'Pidok' Tops Copyright Income for 5 Consecutive Years
Estimated Annual Copyright Royalties Exceed 3.5 Billion KRW
Key Contributor to Discovering BTS Leader RM
Recently embroiled in stock manipulation controversy, singer Lim Chang-jung also became a hot topic for his ‘copyrights.’ This is because the fact that he sold copyrights to over 160 hit songs, including ‘Soju One Glass,’ during the process of raising 20 billion won to launch a girl group was reexamined. Although the entire 20 billion won was not from copyright sales income, quite a few people were surprised by the scale reaching hundreds of billions.
Unless the copyrights were sold to others like Lim Chang-jung, copyrights are protected for 70 years after the creator’s death. It means one can receive income like a ‘pension’ for life. Then, who is the composer earning the most copyright income in South Korea?
Ranked No. 1 for 5 Consecutive Years
People often think of hit song makers like Park Jin-young, YG’s star producer Teddy, and Jang Beom-jun, who coined the term ‘Cherry Blossom Pension.’ However, the No. 1 is someone else. It is ‘Pdogg,’ known as the ‘father’ of BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan). He is the senior producer at Big Hit Music, a label under HYBE. Big Hit Music is the label to which BTS and Tomorrow X Together belong.
Pdogg was ranked No. 1 in copyright income for popular lyricists and composers announced by the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) from 2018 to last year. He earned the highest income for five consecutive years. Many BTS hit songs such as ‘Boy With Luv,’ ‘Spring Day,’ and ‘Fake Love’ came from his hands. The solo song ‘Like Crazy’ by BTS’s Jimin, which recently topped the Billboard Hot 100, is also Pdogg’s work. There are 238 songs registered under his name with KOMCA.
“Copyright Royalties Over 3.5 Billion Won Annually”
KOMCA does not disclose individual composers’ income. It is difficult to know exactly how much Pdogg earns annually. However, it can be indirectly estimated. The only data with properly disclosed copyright income was submitted by KOMCA to Saenuri Party lawmaker Lee Jae-young during the 2012 National Assembly audit. In 2011, Park Jin-young earned 1.373 billion won, ranking first in copyright income.
Pdogg is expected to earn more than Park Jin-young did 12 years ago. This is because the K-pop market has grown much larger as it gained global popularity. KOMCA collected a total copyright income of 108.7 billion won in 2011. Last year, it was 352 billion won, more than triple. Copyright income arises from various fields such as music streaming, CD and album production usage fees, reproduction, broadcasting, and performances. An industry insider said, “Considering BTS’s status and popularity dominating the Billboard charts, Pdogg’s income likely exceeded 1% of the total copyright income, which is over 3.5 billion won.”
2021 Public Company ‘Highest Salary Earner’
Pdogg’s income is not limited to copyrights. In 2021, he was the ‘highest salary earner’ among executives of publicly listed companies. He received a total of 40.077 billion won. This included 39.928 billion won from stock option exercise gains, 38 million won in salary, and 111 million won in bonuses. At that time, he earned about 10 billion won more than the second place, Hyundai Motor Group Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-koo (30.234 billion won).
Before Pdogg’s rise, the top composer copyright income earners were Teddy (2017), Kim Do-hoon (2014, 2016), Cho Young-soo (2015), and Park Jin-young (2011, 2012, 2013). Pdogg monopolized the ‘throne’ that these four alternately occupied.
Pdogg has been a ‘founding contributor’ since Big Hit Entertainment, the predecessor of HYBE, was established in 2007. Majoring in vocal music, he dropped out of Gyeongsang National University and joined the company at the suggestion of HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk. He introduced a high school rapper he discovered by chance to Chairman Bang. That rapper is RM, the current leader of BTS. Thus, Pdogg has been with BTS from their beginning and growth, becoming a producer admired by all.
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