Korean Music Copyright Association Deepens K-POP Copyright Protection Cooperation with China, From Data Organization to Tencent Collaboration

The Korean Music Copyright Association (KMCA) is actively strengthening copyright protection cooperation for K-POP with the Music Copyright Society of China (MCSC). The KMCA announced that it held working meetings with MCSC in Beijing from June 25 to 26 to enhance collaboration between the two organizations. KMCA officials including Secretary General Hwang Sun-cheol and Director of International Affairs Byun Jae-woong attended the visit, while MCSC was represented by Vice President and Secretary General Liu Ping and Deputy Secretary General Jia Song, who personally welcomed the KMCA delegation. During the two-day meetings, in-depth discussions focused on practical and specific agenda items such as △the current status of K-POP licensing operations in China △the usage of MCSC’s works in South Korea △data organization strategies to improve the accuracy of work registration between the two countries. Both organizations agreed on the importance of copyright protection and cooperation between South Korea and China amid the trend of integration in the global music market, and resolved to pursue sustained and practical collaboration in various areas, including sharing copyright information and establishing joint rights protection systems. The KMCA stated that this visit further strengthened trust and friendship between the music copyright organizations of the two countries, noting that it will serve as a foundation “to provide more opportunities for domestic music creators and industry professionals.” Notably, MCSC reached a significant agreement on future cooperation with Tencent, which manages digital music service providers in China (platforms similar to South Korea’s Melon, Genie, and Bugs). This development indicates that a solution may have been found to address the issue of unauthorized use of Korean music works in China. The KMCA pledged to continue working closely with MCSC to ensure that usage fees for Korean music works in China are collected and distributed fairly.