SEOUL — An AI‑assisted track has broken into Melon’s Top 100 chart, exposing a widening regulatory gap in Korea’s music industry as officials struggle to define authorship and royalty standards for AI‑generated works.
According to The Korea Times, Forest of the Heart released in May by YouTube creator Joseon HipHop, peaked at No. 89 on Melon’s weekly chart after gaining traction among listeners in their 40s. The creator wrote the lyrics and used generative AI service Suno to produce the melody and vocals.
The song has since dropped off the charts, but its brief success highlighted how AI‑assisted music is already reaching mainstream audiences despite the absence of clear rules.
The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) attempted in August to allow registration of AI‑assisted works when human creators contributed to lyrics, composition or arrangement. But the rules were withdrawn just 22 days later following public pushback and a request from the Culture Ministry for broader discussion.
Registrations made during that period were cancelled, leaving creators without guidance on how much human input is required for royalty collection.
Detection remains another challenge. KOMCA and industry groups are selecting a provider for an AI‑music detection system, though current tools struggle to identify tracks where AI contributed only partially.
Industry experts warn that the surge in AI‑generated songs is already distorting distribution systems and say Korea must move quickly to establish standards.
Other markets, including the US, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands, have adopted clearer rules requiring identifiable human authorship. Meanwhile, global labels are shifting toward licensing AI training data, even as legal battles continue.
KOMCA says it is working with lawmakers, creators and industry representatives to develop legal and institutional frameworks. With AI‑assisted songs already charting, the question now is whether Korea’s regulations can catch up.
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