The first hearing in a lawsuit seeking 13 billion won (S$12.7 million) in damages, filed by agency Attrakt against three former members of the K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty and The Givers CEO Ahn Sung-il, is scheduled for August 29, as announced on June 20.
The former members named in the lawsuit are Saena, Sio, and Aran.
According to Attrakt, Fifty Fifty’s agency, the lawsuit also includes the parents of the three former bandmates and an executive from content management firm The Givers, identified by the surname Baek. The legal dispute arose following the rapid success of Fifty Fifty.
Fifty Fifty debuted in November 2022 and quickly made a mark by entering the Billboard Hot 100 chart with their single “Cupid” just 130 days after its release, setting a record for the fastest entry by any K-pop group. The song peaked at No. 17 and remained on the chart for 25 weeks, making it the longest-charting K-pop girl group song.
In June 2023, the band filed for an injunction to suspend their exclusive contracts, citing issues such as opaque accounting practices and enforced activities that neglected their health. Attrakt accused The Givers of attempting to lure the band away while they were still under contract.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of Attrakt, finding no fault in the agency’s handling of accounting transparency and health management. On August 28, the court dismissed the injunction application, resulting in the band members remaining with Attrakt. The members immediately appealed the decision.
In October, Keena, another member of the group, changed her legal representation and withdrew her appeal, reconciling with Attrakt. However, Saena, Aran, and Sio continued their legal battle against the agency.
Two weeks later, Attrakt announced the termination of contracts with Saena, Aran, and Sio, excluding Keena.
Meanwhile, Attrakt plans to relaunch Fifty Fifty with Keena as the central figure. The group will be restructured with a new five-member lineup, scheduled to return in September.
