For the past four months, the FIFTY FIFTY situation has reached a new phase. Member Keena has returned to the agency Attrakt, while the remaining three members plan to continue their battle in the main lawsuit. The CEO of The Givers, An Seong-il, who was pointed out as the background force, is now under police investigation, marking a turning point in the situation. Let's look back at the complex disputes of the last four months and see what variables remain.
The dispute between FIFTY FIFTY and their agency, Attrakt, began last June. All four members - Keena, Saena, Aran, and Sio - filed for a suspension of their exclusive contracts with the agency. At the time, FIFTY FIFTY was hugely successful with their song "Cupid". They made a record as a K-pop girl group by staying on the 'Hot 100' Billboard chart for 13 consecutive weeks.
FIFTY FIFTY claimed that Attrakt did not fulfill its obligation to provide settlement details and violated their physical and mental health care obligations. Attrakt refuted these claims, stating the agreement on settlements and contract structure was pre-agreed upon with the members, and there were no deliberate omissions. They also alleged that The Givers, a subcontracting company, tried to poach the members.
FIFTY FIFTY cited violations such as lack of settlement details, physical and mental health care neglect, and inadequate resources for entertainment activities as reasons for contract termination. They claimed their trust relationship with the agency was shattered. Attrakt responded by saying the omission in the settlement details was a simple oversight, and they weren't negligent in health care. They also refuted disputes over the advance payment distribution structure with StarCrew ENT and Interpark Music, calling it a pre-agreed transaction.
The court recommended reconciliation. A mediation session was held last August for about two hours. However, no agreement was reached. Eventually, the court sided with Attrakt later that month. It ruled based on FIFTY FIFTY not being owed any settlement, the agency not violating their health care and settlement obligations to a degree that would shatter trust, and FIFTY FIFTY suddenly notifying contract termination without any rectification request.
FIFTY FIFTY decided to appeal immediately. They intend to clarify issues such as the album and song revenue settlement structure, details and items used for FIFTY FIFTY's production from the advance payments made by the music distributor, and the possible embezzlement by the debtor's CEO in the main lawsuit.
Apart from the members and the agency, another central figure in the FIFTY FIFTY situation is An Seong-il, CEO of the subcontracting company, The Givers. He had a five-year Project Management contract with Attrakt since June 2021 and was the producer behind FIFTY FIFTY's global hit "Cupid".
Attrakt has referred to The Givers as "malicious external forces" since June, claiming that they tried to poach FIFTY FIFTY members. They sued CEO An Seong-il for business obstruction, electronic record damage, and business damage, demanding compensation of 1 billion won. The Givers strongly refuted these claims.
Amid the truth battle, the FIFTY FIFTY situation faced a new turn with member Keena's resolve. She was the only one among the four members to give up on the appeal and return to the agency, Attrakt. In an interview, Keena exposed that "PD An Seong-il slandered by insinuating that CEO Jeon Hong-jun intended to abandon them after their first album." An Seong-il was interrogated by the police on the 25th, four months after the controversy started.
The FIFTY FIFTY situation rang alarm bells in the entertainment industry about tampering (approaching before the end of the exclusive contract). The Korean Association of Entertainment Producers emphasized that opportunistic poaching based on capital undermines the foundation built by producers and artists. The Korean Entertainment Management Association also highlighted that they wouldn't stand by and watch illicit activities like artist poaching and tampering.
The FIFTY FIFTY situation was a continuous media battle. While Attrakt frequently brought up the "phone recording" card, The Givers continuously refuted. The members continued exposing CEO Jeon Hong-jun on social media even after the suspension of their exclusive contract was rejected. The public, feeling confusion and fatigue, turned their backs on FIFTY FIFTY. The members suffered the most in this situation.
On October 23, FIFTY FIFTY's agency, Attrakt, announced the contract termination of the three members, Saena, Sio, and Aran, excluding Keena. The three members stated, "Since both sides have announced the contract termination, the exclusive contract is considered terminated, and the need to dispute the injunction has disappeared." They mentioned that the main lawsuit will address this matter.
With Keena's return and the termination of exclusive contracts for the members, the FIFTY FIFTY situation has reached a turning point. Attrakt is planning to collaborate with JTBC to nurture a 'second FIFTY FIFTY'. The remaining issues are the legal battles between the three members who moved to the main lawsuit and Attrakt, as well as the investigation and legal proceedings involving CEO An Seong-il. Through these, the complex timeline of the FIFTY FIFTY situation is expected to be unraveled.
