Exclusive: Police clear G-Dragon of copyright violation over 2009 concert track

Police have cleared singer G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, and YG Entertainment Executive Producer Yang Hyun-suk of copyright violation charges after a more than year-long investigation, it has been confirmed.

The Mapo Police Station in Seoul closed the case without referral to prosecutors on April 7, finding no grounds to charge G-Dragon, Yang and the other named respondents over allegations of unauthorized music reproduction.

The dispute began in November 2024, when a composer identified only as A filed a complaint with police alleging that G-Dragon and others had reproduced and used his work without permission.

The track in question is "G-DRAGON," a song A said he composed and arranged. It appeared on the 2001 hip-hop compilation album "2001 Daehanminguk Hip-Hop Flex," on which a then-13-year-old G-Dragon participated as the youngest member.

A claimed the song was used without his consent at G-Dragon's 2009 solo concert and was later included — under the different title "My Age Is Thirteen" — on the live album "Shine a Light," released the following year. He also alleged that his name as composer and arranger was omitted when the title was changed.

The album contains a medley track titled "My Age Is Thirteen + Storm + Motjaengi Sinsa + G-Dragon." The medley includes two songs that originally shared the title "G-DRAGON": A's composition was listed as "My Age Is Thirteen," while a separate track released in 2001 by YG producer Perry — also originally titled "G-DRAGON" — was listed as "G-Dragon."

YG Entertainment said the title change was not intended to reproduce the music without authorization. The company said the two songs sharing the same title were performed together at G-Dragon's 2009 solo concert, and A's "G-DRAGON" was retitled "My Age Is Thirteen" — taken from the opening lyric — simply to distinguish it from the other track.

After receiving the complaint, police questioned some of those involved in the case and conducted two search-and-seizure operations at YG Entertainment's headquarters in Mapo-gu, Seoul, last year.

As the investigation dragged on, A raised concerns about how police were handling the case. In November last year, he filed a civil petition through the government's public complaint portal, alleging that the probe was being delayed out of deference to a major entertainment agency and a high-profile artist.

Police ultimately determined that it was difficult to establish that G-Dragon, Yang and the other respondents had acted with intent to infringe on the copyright.