The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the Korea Copyright Protection Agency and the Korea Copyright Commission, will host the "2025 Korea Copyright Protection Awards and Copyright Development Merit Awards Ceremony" at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, on November 26.
This awards ceremony has been organized to reflect on achievements across all areas of copyright, including systems, protection, and technology, in the rapidly changing content and copyright industry environment. It also aims to foster a sound awareness of the value of copyright and to encourage ongoing public interest.
To expand private sector participation as the main driver of K-content, the Ministry held a nationwide public contest for the "Korea Copyright Protection Awards" from July to the end of August. Eight individuals who made outstanding contributions to copyright protection this year were selected. The eight awardees include: the Game Rating and Administration Committee, recognized for its efforts in responding to copyright infringement in games; Kim Dongwon, attorney at Kim & Jang Law Firm, who has led efforts to protect the rights of copyright holders as a copyright law specialist; Kim Donghoon, author at Studio Number Nine, who contributed to combating illegal webtoon distribution; Professor Kim Byungil of Hanyang University, who established a foundation for copyright protection through public sector activities and academic research; Ridi Corporation, which contributed to blocking illegal distribution by utilizing technologies to respond to copyright infringement; Seo Chunghyun, head of Naver Webtoon, who led the development of technology to block illegal webtoon distribution and spearheaded related responses; Son Boyoung, Korea representative of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), who helped promote copyright protection culture both domestically and internationally; and Shin Sunho, president of the Korea University Press Association, who worked to combat illegal publications and improve awareness on university campuses.
This year, a total of 30 individuals were also selected for the "Copyright Development Merit Awards" in recognition of their contributions to the advancement of various fields, including copyright policy, copyright investigation and enforcement, industry, cultural services and trade, and international cooperation. Notable recipients include: Professor Kim Jongwon of Sangmyung University, who contributed to institutional improvements such as the standardization of copyright technology and the establishment of performance evaluation criteria; copyright education instructor Lee Seulgi, who helped raise youth awareness through outreach copyright education programs; Inspector Lee Seungho of the National Police Agency, who contributed to the blocking of numerous overseas illegal sites and the apprehension of their operators; Lee Hojun, head of the legal department at Kakao Entertainment, who led the systematization of copyright protection by establishing and operating the industry's first dedicated illegal distribution response team, P.CoK; and Lee Yonggwan, head of the Hallyu Economy Research Center at the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, who contributed to the development of copyright policy through research on cultural trade.
Kim Youngsoo, First Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "Copyright is the foundation of the creative industry and the core of K-content's competitiveness, and each awardee today is an unsung hero who has played a crucial role in strengthening this foundation." He added, "Going forward, the Ministry will do its utmost to establish a fair content distribution order and foster a culture where creative activities are respected."
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