Indie Band Vocalist Forms Musician’s Union

Labor unions are available in many countries worldwide to represent the interests of musicians (e.g. American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, Musicians Union in the UK etc). Unfortunately, this isn’t the case everywhere, but there are musicians who are driven to form a union in their area.

Jeong Moon-shik, a vocalist for several indie bands, is trying to form a trade union for musicians. He is petitioning the government to grant legal powers to this entity. He has been trying to establish the Korea Musicians’ Union since September 2013. It would be a representative body for independent musicians who perform in the Hongdae area in Seoul Korea.

Jeong says “Indie artists have never been brought up during discussions when talking about government policies. So, we want the union to become a part of those discussions and to let them know the problems we are facing now.”

Members of the Korea Musicians’ Union would pay at least 5,000 won per month ($4.89/month). In return, the musicians would receive a wide range of benefits including the use of practice rooms at discounted prices, loans of music recordings, legal advice and other career-related help from fellow artists.

Jeong says “Ultimately, I think this union should cover people who play all kinds of music genres. I also hope the union will promote a sense of community among musicians, in the same way that music saves us and gives us joy in life.”