗, MONSTA X ↗, CRAVITY ↗ or KiiiKiii ↗. The release notices can be used to check current music and artist credits.
Looking ahead
STARSHIP’s strongest advantage as a subject for K-pop readers may be the contrast between generations. Its early vocal and girl-group successes are not the same music as the high-energy MONSTA X catalogue or IVE’s pointed pop choruses. KiiiKiii and IDID bring newer experiments without erasing the old records.
The company also has an acting arm, which makes STARSHIP more than a single type of talent business. Following the actual artist credits, dates and agency announcements gives a clearer view than reducing all of that work to a logo or a headline about one successful song.
Editorial review: October 21, 2026. Artist contracts, releases, schedules and audition eligibility are subject to change. Financial figures describe the reporting entity named above, not individual artists.