After leaving ATTRAKT before contract expiration, ex-FIFTY FIFTY Aran, Sio, and Saena were sued by the company for 13 billion won (10 million USD).
Following the lawsuit filed by the three former members against ATTRAKT, the agency counterattacked by revealing its plan to sue them as well for $10M as compensation for breach of contract.
According to the label, the former members and its parents, The Givers, Ahn Sung Il and Baek Jin Sil who were all involved in violating FIFTY FIFTY's exclusive contract will receive the lawsuit.
ATTRAKT Releases Official Statement on Suing Aran, Sio & Saena for $10M Penalty
On December 19, the label reached out to Korean media outlets to release its official statement regarding its new lawsuit against the former members of FIFTY FIFTY.
"We filed a civil lawsuit seeking damages from former FIFTY FIFTY members Saena, Sio, Aran, The Givers, Ahn Sung Il, Baek Jin Sil, and the parents of the three members who actively participated in the unfair breaching of their exclusive contracts."
To clarify, if ATTRAKT wins the case, the 3 members will have to pay compensation and penalties for the damages if they really violate their exclusive contracts.
ALSO READ: FIFTY FIFTY to Introduce New Members In Addition to Keena
As for the other aforementioned including their parents and the "third parties," they will be asked to compensate the label for damages caused by joint illegal acts.
ATTRAKT then provided their calculated compensation, which is worth 13 billion won ($10M). Is it good to note that the lawsuit was filed in an explicit partial claim method at the filing stage, considering the possibility of expanding damage in the future during the litigation process.
In light of this, the attorney representing the lawsuit also hinted at the "FIFTY FIFTY Act" that may be introduced to protect the rights of small/medium-sized companies.
“This lawsuit can go beyond simple damage recovery and become an important opportunity to establish a fair trade order in the entertainment field. With this in mind, we will do our best to carry out the lawsuit."
Summary of FIFTY FIFTY Case
This lawsuit was submitted after, FIFTY FIFTY filed for a provisional injunction to terminate their exclusive contract with ATTRAKT in June 2023.
At the time, the quartet, who was amid massive fame thanks to their megahit, "Cupid" claimed that the company failed to fulfill its obligation to provide settlement data and manage the health of its members. However, it was rejected in August.
Since then, ATTRAKT decided to ultimately terminate Aran, Sio and Saena's exclusive contracts.
As for Keena, he returned to the company in October after apologizing and canceling the lawsuit against the company.
She continued FIFTY FIFTY activities alone, such as attending the 2023 Billboard Music Awards in November. She will later be joined by new members and re-organize the team.
READ MORE: FIFTY FIFTY Called 'One-Hit Wonder' After Group 'Virtually Disbanded' — Here's What Happened
For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.
KpopStarz owns this article.
Written by Eunice Dawson.
