A new South Korean law has been passed that makes it harder to purchase albums and digital singles in bulk, a common tactic used in order to artificially boost the chart rankings of artists, reports Soompi.
But some fans have expressed concern that this may also hinder the non-malicious practice of group purchases, especially since the section of the law has stated that "fan-mobilized group activities through [music] agencies" will be facing punishment.
International fans have been known to consolidate their orders as a group, with one fan placing the order for many albums or digital singles, in order to reduce shipping costs. The items are then distributed to the members of the group. There is now a question on how the government will determine whether a group purchase is lawful or not.
The South Korean government is still ironing out the implementation guidelines. It has been consulting with the music industry to avoid choking the industry when enforcing the well-meaning law.
"The government will be working with representatives from the music industry to arrange guidelines for the application of the law up until it goes into effect. We will make every effort to ensure that the law is enforced according to the process of discussion and to avoid excessive regulation," a representative from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism reportedly said.
---
Mickey is a writer and digital content creator based in Manila. He is a co-founder of ZAVI App and editor of the small business blog IndieMickey. He has also been bitten by the K-Pop fashion bug - follow him on Instagram @mickjami.
