B:Dawn's vocalists join performers' federation amid push to protect virtual artists' rights

The Federation of Korean Music Performers (FKMP) said Thursday that the vocal performers behind virtual idol boy band B:Dawn have recently joined the organization, as it steps up efforts to protect the rights of the real performers behind virtual idols' voices.

The voices behind virtual idols Saja Boys and HUNTR/X from the hit animation "KPop Demon Hunters" (2025), as well as Isegye Idol and Plave, are also currently active as members of the federation, according to the organization.

"Although virtual idols appear as digital characters, the music itself is performed by real singers and musicians," the federation said in a press release. "While the content is built around character intellectual property [IP], the performances are carried out by human performers, making them entitled to the same legal protections and rights afforded to music performers."

The federation added that the rapid expansion of character IP-driven content has made it increasingly important to protect the rights of the creators and performers behind the music. 

"As virtual content continues to grow, the role of the performers behind the music is becoming increasingly important than that of the characters themselves," Kim Seung-min, executive director of the FKMP, said. "Regardless of how content evolves, we believe it’s the federation’s fundamental principle to equally protect the rights of performers.

"The federation is continuously strengthening its rights protection framework to ensure that music performers across a wide range of fields receive fair rights and compensation in the era of AI and virtual content.”

Founded in 1988, the FKMP is the only copyright trust management organization for music performers in Korea. It collects and distributes royalties for performers across popular music, traditional Korean music and classical music.

BY KIM JI-YE [[email protected]]