SEOUL, Sept. 22 -- An AI-assisted track has broken into Melon's Top 100 chart, exposing a widening regulatory gap in Korea's music industry as officials struggle to define authorship and royalty standards for AI-generated works.

According to The Korea Times, Forest of the Heart released in May by YouTube creator Joseon HipHop, peaked at No. 89 on Melon's weekly chart after gaining traction among listeners in their 40s. The creator wrote the lyrics and used generative AI service Suno to produce the melody and vocals.

The song has since dropped off the charts, but its brief success highlighted how AI-assisted music is already reaching mainstream audiences despite the absence of clear rules.

The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) a...