Lovely Runner, Queen of Tears’ content targetted after popular K-drama channels were hacked

The popular South Korean TV broadcaster tvN and its streaming platform TVING were hacked early on July 20, jeopardizing their YouTube libraries.

In March and April 2024, tvN, a popular South Korean TV network, aired two back-to-back shattering superhit Korean dramas. Even months after Queen of Tears (starring Kim Soo Hyun, Kim Ji Won) and Lovely Runner (Byeon Woo Seok, Kim Hye Yoon) were taken off the air, their burgeoning impact is consuming OTT platforms, and the buzz-worthy conversation surrounding these shows, which have been dubbed some of the best Korean releases of the year thus far, shows no signs of abating.

However, after becoming the buzz of the world, the online content of both of these series was targeted by a cyberattack, which shut down broadcast network tvN Drama and its associated streaming platform, TVING’s official YouTube channels, on July 20.

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tvN Drama and TVING are hacked.

Both stations were first dubbed ‘Ripple’, which also affected video clips of all Korean shows under their belt, including the beloved and record-breaking titles Queen of Tears and Lovely Runner. As the shows’ official content vanished, the hackers changed the network’s trademark red emblem to a blue fidget spinner-shaped insignia.

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TVING and tvN Drama thereafter published comments warning their devoted supporters about the situation.

tvN responded to the external disruption by warning viewers not to click on strange links or content posted to their previously hacked YouTube platforms.

Read tvN’s entire statement.
“Hello, this is TVN.


We’re making this notice because, on Saturday, July 20, 2024, someone outsider hacked tvN DRAMA’s YouTube channel and altered its identity.

tvN is aware of the channel hacking and is now working with YouTube to rectify the issue. We will do everything we can to get the channel back up and running shortly.

Please do not click on questionable videos or posts with links, and we ask that you take extra precautions to avoid any harm.

“Thank you.”

TVING also included the disclaimer on its other social media sites.A few hours later, the networks released an update, claiming that the problem had been resolved through collaboration with YouTube. At the time of writing, both channels’ video content had been restored. As of July 20, TvN Drama has 7.11 million YouTube followers, whereas TVING, a relatively new channel, has 985K.

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tvN dramas’ rich history
Since the conclusion of Lovely Runner and Queen of Tears, several additional K-dramas have begun their brand-new broadcasts on the top-rated TV channel, and many more highly anticipated titles are in the works.

Some ongoing shows include The Auditors and The Player 2: Master of Swindlers, while Serendipity’s Embrace, No Gain No Love, and Love Next Door are upcoming dramas that will air in July and August.

TvN takes pride in its excellent rating and is already home to some of the most popular and legendary Korean dramas. Along with Queen of Tears, previous titles that have dominated the channel’s viewership figures include Crash Landing On You, Reply 1988, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Vincenzo, Hospital Playlist, Twenty-Five Twenty-One, and Mr Sunshine, Mr. Queen.

In other developments, tvN’s Lovely Runner will arrive on Netflix on August 1, 2024 (depending to regional availability). So far, it has been available on TVING in Korea, U-Next in Japan, Vidio in Indonesia, and Viki and Viu in select locations.