The Korea Music Copyright Association (Chairman Choi Ga-yeol, hereinafter referred to as KOMCA) announced that Hwang Sun-cheol, the Director of Business Division 2, has been appointed as Secretary General effective January 2, 2025, through a resolution passed at last month's board meeting.
Born in 1988, Hwang Sun-cheol is the youngest Secretary General in history. He joined KOMCA's legal team and has served as the head of the broadcasting team and the Director of Business Division 2, successfully leading copyright negotiations with domestic and international users.
In 2019, he was elected as the legal committee member of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), the first in Asia, where he actively engaged in research and policy development on copyright issues related to new technologies such as AI, blockchain, and NFTs. In 2022, he was elected as the vice-chairman of the CISAC Legal Committee, achieving significant results in a more central role within the international copyright industry. Recently, he has led various projects to address major issues in the copyright industry, such as discussions to resolve unpaid copyright fees for domestic OTT platforms and public hearings on mandatory labeling of AI content, contributing to the transparency and fairness of the copyright ecosystem.
Secretary General Hwang stated, “Currently, the copyright industry faces numerous challenges, starting with the issue of unpaid copyright fees for OTT services, gaps in rights protection due to AI content, and low copyright revenue compared to the scale of the K-pop industry. I will do my best to address these issues one by one to create a fair and reasonable copyright ecosystem.”
Chairman Choi Ga-yeol remarked, “Secretary General Hwang Sun-cheol is the right person to lead the protection of the rights of music creators and enhance global competitiveness based on the experience and achievements he has accumulated over many years at the association. We will continue to do our best, along with Secretary General Hwang and the capable staff of the association, to improve the copyright system and develop the music industry.”
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
