Lee Hyun-do of Deux Shares 'Royalties' with Late Kim Sung-jae Revived by AI... "Royalties Sent to Heaven"

"Friend, this is a song we made together again."

Lee Hyun-do of the legendary hip-hop duo Deux has proven his unchanging friendship by sharing a rightful portion of 'neighboring rights' with the late Kim Sung-jae, whose voice was revived using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. This is seen as leaving an ethical precedent that goes beyond technical achievements at a time when AI technology has become a hot topic in the entertainment industry.

On the 18th (local time), the Korea Music Performance Rights Association (hereinafter referred to as Music Industry Association) officially announced that "Lee Hyun-do has expressed his intention to distribute part of the neighboring rights of Deux's new song 'Rise' to the late Kim Sung-jae's share," and has established a distribution structure accordingly.

◆ "Not just borrowed the voice"... 'True' respect in the AI era

Released last month, 'Rise' is a new song announced under the name Deux after 28 years. Lee Hyun-do extracted Kim Sung-jae's voice from audio data during his lifetime, who passed away in 1995, and perfectly restored his vocals through AI deep learning technology.

The noteworthy point is 'neighboring rights'. This is a right given to the singer or performer of a song, separate from the copyright given to lyricists and composers. Under current law, the rights regarding the AI-restored voice of a deceased singer are in a 'gray area' where the legal relationship is unclear. However, Lee Hyun-do, as a performer and producer, chose 'dedication' and 'respect' rather than questioning legal obligations. He took measures to ensure that part of the distribution would go to the bereaved family of Kim Sung-jae by splitting his share.

◆ Music Industry Association says "At the center of music is a person"

This decision has significant implications for a creative ecosystem where fears abound that AI may replace artists. Kim Seung-min, Executive Director of the Music Industry Association, praised, "This case shows that at the center of music, there are still performers and their relationships, and respect for each other." It goes beyond simply mimicking voices with technology, treating the deceased as a 'fellow artist still active together.'

◆ Eternal Deux, an unfinished story

Debuting in 1993 and leaving behind numerous hits such as 'Look Back at Me' and 'In the Summer', Deux ended their short activity with the mysterious death of Kim Sung-jae in 1995. However, thanks to Lee Hyun-do's efforts, in 2025, over 30 years later, the two are rising again as one team with 'Rise'. Fans are applauding, saying, "Technology revives memories, and people preserved those memories," and "As expected from Deux's actions."