“That song was a bait”… Yoo Jaehwan, the truth about manipulating music sources

[Dispatch=Kim So-jeong·Jeong Tae-yoon Reporters] ▶ Card flipping: Acquiring another debt to pay off the existing credit card debt. It’s like dealing with debt by creating more debt. A shortcut for credit malpractice.

▶ Music flipping: Throwing music to another singer to earn composition fees. Blocking one song with another song. Yoo Jae-hwan’s revenue model.

The damage of card flipping doesn’t need explanation. However, the damage of music flipping needs explanation. This method is a strange model that was never seen in the music industry. Yoo Jae-hwan is unique in this aspect.

‘Dispatch’ covered Yoo Jae-hwan’s music flipping. As of now, at least 2 victims have been confirmed. A person named A who came to Korea with dreams of becoming a singer, and world-renowned popera singer, Im Hyeong-joo, fell victim to music flipping.

◆ “Sharing songs”

In March 2022, Yoo Jae-hwan posted a notice on Instagram.

“I’ll share songs without charging any fees. I’ve decided to be more active in music activities instead of just entertainment.”

Yoo Jae-hwan added a condition. There were no ‘song fees,’ but there was ‘production fees.’ He said, “Mixing and session costs are additional for each song, which amounts to 1.3 million won per song.”

On March 5th, A sent a DM to Yoo Jae-hwan. “I want to pursue a singer’s dream in Korea. Can I apply now?”

Yoo Jae-hwan replied immediately. “Session fee 20, recording 20, mixing 80, mastering 10, total 130 thousand won is required as a deposit.”

“I’m sincerely giving away songs for free. 100% of the music revenue belongs to you. Once you make the deposit, I’ll provide a guide within 4 days and the final recording within 10 days. Sorry, but there’s no negotiation.” (Yoo Jae-hwan)

A transferred 1.3 million won to Yoo Jae-hwan’s personal account and also sent three self-written lyrics.

◆ The Beginning of Emotional Torture

Next is a conversation between A and Yoo Jae-hwan on March 7, 22.

A: Jae-hwan. Have you had time to read the lyrics?

Yoo Jae-hwan: I really read them thinking it’s not a lie, and it feels like you should debut. Especially, the first two lyrics are impressively literary.

A: Are you exaggerating too much? I was worried about what lyrics to send. It was written by someone who is really just a nobody.

Yoo Jae-hwan: It’s really good. I’ll express it sentimentally.

A: Thank you. I’m so curious. It feels like a moment when dreams come true. Thank you for this opportunity.

However, this was just the beginning of emotional torture.

For example, on March 18, Yoo Jae-hwan asked again, “Do you have any lyrics written?” Has the ‘literary pleasure’ he praised disappeared within 10 days?

◆ Additional Request Event, 2+1

On March 22, A received the first song. The file name was ‘Red Thread AR68.mp3.’ He gave an emotional feedback on it.

“It matches this style. If I have to add a little opinion, one of the instrumental refrains could be more peaky… I wonder how Jae-hwan is. But the more I listen, the more I like it. Thank you for such a wonderful song.”(A)

A thought his work with Yoo Jae-hwan was progressing smoothly. In April, he inquired about additional work because he wanted one more song.

Yoo Jae-hwan readily accepted. He was happy saying, “Thank you so much. I’m grateful.” He even announced a ‘2+1’ event, offering to give one extra song as a gift.

“I really want to meet you in person instead of strictly following the non-face-to-face principle. In response, I will give 2+1 songs, and I will gift you one of them. I will also create an intro and outro so you can release it like a mini-album.”(Yoo Jae-hwan)

A transferred 1.3 million won twice, a total of 2.6 million won, to Yoo Jae-hwan’s account.

◆ Let’s Make a Regular Album, Cheaply!

Yoo Jae-hwan wanted an offline meeting. So the two met for the first time in Pangyo on May 11.

Yoo Jae-hwan proposed making two regular albums on the spot. He tempted, saying, “Let’s make two regular albums. I’ll make sure to include about 9 to 11 songs in each album.”

The amount Yoo Jae-hwan demanded was 10 million won. He persuaded, “Isn’t it incredibly cheap if it’s only 5 million won per album? It’s about 50,000 won per song.”

Finally, A sent 10 million won to Yoo Jae-hwan. However, he suggested writing a contract. A work and rights agreement for the 12.6 million won paid so far.

Below is the content of the contract written by both parties.

3-a. Yoo Jae-hwan received 12.6 million won. He promises to release the regular albums by March 2023.

3-b. Yoo Jae-hwan waives the music copyright. He promises that 100% of the revenue belongs to A.

◆ Before and After Yoo Jae-hwan’s Deposits

Yoo Jae-hwan was indifferent in June. He was clear about before and after the deposits. He made excuses like “I’m busy preparing to move,” “My mother is undergoing a tumor treatment,” etc.

The album production made no progress. Although A sent 7 lyrics, Yoo Jae-hwan didn’t listen to a single song. Instead, he made excuses like “My grandpa passed away,” “I have developed panic disorder,” and the like.

A raised complaints. He said, “It seems hard to regain trust” and requested a refund. Yoo Jae-hwan reassured, saying, “If you wait a little, I’ll let you collaborate with a named singer.”

However, by mid-November, A hadn’t received a single song. The deadline for the first regular album (due in September 2022) had already passed. There were enough reasons for the breach of contract.

◆ Ultimately, Not a Single Song Was Completed

Of course, instead of ‘protest,’ A first inquired about Yoo Jae-hwan’s well-being.

A: Jae-hwan. How are you doing? I just wanted to hear the song environment to understand.

Yoo Jae-hwan: I’ve suffered severe panic disorder so I couldn’t live my daily life normally. Just give me a day or two to stabilize and I’ll send the (song).

A: I hope you stabilize well and recover quickly. (Nov. 1-2)

A: Jae-hwan. I hope you get much better and please don’t forget to send me the songs.

Yoo Jae-hwan: Sorry for the late reply. I was too overwhelmed with panic disorder and couldn’t even look at my phone.

A: I wish you a speedy recovery. (Nov. 6-7)

Finally, on November 24, A received a total of 4 songs. He received 4 more on the 29th. After a wait of 5 months, the songs were delivered. A then picked 2 songs from the list.

So, what about the first song ‘Red Thread’ that A selected initially? Now, it’s time to hear the story of popera singer Im Hyeong-joo.

◆ “Do You Know Music Flipping?”

On March 22, 2022, Yoo Jae-hwan informed A that they would proceed with ‘Red Thread.’ However, things ended in uncertainties. A didn’t hear anything about the next steps.

‘Where did ‘Red Thread’ disappear to?

On November 16, 2022, singer Im Hyeong-joo released a new song titled ‘Red Thread.’ Composed, written, and arranged by UL (Yoo Jae-hwan + John Legend). His fiancée, Jung In-kyung also contributed to composition and arrangement.

Im Hyeong-joo and Yoo Jae-hwan connected on a program called ‘Wicked’ in February 2016. Im Hyeong-joo was a judge while Yoo Jae-hwan appeared as a songwriter. (‘Wicked’ is a creative song-making entertainment show.)

In March 2022, Im Hyeong-joo hosted a radio show on Peace Broadcasting. He invited Yoo Jae-hwan as a guest. At that time, Yoo Jae-hwan privately expressed that he suffered from “panic disorder, insomnia, etc.”

Im Hyeong-joo told ‘Dispatch’, “My heart didn’t feel good after hearing about Yoo Jae-hwan’s situation. So I suggested working on music,” and said, “After that, I brought ‘Red Thread’ and ‘One Flower’.”

◆ Yoo Jae-hwan, a Creative Music Revenue Model

“I remember around June 2022. He played me a song, saying, ‘There’s a song I made thinking of you.’ I teasingly asked, ‘Is this a song that someone else rejected?’ He said he made it for me.” (Im Hyeong-joo)

In November 16, 2022, Im Hyeong-joo released his 8th regular album ‘Lost in Memory.’ The composed songs ‘Red Thread’ and ‘One Flower’ by Yoo Jae-hwan were listed as titles. The remaining background tracks were also included.

Im Hyeong-joo paid Yoo Jae-hwan 8.7 million won. He said, “Yoo Jae-hwan sent me a quote for 5 songs, demanding 11 million won,” and added, “However, there were only 2 completed songs. I couldn’t pay for all of them.”

Im Hyeong-joo even lent money to Yoo Jae-hwan. He received a text saying, “Hyung, don’t give me back the money you didn’t give me back then. Loan me 5 million won.” So, he simply transferred 2 million won, saying, “I don’t deal with money transactions with people.”

“Yoo Jae-hwan did not provide the MR and multi-files of the songs recorded for the 8th album right away. I received them 6 months after the album was released. (Im Hyeong-joo)

◆ ‘Red Thread’ and ‘One Flower’

‘Dispatch’ listened to ‘Red Thread’ and ‘One Flower’ that A received from Yoo Jae-hwan. When comparing them to the versions sung by Im Hyeong-joo, the songs were identical. Even a layman could tell they were the same compositions.

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