Yoo Hee-yeol Followed by Lee Juck and Lee Mujin... Ongoing K-pop Plagiarism Controversies, What Is the Solution?

Issue Between Parties..."Sounds Similar to My Ear, Not Plagiarism"
"Too Much, Should Be a Lesson" Also Argued

Following the 'plagiarism controversy' involving composer and producer Yoo Hee-yeol, allegations of plagiarism have continued in the domestic music industry. Photo by KBS 2TV Yoo Hee-yeol's Sketchbook capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] The plagiarism controversy in the music industry, triggered by composer and producer Yoo Hee-yeol's 'plagiarism allegations,' has spread to artists such as Lee Juck and Lee Mujin, sparking ongoing debates. Since plagiarism is a crime that requires the original creator to file a complaint, some argue that third parties should not hastily accuse others. At the same time, this controversy has highlighted the need to correct the worsening practice in the music industry of producing songs by referencing other works without properly crediting the sources.

'Yoo Hee-yeol's Sketchbook' bid farewell to viewers with its final broadcast on the 22nd. Earlier, Yoo Hee-yeol was embroiled in plagiarism allegations regarding the song 'A Very Private Night,' released through the 'Life Music' project in collaboration with a certain brand last month. The song was pointed out to bear similarities to 'Aqua,' a piece by Japanese film music maestro Ryuichi Sakamoto (坂本龍一).

In response, Yoo Hee-yeol agreed that the main theme of the song was sufficiently similar and apologized. He stated on the 18th, "Ryuichi Sakamoto is the musician who has influenced and whom I respect the most over a long time, so unconsciously, I composed the song with a similar progression that remained in my memory," and announced that he would suspend all broadcasting activities.

Although Ryuichi Sakamoto acknowledged the similarity between the two songs but expressed that "it is not at a level requiring legal action" against Yoo Hee-yeol, the controversy continued. Subsequently, other songs composed by Yoo Hee-yeol, including 'The Time I Turn On' from the 'Life Music' project, Sung Si-kyung's 'Happy Birthday to You,' and 'Please Don't Go My Girl (Feat. Kim Jo-han),' revealed during MBC's 'Infinite Challenge,' also faced plagiarism allegations one after another.

However, Yoo Hee-yeol denied the allegations regarding songs other than 'A Very Private Night,' saying, "There are parts of the plagiarism allegations currently raised that I find difficult to agree with," and "Many of the allegations may be individual opinions and interpretations, but they are hard for me to accept." He emphasized, "However, I will scrutinize myself more strictly to prevent such controversies from arising again."

The plagiarism allegations in the music industry, triggered by Yoo Hee-yeol, shifted toward singer Lee Juck. Online, suspicions spread that the title track 'Lie Lie Lie' from Lee Juck's 2013 album plagiarized the song 'Rubi Grena' by a Brazilian singer. Regarding this, Lee Juck's agency Music Farm Entertainment dismissed the claims, stating, "It is not plagiarism," and "This allegation is not worth responding to."

The domestic music industry continues to debate plagiarism following the 'plagiarism controversy' involving singer Lee Juck and Lee Mujin.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The plagiarism controversy extended to singer Lee Mujin. Claims arose that Lee Mujin's self-composed song 'Traffic Light,' released in May last year, resembled 'Dragon Night' by Japanese singer Sekai no Owari, released in 2015. In response, Lee Mujin's agency Big Planet Made Entertainment issued a statement on the 20th, saying, "'Traffic Light' is a creative work based on emotions personally experienced by the artist," and "After analyzing the overall song structure, melody, and chord progression, we confirm that it is unrelated to the song in question."

Experts' views on the ongoing plagiarism controversy in the Korean music industry, starting with Yoo Hee-yeol, are sharply divided. Kim Tae-won, leader of the rock band Boohwal, said on MBC's '100-Minute Debate' broadcast on the 5th, "Eight bars are exactly the same without any distortion," and "It shows an intention to plagiarize." On the other hand, popular music critic Jung Min-jae countered, "Just because it sounds similar to my ear or makes me feel bad does not mean it is plagiarism." He emphasized, "You cannot call it plagiarism just because some chord progressions overlap," and "Unless the original creator raises an issue, a few overlapping notes in a fleeting progression do not constitute plagiarism. The same applies to parts that sound similar by adjusting pitch and tempo."

Meanwhile, some point out that excessive cases should serve as a lesson from this controversy. Popular music critic Lee Dae-hwa said, "There is nothing wrong with creating music inspired by a particular artist and song," but added, "However, if you think it is excessive, you should stop yourself." He criticized, "If we become lenient about such things, these problems will eventually arise," and said, "I don't understand why the atmosphere is moving toward lowering standards instead of evaluating this as an example of 'Even if you reference, doing it like this will cause problems later' and taking it as a lesson."

Plagiarism is a crime that requires the original creator to file a complaint, and legally, it cannot be considered plagiarism unless the dispute is resolved through court battles between the parties involved. While overseas plagiarism disputes often lead to lawsuits and rulings, in Korea, many cases are settled through agreements between the parties. In 2013, a case in the United States ruled that Robin Thicke's song 'Blurred Lines' plagiarized Marvin Gaye's song, resulting in compensation of about 6 billion won.

There are also calls for specific laws or guidelines related to popular music plagiarism. The current standard for judging plagiarism, which relies on 'lawsuits between parties,' cannot simply conclude plagiarism based on similarities in song structure or melody. Popular music critic Kang Il-kwon urged, "Above all, strong laws regarding popular music plagiarism must be enacted."