Yoon Ilsang, Jeon Youngrok and Others Launch "Emergency Ethics Committee" to Oversee Korea Music Copyright Association

Claim of "Unilateral Dissolution of the Ethics Committee by Current Leadership"

The image of the Korea Music Copyright Association. Korea Music Copyright Association

On June 9, it was announced that some members of the Korea Music Copyright Association, including composer Yoon Ilsang and singers Jeon Youngrok and Shin Sungwoo, have launched an "Emergency Ethics Committee" in response to concerns over conflicts of interest, budget misuse, and the dissolution of the internal ethics oversight body within the association.

The Emergency Ethics Committee pointed out that Choo Gayul, the current president of the Korea Music Copyright Association, recently unilaterally dissolved the Ethics Committee without consultation with the board of directors. The committee argued, "With the disappearance of internal oversight mechanisms, the fairness and accountability of the association's management are being seriously undermined."

The committee explained, "There was a consensus among members that we could no longer remain silent in the face of repeated ethical lapses and evasion of responsibility within the association, which led to the formation of the Emergency Ethics Committee." The committee also noted that the previous Ethics Committee faced structural limitations that made it difficult for individual members' opinions to be properly conveyed to the board of directors, highlighting the need for an independent external body.

The Emergency Ethics Committee, chaired by Yoon Ilsang, has appointed external experts as standing members, including attorney Kim Taehwan (legal representative for the "Produce 101 Fact-Finding Committee"), copyright committee member at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kwak Youngjun, and novelist Han Kyunghye.

The Emergency Ethics Committee stated, "We plan to monitor, report, and demand improvements regarding unfair budget execution, executive conflicts of interest, and the dismantling of internal oversight systems as members of the association. We will also work to establish accounting oversight mechanisms and an ethics reporting system, as well as publish reports for members and hold public hearings."

Additionally, the committee plans to set up an anonymous reporting channel for employees who are aware of internal wrongdoing but are afraid to speak out due to fear of disadvantage. They stated that they will continue to monitor and keep the management of the Korea Music Copyright Association in check, led by its members.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently issued an order for improvement after a business inspection found improper practices at the Korea Music Copyright Association, including conflicts of interest and favoritism in awarding work.