Conflicts of interest and budget misuse within KOMCA prompt members to launch an emergency ethics committee.
Within the current leadership of the Korean Music Copyright Association (KOMCA), frequent cases of conflicts of interest and misuse of funds have been reported. The unilateral shutdown of the ethics committee—originally established as a counterbalancing authority under the president—has allowed these abuses to continue unchecked. Concerned about the seriousness of the situation, a group of KOMCA members has taken the initiative to form an emergency ethics committee, provisionally named “KOMCA Watch.”
This emergency committee emerged from a shared belief among members that “silence is no longer an option” in the face of repeated ethical violations and a persistent avoidance of responsibility within the association.
Ethics Committee Shut Down: A “Death Sentence” Declared by the President
KOMCA President Choo Ga Yeol is accused of unilaterally dissolving the internal ethics committee without consulting the board of directors. This move directly violates the association’s code of ethics and is seen as a deliberate attempt to eliminate a key self-regulatory mechanism.
Even when the ethics committee was still functioning, its members faced structural challenges in bringing individual concerns before the board. According to those behind the creation of KOMCA Watch, it is now essential to establish an external ethics committee led by the members themselves.
External Experts Join the Committee: “Monitoring the Association with Its Members”
Composer Yoon Il Sang, appointed as chair of the emergency ethics committee, has enlisted well-respected professionals to lend credibility and expertise to the effort:
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Attorney Kim Tae Hwan, known for representing the investigation into Produce 101,
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Kwak Young Joon, a member of the Copyright Commission under the Ministry of Culture,
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and novelist Han Kyung Hye.
These individuals are recognized in the fields of the music industry, copyright policy, legislative oversight, and law. They have been selected to help restore ethics and transparency within KOMCA, working directly with its members.
“We Will No Longer Be Bystanders”: Monitoring the Association as a Member’s Right
The KOMCA emergency ethics committee plans to monitor, report on, and demand reforms concerning:
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improper use of budget funds,
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conflicts of interest among leadership,
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and the dismantling of internal oversight systems.
These actions will be carried out on behalf of the members. The committee also plans to introduce an ethical whistleblowing system, financial transparency measures, regular reporting, and public forums for members.
Lastly, the committee will serve as a confidential reporting platform for KOMCA employees who may have witnessed wrongdoing but are afraid to come forward due to fear of retaliation.
Email for confidential reports:ethics.komca@gmail.com
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: KOMCA Watch
