The Music Industry Association of Korea (MIAK; Korean: 한국음악산업협회) was a South Korean music organisation that protected the rights of music labels and distributors. Originally founded in 1964 as the Korea Record Producers Association, its membership eventually grew to consist of over 140 companies. The MIAK carried out various activities to support the growth of the South Korean music industry and is also known for operating a monthly record sales chart. The organisation has been defunct since 2008.

History

The South Korean music industry experienced accelerated growth following the country's liberation from Japanese rule in 1945,[1] as South Korean companies began to release records independently for the first time. As a result, the Korea Record Producers Association was established on April 3, 1964, the first organisation in South Korea to be formed by a consortium of record labels and distributors.[2] It was renamed the Korea Record Association in 1967 and received authorisation from the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1972. A video division was created in 1982. The organisation underwent several further name changes; it became the Korea Video and Record Association in 1995, then the Record Industry Association of Korea (RIAK) in 2000 after separating from the video division.[3][4] In May 2004, it changed its name again to the Music Industry Association of Korea in order to reflect changing patterns in music consumption, as consumers turned increasingly to digital downloads over physical media.[5][6] The organisation eventually closed its offices in 2008 and stopped carrying out its functions.[7]

Functions

The purpose of the MIAK was to protect the interests of record labels and distributors, as well as to support the development of the South Korean music industry.[4] It worked on projects to modernise industry facilities, improve record distribution structure, promote international exchange with foreign music industries, and take measures against piracy. It also co-hosted the Golden Disc Awards.[5]

Record chart

Between 1998 and 2008, the MIAK operated a music chart, publishing monthly sales figures for records released in South Korea.[5][8] The data was not independently verified, but based on sales figures reported by member companies,[9] which consisted of over 140 agencies and distributors.[10] The chart faced questions over its credibility,[11][12] with allegations that some record companies colluded with distributors to inflate numbers by mass-buying albums.[9][13] It was also limited by the voluntary reporting system; the sales ranking for the first half of 2006 excluded certain albums because the distributor failed to submit the data.[11] However, South Korea lacked an official music chart at the time, and the MIAK chart was considered more reliable than the rival Hanteo Chart, which estimated sales based on data taken from a small percentage of retailers.[10] It stopped publishing sales rankings in September 2008.[5][10]

References

  1. ↑ Jung, Ji-yeon (November 22, 2000). 전자정보통신 산업을 움직이는 사람들 39회-음반업계 [People who shape the electronics and information and communication industry, episode 39 – the music industry]. ET News (in Korean). Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  2. ↑ "History of the Industry". Music Industry Association of Korea (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 7, 2007. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  3. ↑ "History". Music Industry Association of Korea (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 19, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  4. 1 2 "History & Purpose of Institution". Music Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on May 2, 2008. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 한국음악산업협회 [Music Industry Association of Korea]. Naver Dictionary of Organisations and Institutions (in Korean). Retrieved June 5, 2026 – via Naver Dictionary.
  6. ↑ Jung, Jin-young (June 8, 2004). 음반산업협회 정관 변경 음원제작자협과 마찰 소지 [Potential for conflict with the Music Producers Association over changes to the Record Industry Association's articles of association]. ET News (in Korean). Retrieved May 6, 2026 – via Naver.
  7. ↑ Hong, Dong-hee (September 9, 2009). 10년전 음반판매량 기록 어디서 찾지? [Where can I find album sales records from 10 years ago?]. Herald Economy (in Korean). Retrieved May 31, 2026 – via Naver.
  8. ↑ [뉴스파일] 음반 판매량 매달 공개 .. 한국영상음반협회 [The Korea Video and Record Association will release record sales every month]. The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). August 24, 1998. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  9. 1 2 Im, Yi-rang (October 29, 2008). '당신이 알고있는 가수는 진짜 1위?'...[음악차트의 진실 ①] ['Which singer is the real number one?'... [The truth about music charts ①]]. My Daily (in Korean). Retrieved May 31, 2026 – via Naver.
  10. 1 2 3 Gil, Hye-seong (July 30, 2009). 소속사 10만장 vs 차트 6만장, 공인차트 절실하다 [100,000 agency copies vs. 60,000 chart copies, desperate need for official charts]. Star News (in Korean). Retrieved May 31, 2026 – via Naver.
  11. 1 2 Lee, Eun-jeong (July 27, 2006). 음악산업협회, 허술한 음반 판매량 집계로 빈축 [Music Industry Association draws criticism for flawed album sales statistics]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved May 6, 2026 – via Naver.
  12. ↑ Lee, Hyung-seok (November 17, 2006). 대중문화 `믿을만한 통계`가 없다 [There are no 'reliable statistics' on popular culture]. Herald Economy (in Korean). Retrieved June 6, 2026 – via Naver.
  13. ↑ Lee, Young-mi (May 2, 2002). [문화 읽기] 음반유통업 지원 진퇴양난 [[Reading the culture] The dilemma over supporting the record distribution industry]. Kukmin Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved May 31, 2026 – via Naver.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_Industry_Association_of_Korea