On Feb. 1, Spotify launched its streaming services in South Korea — the sixth largest music market in the world. But there was one problem: Spotify was unable to secure domestic licensing deals with Kakao because it had become a direct competitor of Kakao's own streaming service, Melon.

Will Kakao M come back to Spotify?

“We are pleased that Kakao Entertainment's content and artists are back on Spotify, allowing our 345M+ global listeners across 170 countries to once again enjoy the music they love,” the Spotify spokesperson said.

What is going on between Kakao M and Spotify?

“Spotify can confirm that starting March 1, 2021, Kakao M's catalogue will no longer be available to our listeners worldwide due to the expiration of our license. We have been working with Kakao M over the last year and a half to renew the global licensing agreement,” said Spotify in a statement forwarded to Variety.