Keena, who has returned to the agency Attrakt as a member of the group FIFTY FIFTY, is set to receive her first settlement just one year after her debut. On November 9, Attrakt confirmed to NewsEn, "It is true that we plan to settle with Keena. It is difficult to disclose the exact amount."
According to music industry insiders, the settlement amount Keena will receive is known to be in the tens of millions of won. Despite being a newcomer, she has achieved significant results on the U.S. Billboard and Spotify charts, leading to a substantial income just eight months after the release of her music through the platform's revenue settlement system.
Keena debuted in the music industry in November last year with the first mini-album 'THE FIFTY' along with members Aran, Saena, and Sio. With the single 'Cupid' released in February, FIFTY FIFTY achieved the feat of rising to the top 10 of the U.S. Billboard main singles chart 'Hot 100' in March, breaking BLACKPINK's record for the longest-charting K-pop girl group and NewJeans' record for the fastest rise after debut.
Attrakt plans to form a new group centered around Keena. On November 2, Attrakt told NewsEn, "Rather than calling it the second generation of FIFTY FIFTY, we are building up FIFTY FIFTY around Keena. We plan to go with four members."
Meanwhile, the four members of FIFTY FIFTY filed for an injunction to suspend the effect of their exclusive contract with Attrakt in June, just seven months after their debut. In the first trial held in July, they argued that Attrakt had violated its obligation to provide sincere settlement data, including omitting revenue items, and also failed to manage the members' physical and mental health. Attrakt countered that the members' claims were groundless.
The court ruled in favor of the agency. As in the case when the injunction application was dismissed in August, the court found that the members of FIFTY FIFTY had not sufficiently substantiated the existence of grounds for contract termination, and there was no reason to change the original judgment on appeal.
Afterward, member Keena withdrew her appeal on October 16 and returned to Attrakt, receiving forgiveness from the agency's representatives, including CEO Jeon Hong-jun. Aran, Saena, and Sio expressed their intention to continue the legal dispute against Attrakt.
On October 23, Attrakt announced, "We have notified the remaining three members, Saena (Jung Se-hyun), Sio (Jung Ji-ho), and Aran (Jung Eun-ah), excluding Keena (Song Ja-kyung), of the termination of their exclusive contract as of the 19th. We have taken measures against the three members of FIFTY FIFTY for their serious contract violations and lack of any correction or reflection. We will discuss further responses regarding the members."
