CEO Choi Kwang-ho Appointed to Head Live Music Unit as K-Music Content Association Aims to Boost Korean Performance Rights Market into Top 10 Globally Within 5 Years

The K-Music Content Association has appointed its CEO, Choi Kwang-ho, as the president of the in-house venture company Live Music. Choi Kwang-ho is a seasoned industry expert who has led music industry policies and operations for nearly 20 years since the association’s founding. Live Music was designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2023 as the unified collection agency for music performance rights. Major domestic record labels and distribution companies such as HYBE, SM, YG, JYP, Sony Music Entertainment, and Kakao Entertainment are all members of this organization. Its role is to collect performance fees that must be paid to music rights holders when music is used in establishments like cafes and gyms. Choi Kwang-ho stated, “Live Music aims to grow South Korea’s performance rights market into the top 10 globally within the next five years through an effective unified collection system and improved regulations.” He added, “We will pursue market-friendly initiatives across various fronts, including developing user-friendly All-In-One services tailored for businesses, advocating for government support policies, and expanding the market by amending relevant regulations.” Choi Kwang-ho has also played a leading role in developing foundational systems for the music industry, such as the overall planning of Circle Chart (formerly Gaon Chart), the creation of an integrated database for music tracks and rights information by the Korean Copyright Commission, and the development of the Broadcast Music Monitoring System (Bromis). He expressed his ambition to resolve long-standing issues in the music industry, such as lack of transparency in payments and inefficiencies in collection, by serving as a central platform that connects technology, policy, and industry. He emphasized his commitment to fulfilling the role of a trustworthy mediator for both music users and rights holders. The music industry expects that Choi Kwang-ho’s appointment will enable digital innovation in South Korea’s music sector by combining the association’s policy expertise with Live Music’s technical capabilities, with significant attention focused on whether Live Music can become a game-changer in restructuring the industry.