[Edaily Starin KIM HYUNSIK Reporter] Singer and TV personality Cheon Myung-hoon, formerly of the group NRG, has been embroiled in allegations that he presented another artist’s song as his own original composition.

According to a report by The Fact on the 13th, composer Lee Jin-wook claimed that Cheon Myung-hoon introduced his song “I Took a Picture” as his own original composition on a broadcast without permission.
Lee Jin-wook raised the issue, stating that in a scene from the TV Chosun dating variety show “The Taste of Love,” which aired in December 2019, the song was credited to Cheon Myung-hoon as both the lyricist and composer. He revealed that he had previously provided a demo of the song to Cheon Myung-hoon while the latter was preparing to participate in TV Chosun’s trot competition “Mr. Trot.”
“Jjipyeosseo” is a song composed by Lee Jin-wook and is registered with the Korean Music Copyright Association (KMCA). Lee Jin-wook claimed that he protested to Cheon Myeong-hoon after the broadcast but was told it was “something the scriptwriter did on his own.”

Lee Jin-wook also raised suspicions that Cheon Myeong-hoon attempted to use the

to register “I Did It” as his own work. Lee Jin-wook claims that Cheon Myeong-hoon’s performance of the song on “The Taste of Love” was intended to satisfy the “public performance” requirement necessary for copyright registration.
In connection with this, Lee Jin-wook filed a criminal complaint against Cheon Myung-hoon last July on charges of obstruction of business and fraud, but the police decided last month not to refer the case to the prosecution. The police cited the difficulty in proving obstruction of Lee Jin-wook’s composing activities or financial damage, as well as the fact that the statute of limitations had expired. Lee Jin-wook has stated that he intends to file an appeal against this decision.
Cheon Myeong-hoon told The Fact, “I’ve completed the police investigation, and the matter has been resolved without any issues. I have nothing further to say.” He has not issued any separate statements via social media channels or other platforms.