South Korean music rights group KOMCA has introduced new regulations for AI-assisted compositions. Effective August 3,the policy separates machine assistance from human artistry.
The failure of the 2025 blanket prohibition
The new policy marks a significant pivot from a previous 2025 regulation that prohibited the registration of any music containing even minimal AI involvement. according to the report, that strict approach proved impossible for modern creators to follow in a professional setting.
The necessity for this change was highlighted by a 2026 audit conducted by the Board of Audit and Inspection. This audit examined 8,540 songs from 29 prominent composers and found that approximately 60.9 per cent—or roughly 5,200 tracks—had utilized AI assistance during production. This high percentage of AI integration suggests that a total ban was no longer compatible with the realities of contemporary music production workflows.
KOMCA’s multi-layered verification and the 3x penalty
To ensure human creators remain the primary beneficiaries of royalties, KOMCA has introduced a rigorous registration process. Creators must now submit signed and dated statements that specify which AI programs were used, their exact functions, and the specific nature of the human input provided.
As the report notes,the organization has the power to conduct technical analyses and internal reviews if compliance is questioned by a third party or through internal audits. If a work is determined to be purely AI-generated or lacks sufficient human contribution, KOMCA can withhold royalties, reverse previously paid distributions, or even terminate a creator's trust agreement. To deter bad actors, the framework includes a punitive clause allowing the recovery of up to three times the incorrectly collected royalties in instances of gross negligence or intentional fraud.
Lee Si-ha’s vision for a hybrid creative economy
KOMCA Chief Executive Lee Si-ha has positioned these reforms as a way to manage a shifting creative landscape within a formal institutional context. the aim is not to stifle the use of new technology,but to ensure that the financial rewards of music production are reserved for those who provide the core artistic vision.
This approach seeks to balance the rapid evolution of the K-pop sector with the need for robust safeguards. By codifying acceptable AI use, South Korea is attempting to create a stable environment where technological innovation and traditional artistic rights can coexist.
Who will define the threshold of "substantial" human input?
While the framework provides a structure, several critical questions remain regarding the practical application of these rules. The policy requires a "substantial and leading role" from humans to qualify for copyright, yet the source does not specify the exact technical metric or percentage of human effort required to meet this standard.
Furthermore, it remains unclear how KOMCA will technically distinguish between an AI tool that "suggests" a melody and one that "composes" it. Without a precise definition of where assistance ends and generation begins, creators may still face uncertainty. The organization has indicated it will monitor new developments and gather feedback from the K-pop sector, but the immediate clarity for individual songwriters remains unverified.
Comments 0