'Managing Copyrights for 100,000 Musicians'... Eumjeohyeop and Eumsillyeon Designated as Public Service-Related Organizations by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Designates KOMCA and KMPU as Public-Related Organizations
Transparency Essential in Collection and Distribution of Royalties
Organization Executives and Employees Subject to Improper Solicitation and Graft Act

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 12th that it has designated the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) and the Korea Music Performers’ Union (KMPU), both copyright management organizations, as public-related organizations.

Korea Music Copyright Association. Provided by Korea Music Copyright Association

Copyright management organizations are granted exclusive or quasi-exclusive rights by the government to manage the economic rights of creators through entrusted management. Currently, there are a total of 11 copyright management organizations authorized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, including 9 organizations and 2 public institutions.

These two organizations must comply with various obligations under the Act on the Prevention of Improper Solicitation and Graft (Improper Solicitation and Graft Act), and full-time executives are required to register their assets. Employees of copyright management organizations are restricted from ▲engaging in improper solicitation ▲soliciting or mediating with former or current employees of the institution after retirement ▲accepting money or gifts (including entertainment and hospitality). Since copyright management organizations collect and distribute royalties for creators, ensuring transparency and public interest is essential.

KOMCA and KMPU are the largest among the copyright management organizations. Together, they manage the rights of over 100,000 music creators (composers, lyricists, etc.) and performers (singers, instrumentalists, etc.). KOMCA collected 436.5 billion KRW in royalties in 2024, nearly doubling from 220.8 billion KRW in 2019, while KMPU’s collections increased to 67.9 billion KRW, about 1.6 times the 42 billion KRW collected five years ago.

Jung Hyang-mi, Director of the Copyright Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, “The designation as public-related organizations is part of institutional measures to ensure that copyright organizations, which hold exclusive and public-interest status, operate with the creators’ interests as the top priority.” She added, “We expect this to serve as an opportunity to increase creators’ trust in copyright organizations.”