KOMCA to Undertake Major Reforms, Granting Voting Rights to 60,000 Members

Revision of 4 Membership Tiers and Expansion of Voting RightsStrengthened security and confidentiality, established transparent proceduresThe Korea Music Copyright Association (KMCA) passed a revised articles of association. The revision aims to move away from an operation system centered on full members, allowing approximately 60,000 members to exercise their rights and participate in the association's key decision-making processes. The photo shows Chairman Lee Si-ha presiding over an extraordinary general meeting held on October 20. /Korea Music Copyright Association[THE FACT | Reporter Jeong Byung-geun] The Korea Music Copyright Association (Chairman Lee Si-ha, hereinafter referred to as KMCA) will expand the rights of its approximately 60,000 members and comprehensively reform its general meeting and election systems in accordance with the revised Copyright Act.On the 23rd, the KMCA announced, "We passed a revised articles of association at the extraordinary general meeting for 2026 held on the 20th," and explained, "This revision is in response to the amendment of the Copyright Act, which will take effect on the 29th. The core of this revision is to move away from an operation system centered on full members, allowing approximately 60,000 members to exercise their rights and participate in the association's key decision-making processes."Membership Tiers Changed from 2 to 4 Levels... Voting Rights Granted to All MembersThe most notable change is the segmentation of membership tiers. The current membership tiers, divided into full members and general members, will be revised into four tiers: full member, associate member, general member, and new member. Members can apply for promotion to a higher tier if they meet established criteria such as membership duration and copyright royalty distribution amounts, and there will be no limit on the number of promotions.Voting rights at the general meeting will also be expanded to all members. Previously, only full members could participate in deciding agenda items at the general meeting, but from now on, all members, including new members, will have voting rights. However, differences in voting power will be applied based on tier, considering factors such as the duration of association activity and contribution level: 150 votes for full members, 80 votes for associate members, 15 votes for general members, and 1 vote for new members.The KMCA stated, "Through this, we will guarantee the rights of members who have not been able to participate in decision-making and ensure that a wider range of opinions are reflected in the association's key policies and operational direction."Separation of Executive Elections and General Meetings... Introduction of a Reliable Electronic General MeetingThe method of electing executives and councilors will also change. Previously, association agenda items were voted on and executives/councilors were elected at the general meeting, in which only full members participated. However, these two processes will now be separated. At the general meeting, all members will exercise their voting rights on agenda items, and elections for executives such as the chairman, directors, and auditors, as well as councilors, will be conducted separately.The eligibility to participate in elections will be expanded from full members to associate members. However, the eligibility to run as a candidate will remain for full members. The principle is that each person exercises one vote directly, without proxy voting. The KMCA explained that this measure is intended to ensure fairness and representativeness in elections while guaranteeing more members the opportunity to participate in leadership selection.Changes will also occur in how members participate in the general meeting. Starting in 2027, an electronic general meeting and advance electronic voting system will be introduced, allowing members to watch meetings and participate in voting on agenda items online, regardless of their location. As online participation expands, efforts will be made to ensure security and reliability. The KMCA will enhance the transparency of the voting process by implementing management procedures such as identity verification and the storage of access records.In addition, members will be able to directly grant permission for the use of music entrusted to the association for non-profit purposes. Furthermore, the association has revised standards related to conflicts of interest for executives, disciplinary procedures, and disclosure methods to prevent personal interests from affecting business.The revised articles of association will be implemented after receiving approval for changes from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Following the approval, the KMCA plans to revise related regulations and gradually introduce new systems such as electronic general meetings and electronic voting.Chairman Lee Si-ha said, "With this revision of the articles of association, we will improve existing operational practices and build a more trusted association for our members by establishing fair standards and transparent procedures that everyone can understand." He added, "We will proceed without delay with the subsequent revision of regulations and the introduction of electronic general meetings, and we will responsibly address any issues that arise during the implementation process."kafka@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Desk | ssent@tf.co.kr]