First hearing for lawsuit involving K-pop group Fifty Fifty scheduled for August
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The former members involved in the lawsuit are Aran (left), Saena (second from left) and Sio (right). Remaining member Keena withdrew her appeal in October 2023.
PHOTO: WE_FIFTYFIFTY/INSTAGRAM
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SEOUL - The first hearing in a suit seeking 13 billion won (S$12.7 million) in damages filed by agency Attrakt against three former members of K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty and The Givers CEO Ahn Sung-il is set for Aug 29, it said on June 20.
The former members involved in the lawsuit are Saena, Sio and Aran.
According to Attrakt, which is Fifty Fifty’s agency, the lawsuit also includes the parents of the three former bandmates and an executive surnamed Baek from content management firm The Givers.
The legal action stems from conflicts that arose after Fifty Fifty’s rapid success.
Fifty Fifty debuted in November 2022 and achieved a milestone by entering the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the single “Cupid” just 130 days after its release - the fastest for any K-pop group.
The song peaked at No. 17 and stayed on the chart for 25 weeks, setting a mark as 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 and forced activities that disregarded their health.
Attrakt accused The Givers of attempting to poach the band while they were still signed with Attrakt.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of Attrakt, determining no breach in the agency’s duties regarding transparent accounting and health management.
On Aug 28, the court dismissed the application for an injunction, leading to the bandmates remaining with Attrakt. The members immediately appealed the court’s decision.
In October, Keena changed her legal representation and withdrew her appeal, mending fences with Attrakt. However, Saena, Aran and Sio continued their fight with the agency.
Two weeks later, Attrakt announced the termination of the contracts with the three, excluding Keena.
Meanwhile, Attrakt plans to reintroduce Fifty Fifty with Keena at its center
