The intentions of the agency Attrakt's 'two-track' strategy seem clear. Even after the court's rejection of the suspension of the exclusive contract with girl group FIFTY FIFTY (members: Saena, Aran, Keena, Sio), the agency continues to prepare for a new girl group and is pursuing a lawsuit against The Givers, who they directly pinpoint as the culprits behind the current situation.
In June, Attrakt was shocked when FIFTY FIFTY notified them of their contract termination. The members, through their legal representatives, raised issues with Attrakt's unclear settlements and lack of support, applying for a suspension of their exclusive contract. However, on August 28, the Seoul Central District Court's 50th Civil Division rejected FIFTY FIFTY's application, stating it's hard to conclude that there was a breach of duty to provide settlement data, and there wasn't sufficient evidence of neglect in health management and care. The court also stated that ending the business with The Givers wasn't a breach of the exclusive contract.
FIFTY FIFTY has appealed against the court's decision, signaling a second round of legal battles. However, the atmosphere isn't favorable for FIFTY FIFTY. It's uncertain if their counterattack will overturn the rejection, and the team's comeback seems even more unlikely due to negative public opinion and industry evaluations.
The compilation EP album 'The Beginning', released on September 22nd, wasn't hinting at FIFTY FIFTY's comeback. It was an album already in production and included in the contract, essentially a special reminder album without any new recordings. CEO Jeon Hong-jun explained, "Attrakt, which signed an agreement with Warner Records, produced the album in a compilation format for U.S. K-pop fans. It's a limited edition best album of songs previously released in the U.S. We met with the CEO of Warner Records in the U.S. on May 31st, finalized the verbal agreement, and continued working with our staff after returning in June. After signing the contract in early July, we sent the work to the U.S. in August. At that time, we believed the members would return soon and proceeded with the work."
CEO Jeon Hong-jun immediately began preparations for launching a new girl group after observing the initial rejection of the suspension of the exclusive contract. All members of the new girl group will be selected through an audition program, and the entire process will be public. The CEO has temporarily postponed the specific schedule for the audition but has already planned the debut in his mind and will actively pursue it. Attrakt has already declared that they will evaluate applicants who can directly resonate with the public and allow them to debut immediately.
Jeon Hong-jun, who has already secured an investment of 10 billion won from a Singaporean investor for the preparation of the new girl group, plans to focus on his role as a producer, actively working towards the launch of the new girl group in the U.S.
Separate from CEO Jeon Hong-jun's actions, Attrakt's legal response is also quietly underway.
On September 27, Attrakt filed a lawsuit against The Givers, An Seong-il, and Baek Jin-sil, claiming 1 billion won in damages.
Attrakt pointed out in their complaint that An Seong-il and Baek Jin-sil of The Givers not only violated their business service contract with Attrakt but also caused financial harm to the company by obstructing its business, deceiving the company, and committing treacherous acts against the company's interests.
Attrakt explained, "An Seong-il, as the CEO of The Givers, played the role of the main producer for the new girl group development and debut project that Attrakt wanted to produce when he signed the PM (Project Management) business service contract (from June 1, 2021, to May 31, 2026, for 5 years). Baek Jin-sil, as an internal director of The Givers, also performed the management and various tasks of the project contracted under the PM business service contract."
Attrakt added, "Due to the embezzlement and misappropriation by An Seong-il and Baek Jin-sil, we have lost advertising opportunities and sponsorship rejections, among other major business opportunities. Also, direct disputes have arisen between the company and the artists, preventing normal entertainment activities. The claimed amount of damages in this lawsuit is just a part of the total, and we plan to expand the claim amount during the trial."
Previously, Attrakt received court approval for the copyright royalty seizure against The Givers' An Seong-il. Attrakt revealed, "We discovered that An Seong-il, the CEO of The Givers, embezzled the company's funds during the process of performing Attrakt's service work. We applied for a seizure of copyright royalties for a portion of the total embezzled amount, and in this regard, we received approval from the Seoul Eastern District Court."
Currently, the copyright royalties for FIFTY FIFTY's debut album 'THE FIFTY' and 'The Beginning: Cupid', registered with the Copyright Association, are suspended. Attrakt plans to apply for a seizure of the remaining amount for the embezzlement and misappropriation by The Givers' CEO An Seong-il.
Currently, Attrakt is undergoing civil and criminal lawsuits with The Givers' CEO An Seong-il and other company officials who were responsible for FIFTY FIFTY's service work. In this process, the recent approval decision is significant as it is the first court judgment regarding An Seong-il's illegal activities.
