The Korean Music Copyright Association (Chairman Chuga Yeol, hereinafter referred to as KOMCA) announced the list of 30 individuals who have been promoted to regular membership for 2025 on its official website on the 24th.
KOMCA, which manages the copyright of domestic music creators such as lyricists, composers, and arrangers, selects regular members each year in January based on the distribution of copyright fees according to the duration of membership among associate members, covering various music genres including popular music, traditional music, children's songs, and religious music.
The list of regular members announced by KOMCA this year includes famous creators representing K-pop, hip-hop, and the indie scene, such as SEVENTEEN's S.Coups (Choi Seung-cheol), Yoonha (Go Yoon-ha), Lee Mujin, Epik High's Two Cut (Kim Jung-sik), The Quiett (Shin Dong-kap), GroovyRoom's Hwimin, and Maybe (Kim Eun-ji).
S.Coups (Choi Seung-cheol), the leader of SEVENTEEN, participated in the writing and composing of SEVENTEEN's representative songs such as 'Handongong', 'God of Music', 'I Don't Want to Cry', and 'Very NICE', making him the third member of SEVENTEEN to be listed as a regular member of KOMCA, following Woozi, who was selected in 2019, and Vernon, who was promoted in 2024.
Singer-songwriter Lee Mujin, who gained public attention by finishing third in the JTBC audition program 'Singer Again', has also been selected for this regular membership promotion. He has received great acclaim from the public and critics for his unique sensibility and musicality through his self-composed songs 'Traffic Light', 'Crosswalk', and 'Episode'. Recently, he has solidified his unique position through various musical attempts and communication with fans on his YouTube channel, Limousine Service.
Yoonha (Go Yoon-ha), who recorded a reverse hit with her self-composed song 'Event Horizon' released in 2022, has also made the regular member list, further establishing her position as a singer-songwriter. Yoonha has been recognized for her abilities as a creator as well as her vocal talent by writing and composing numerous hit songs, including 'Event Horizon', 'Waiting', and 'Star Dust'.
Meanwhile, the list of regular members this time also includes teams where all group members have gained regular member status. The representative hip-hop group Epik High and the producing duo GroovyRoom have both had all their members listed as regular members of KOMCA following the promotion of Two Cut (Kim Jung-sik) and Hwimin.
Two Cut (Kim Jung-sik) has participated in all album projects of the team since their debut album 'Map of the Human Soul' released in 2003, playing a crucial role in completing Epik High's unique sound through composition and arrangement. With Two Cut's regular membership, all members of Epik High (Mithra, Tablo, Two Cut) are now regular members, adding new significance to the team's musical achievements.
GroovyRoom, which has gained attention by crossing over between the hip-hop and K-pop scenes with its sophisticated sound and trendy style, has further enhanced the team's reputation as Hwimin joins the regular member list following the promotion of the same team's member Kyu-jung last year.
In addition to these individuals, the regular member promotion list announced by KOMCA includes Park Yong-jun, a member of The Classic, who has built a long career in the popular music industry, and Park Yong-jin, who gained public recognition by singing the theme song 'I Want to Shout That I Like You' from the video version of Slam Dunk. They have been recognized for their musical achievements accumulated over more than 30 years of creative activity. Additionally, trot singer Park Sang-cheol, known for 'Unconditionally', and talented new composers leading the next generation of the K-pop music industry, including Kim Hee-soo, Noh Joo-hwan, Kim Joon-sung, Jung Seok-hwan, Kim Yoon-ho, Hwang Yoo-bin, and Jeon Byeong-seon, have also made the list, raising expectations for their future activities.
In the non-mainstream music field, children's song writer Choi Seung-kyu, religious writer Jeong Seong-sil, and traditional music writer Hwang Jin-ah have been promoted to regular members, providing new motivation for creators in those fields.
Furthermore, KOMCA stated that the promotion list also includes writers like Maybe (Kim Eun-ji) and The Quiett (Shin Dong-kap), who have previously served as regular members but have been re-promoted according to the association's regulations.
The regular member promotion list announced by KOMCA at the beginning of each year has established itself as an indicator to confirm the trends and flows of the music industry. A KOMCA official stated, "We hope that the newly promoted members will continue to enhance the status of K-pop through various activities and contribute to the sustainable development of the domestic music industry."
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
