What Yoo Hee-yeol’s fall from ‘musical genius’ status after plagiarism scandal means for K-pop

Yoo Hee-yeol stepped down from his show ‘Sketchbook’ that showcased South Korean talent after plagiarism accusations arose about the host’s songs

K-pop has an image of being ‘OK’ with plagiarism, as numerous South Korean artists have been accused of passing off others’ music as their own

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South Korea’s most championed music show, Sketchbook was cancelled after its star host Yoo Hee-yeol was disgraced by plagiarism claims. Photo: Instagram

Published: 9:00am, 16 Aug 2022Updated: 9:23am, 16 Aug 2022

Yoo Hee-yeol has been branded as a “musical genius” and described as one of the most respected South Korean musicians and composers of this generation.

He started the band Toy in 1994, and would soon have chart-toppers with love songs Remember I was Next to You and Good Person. He is also known for producing iconic hits for legends like Yoon Jong-shin, Sung Si-kyung and Lee Seung-hwan.

But he will undoubtedly be known to younger people as the host of his self-titled music talk show, Yoo Hee-yeol’s Sketchbook, which aired for 13 years.

While most South Korean music programmes on major TV channels tend to invite only the most popular groups, Yoo’s show introduced the public to independent artists and provided a stage for up-and-comers.

While numerous rappers, bands and singers have Yoo’s programme to thank for their chance at the limelight, many artists – even global K-pop stars – have noted that it was their dream to appear on the show.

That was until Yoo’s prominence and fame suddenly struck the wrong note.