Former FIFTY FIFTY Members Face Verdict in $9.4 Million Lawsuit

A three-year legal fight between K-pop agency ATTRAKT and three former members of FIFTY FIFTY is heading toward a verdict. A Seoul court is set to rule in November on ATTRAKT’s approximately $9.4 million (13 billion won) damages suit against the former members and other defendants, including The Givers CEO Ahn Sung-il.

KPOPIT learned on Sept. 19 that the 61st Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court will deliver its ruling on Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. KST. Ahn's side submitted an additional brief during the fifth hearing held on Sept. 18. The court nevertheless closed oral arguments without scheduling another hearing, moving the case toward judgment.

ATTRAKT filed the suit on Dec. 18, 2023, naming 12 defendants. They include former FIFTY FIFTY members Saena, Sio and Aran, their parents, The Givers, Ahn and The Givers senior director Baek Jin-sil.

The agency sought damages and contractual penalties from the three former members over their alleged breaches of their exclusive contracts. It also sought damages from the members, their parents, The Givers and Ahn on the grounds of alleged joint tort liability.

At the time, ATTRAKT said the damages and contractual penalties it had calculated amounted to tens of millions of dollars (tens of billions of won). The agency initially sought approximately $9.4 million (13 billion won) as a partial claim, leaving open the possibility of increasing the amount if its losses grew.

In August 2024, Saena, Sio and Aran filed a counterclaim against ATTRAKT, seeking approximately $220,000 (300 million won) in settlement payments. ATTRAKT's damages claim and the three former members' settlement claim have since been heard together.

The dispute first became public in June 2023, when the members of FIFTY FIFTY filed for an injunction seeking to suspend the effect of their exclusive contracts with ATTRAKT. The agency alleged that its outside production partner The Givers and Ahn were behind the contract dispute.

The court rejected the injunction in August 2023. Keena later withdrew her appeal and returned to ATTRAKT, while Saena, Sio and Aran continued their legal battle with the agency. The November ruling will mark the first-instance decision in the approximately $9.4 million (13 billion won) damages case.