K-pop agencies agree to comply with potential choreography copyright guidelines

Home > Entertainment > K-pop

K-pop agencies agree to comply with potential choreography copyright guidelines

Published: 08 Oct. 2024, 16:19

K-pop agency heads attend an audit at the National Assembly audit in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Monday. From left: Yang Min-suk, CEO of YG Entertainment; Jang Cheol-hyuk, CEO of SM Entertainment; Jimmy Jeong, CEO of JYP Entertainment; and Joon Choi, CEO of Weverse. [YONHAP]

Three of Korea's major K-pop agencies — SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment — said they would comply to potential guidelines to protect choreographers' copyrights during a National Assembly audit in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Monday.

Democratic Party Rep. Min Hyung-bae raised the issue of choreography copyright issues on Monday as the current contract prevents choreographers from registering copyrights and getting credit for performances of their works.

SM Entertainment CEO Jang Cheol-hyuk, YG Entertainment CEO Yang Min-suk and JYP Entertainment CEO Jimmy Jeong attended the audit and all agreed to adhere to new measures if they were enacted.

“I agree that choreography is a vital part of K-pop content,” said Jang, adding that if the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism introduces new services or institutional changes, SM would "thoroughly review and follow them."

Yang also acknowledged the importance of protecting creators' rights, though he said that “copyright issues are complex.”

When Rep. Min asked Yang how much YG earned when girl group Blackpink's choreography video garnered over 1.7 billion views on YouTube, Yang said he didn't know the exact amount, but said that "it should be around several millions of won."

Jeong said that there are various interest groups when it comes to a choreography, but added that if a guideline was set in place, JYP will "actively review the guidelines and try to improve the [current situation]."

The Culture Ministry is currently preparing to introduce a standard contract for choreographers, ensuring they are compensated similarly to musicians and receiving royalties whenever their work is used, according to Culture Minister Yu In-chon during the audit Monday.

"We were interested in this issue from the beginning of the year, but it took time to gather opinions from different interest groups," Yu said. "We have conducted thorough research, and the standard contract will be announced soon."

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]