[Edaily Starin KIM HYUNSIK Reporter] "An unreasonable situation persists in which creators who honestly report their use of artificial intelligence (AI) have their registration suspended and are unable to receive royalties, while those who conceal this fact continue to receive royalties."

Kim Hyun-sook, Director of the Digital Intellectual Property Research Institute, made this point during the “Second Forum on Establishing Trust Standards for AI-Generated Music,” held on the 27th in Conference Room 4 of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul. At the forum, industry representatives repeatedly emphasized that, given the rapid growth of AI-generated music and the adverse effects of false registrations, the establishment of relevant standards can no longer be delayed.
In fact, the influence of AI-generated music is gradually growing in the industry. AI-generated songs such as Meomuru’s “Have You Become the Adult You Dreamed Of?” and Joseon Hip-Hop’s “Forest of the Heart” are appearing one after another in the top ranks of major music charts, and playlists consisting solely of AI-generated music are being actively shared on YouTube.
However, there are currently no trust registration standards in place to recognize human creative contributions to AI-generated music. As a result, creators who disclose the use of AI are unable to register their works with the Korea Music Copyright Association (KMCA), the copyright trust organization.
Previously, in August, KOMCA established criteria allowing for the registration of works in which humans substantially participated in lyric writing, composition, or arrangement—excluding 100% AI-generated works, often referred to as “click-and-play tracks”—but withdrew these guidelines following a recommendation from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism that broader public discussion was necessary. Subsequently, the first public forum was held last month to facilitate this discussion.
During the event, Director Kim, who presented on the topic “The Sustainability of the Current Distribution Structure: The Impact of the Spread of AI-Generated Music on the Distribution of Copyright and Neighboring Rights Royalties,” emphasized, “As the lack of clear standards persists, those who have reported their works honestly are being disadvantaged,” adding, “We must start by distinguishing between issues that can be resolved immediately and those requiring further discussion.”
Director Kim added, “We must find solutions regarding what needs to be established to ensure creators who disclose their use of AI are not disadvantaged, what roles the collecting societies and the government will each play, and how to handle the backlog of unsettled payments.”
Music director Park Seong-il, who participated as a panelist, explained that the use of AI as an auxiliary tool has already become widely established in music production. He said, “My greatest concern is not that AI will replace human creativity, but rather the deceptive practice of certain commercial operators disguising AI-generated works as human creations and registering them fraudulently,” adding, “If false rights information is systematically and extensively introduced into the system, it could reduce the share of revenue that should go to existing creators and undermine market trust.”

◇“100% AI-Generated Music Must Be Strictly Filtered Out”
Cho Seong-nam, Director of the Trust Administration Bureau at

, outlined the principles to be applied when registration standards are reimplemented in the future, as well as measures to sanction false reports.
Director Cho explained, “While we will adhere to the principle of self-reporting by members, we will clearly hold them accountable for false reports and establish a precise detection system.” He added, “We will provide sufficient opportunity for members to explain themselves regarding suspicious tracks, but these will be verified by experts.”
He continued, “In cases where 100% AI-generated works are falsely reported, we will suspend royalty payments and resolutely impose the highest level of disciplinary action, as well as hold the parties accountable under civil and criminal law.” He added, “Through legal action, we will accumulate relevant case law and examples of sanctions to raise awareness and prevent false registrations proactively.”
Singer-songwriter Kim Jong-hwan, who wrote and performed the hit song “Reason for Existence,” argued, “The issue of indiscriminate AI use must be taken seriously,” adding, “We must establish strong safeguards, such as requiring the submission of materials that verify the creative process when registering works.”
The forum was co-hosted by the offices of Rep. Kim Jae-won of the Jooguk Innovation Party and Rep. Bae Hyun-jin of the People Power Party. It was organized by the K-Music Rights Organizations Mutual Prosperity Committee—a coalition of six music rights organizations, including the Korean Music Copyright Association (KMCA), the Korea Popular Music Industry Association, the Korea Entertainment Producers Association, the Korea Record Industry Association, the Korea Music Performers Union, and the Music Copyright Association for All—and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Rep. Kim stated, “As the music ecosystem undergoes both change and turmoil due to AI, concerns within the industry are deepening,” adding, “We must find answers to questions such as what constitutes human creativity and how to establish trust management standards for distribution.”
He continued, “The issue of AI copyright is one that requires us to consider not only its impact on the music sector but also its implications for other fields such as art and literature,” emphasizing, “Furthermore, we must take into account platform operating policies and standards that can be universally applied worldwide.” Rep. Kim added, “I hope that future forums will allow us to discuss more practical solutions.”