ATTRAKT commented after securing a partial court victory in its damages lawsuit against outsourced production company The Givers, which it had accused of being behind the exclusive contract dispute involving FIFTY FIFTY.
On January 16, ATTRAKT, the agency behind FIFTY FIFTY, stated, “Through this lawsuit, we wanted to show a fair and truthful heart,” adding, “It feels like the result of ‘cause and effect,’ and that alone brings us some consolation.”
On January 15, the Civil Division 33 of the Seoul Central District Court ruled partially in favor of ATTRAKT in its damages lawsuit against The Givers CEO An Sung Il and director Baek Jin Sil. The court ordered The Givers and An Sung Il to jointly pay 499.5 million KRW (approximately 339,099 USD) in damages to ATTRAKT. Director Baek Jin Sil was held jointly liable with The Givers and An Sung Il for 449.5 million KRW (approximately 305,110 USD) of the total compensation amount.
ATTRAKT had previously identified An Sung Il and Baek Jin Sil as key figures behind the exclusive contract dispute involving FIFTY FIFTY, raising allegations of so-called “tampering,” or pre-contractual contact prior to contract termination. In September 2023, ATTRAKT filed a separate damages lawsuit worth approximately 2.1 billion KRW (around 1.56 million USD), claiming the two had violated their service contract, deceived the company, and committed acts of breach of trust that caused financial losses. The court also ruled partially in ATTRAKT’s favor in that case.
Regarding the latest ruling, ATTRAKT stated, “This is the first case in which the court has acknowledged obstruction of business and embezzlement by The Givers and CEO An Sung Il. Although it came late, we believe it is a very fortunate outcome.” The agency added, “Our company prioritizes the rights and interests of our artists above all else, and we maintain a firm principle of responding decisively to any actions that harm our artists.”
Amid the exclusive contract dispute, member Keena returned to ATTRAKT. FIFTY FIFTY has since been reorganized as a five-member group with new members Chanelle Moon, Yewon, Hana, and Athena, and is currently promoting actively.
ATTRAKT also expressed gratitude toward fans, stating, “Regardless of the lawsuits, we sincerely thank the fans who have continued to love and support FIFTY FIFTY with unwavering hearts. We believe the love and support from our fans are what made today’s FIFTY FIFTY possible.” The agency added, “We will take the warm encouragement you have given us as motivation and repay it with better music and activities.”
Former members Saena, Aran, and Sio, who departed from ATTRAKT, have since re-debuted under the name Ablume. Their re-debut drew attention as it was led by producer An Sung Il, who had been identified as being at the center of the tampering allegations. Some observers interpreted his involvement as reinforcing suspicions surrounding the controversy.
As the allegations continued, the Ablume members released handwritten letters stating, “During discussions about our future activities, we believed it was most important to protect the message we wanted to convey through music. The company agreed with this perspective, and after much deliberation, we decided to seek help from CEO An Sung Il, who understands us best and has produced strong results.” They added, “This differs significantly from what has been publicly known, and we are making great efforts to prove that.”
ATTRAKT is currently pursuing a damages lawsuit worth approximately 13 billion KRW (around 9.6 million USD) against three former FIFTY FIFTY members, their parents, The Givers, An Sung Il, and Baek Jin Sil. In addition, the agency has filed a separate damages lawsuit worth approximately 20 billion KRW (around 14.8 million USD) against Warner Music Korea and its former CEO.
ATTRAKT CEO Jeon Hong Joon stated, “For the future vision and development of K-pop, we will devote ourselves fully to these legal proceedings so that a good precedent, not a bad one, can be established.” He added, “I bow my head in deep gratitude to everyone who has sent us their passionate support and encouragement.”
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