Korea moves to establish ground rules for AI-created music

As generative artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes how music is written and produced, Korea is stepping up efforts to set clear ground rules for the digital era. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday that it will co-host a major forum Tuesday to address emerging copyright and licensing challenges surrounding AI-assisted music. The discussion, set to take place at the National Assembly, is organized with the office of Rep. Kim Jae-won and the K-Music Rights Organizations Coexistence Committee — a coalition of six industry groups, including the Korea Music Copyright Association and the Korea Popmusic Industry Association, that represent songwriters, labels, performers and producers. Organizers billed it as the first public forum bringing together creators, industry, legal experts and policymakers to discuss how copyright-trust organizations — nonprofit bodies that collect and distribute royalties on behalf of rights holders — should register, collect fees for and distribute payments involving AI-generated or AI-assisted music. Under the theme "The Current State of