The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) has announced its list of creators promoted to full membership for 2026.
On January 29 (KST), KOMCA revealed a total of 30 new full members via its official website. The association selects candidates from associate members based on length of membership and accumulated copyright royalties.
This year's list features creators recognized for both popularity and artistic merit. Among those promoted are Young K, YUQI, Sunwoo Jung-a, Bae Chul-soo, and Stella Jang.
Young K, of DAY6, has written and composed many of the band's signature tracks, including You Were Beautiful, Time of Our Life, and Welcome to the Show. He becomes the first member of DAY6 to be promoted to full membership.
YUQI, from i-dle, has consistently demonstrated her songwriting and composing abilities through tracks such as Last Forever, Neverland, and All Night. Following Jeon Soyeon, who was promoted in 2024, YUQI is the second member of the group to attain full-member status.
Veteran musician Bae Chul-soo, a symbolic figure in Korean popular music history, was also promoted. As a key member of Songolmae, he wrote and composed classics such as Rainwater and Gather Around, contributing significantly to the mainstreaming of Korean rock music. His long-standing influence as both an artist and the host of the radio program Bae Chul-soo's Music Camp was cited as part of his enduring legacy.
The list also includes younger creators shaping current trends, such as GIGI (Kim Hyun-ji), who penned major hits for NewJeans including Hype Boy, OMG, and Super Shy.
Additional promotees include Lee Yoo-jin (KAKO), Kim Min-soo (GHSTLOOP), Kim Hyung-jun (JUNNY), and Choi Rae-sung (MILLENNIUM), all of whom have contributed to songs by SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, and NCT DREAM, signaling a generational shift in the industry.
Mid-career writers with over a decade of continuous creative activity—Son Young-jin (ASTROZ), Big Sancho (Kim Tae-ho), and Kang Hwa-sung—were also promoted. In non-mainstream genres, children's song writer Oh Nam-hoon, religious music composer Lee Hyuk-jin, and classical composer Kim Eun-soo joined the ranks as full members.
Meanwhile, Jang Beom-june, Kwon Jung-yeol, and Sunwoo Jung-a were reinstated as full members in accordance with KOMCA regulations.
A KOMCA representative stated that the promotions represent "the tangible results of sustained creative activity and achievement," adding that the association looks forward to the newly promoted members continuing to contribute to the growth of Korea's music industry.
