The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that it will hold the '4th Global Copyright High-Level Meeting' in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Korea Copyright Commission from the 19th to the 21st at the Content Korea Lab (CKL) corporations support center in Jung-gu, Seoul.
At this meeting, high-level officials from the copyright departments of 13 major countries, including China, India, and Saudi Arabia, will participate to introduce Korea's copyright system to the world and examine copyright policy trends in various countries.
With the global success of K-content, Korea's copyright trade balance recorded a surplus of approximately $2.2 billion (about 2.8 trillion won) in 2023, establishing itself as an important driver of economic growth. However, the number of K-content distributed on illegal overseas sites that year exceeded 300 million, making strong international cooperation regarding copyright essential. Furthermore, the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) necessitates urgent international discussions to foster a sound ecosystem.
Since 2006, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been supporting international cooperation in various fields, including copyright system development, intellectual property protection, and dispute resolution, based on the grants to the World Intellectual Property Organization.
As part of this trust fund initiative, the second Global Copyright High-Level Meeting, held in Seoul in 2023, will discuss 'methods to promote creative industries through copyright systems amid technological advances, including AI.' In particular, the Korean representatives will introduce Korea's copyright system and exemplary cases from the K-content industry to representatives from 13 major countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Representatives from participating countries will also present national reports summarizing each country's main policies on copyright and the content industry and will engage in discussions to expand international cooperation on content and copyright.
Additionally, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will invite a total of 19 music artists and copyright experts from nine countries, including Laos, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia, from the 24th to the 26th to propose ways to promote the music industry using K-pop and copyright systems. Representatives from domestic private corporations such as RBW and Musicow, as well as personnel from international associations like the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), will also share their insights.
Jeong Hyang-mi, director of the copyright bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, noted, 'The Ministry has been steadily gathering domestic opinions regarding copyright systems suitable for the AI era by operating an AI copyright system improvement consultative body (working group) since 2023,' adding, 'Through this "Global High-Level Meeting," we hope to grasp global trends in copyright laws and systems from various countries and strengthen cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization.'