AI music is already charting. Korea is slow to respond
An artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted song's entry into Melon's Top 100 chart has exposed a regulatory vacuum over AI music in Korea, just weeks after the country's largest music copyright collective withdrew its first attempt to allow the registration of such works. "Forest of the Heart," released in May by YouTube creator Joseon HipHop, peaked at No. 89 on the Top 100 chart and No. 99 on the…
An AI-assisted song entered Korea's Melon Top 100 chart, highlighting a lack of regulation surrounding AI music, following the country's largest music copyright collective's withdrawal of their initial attempt to allow such works. "Forest of the Heart," released by YouTube creator Joseon HipHop in May, peaked at No. 89 on Melon's Top 100 chart and No. 99 on the daily chart.
The track was written and produced using Suno, a generative music AI service. Despite its popularity, particularly among listeners in their 40s, the song subsequently dropped out of both charts. This run demonstrated that AI-assisted music can already reach mainstream audiences in Korea, even before rules on authorship and royalties are established.
In March, the Board of Audit and Inspection reported that 29 composers had submitted over 200 songs each to the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) in 2024, with roughly 5,200 of those songs showing signs of generative involvement.
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