FIFTY FIFTY agency partially wins damages suit over alleged tampering

연합뉴스 / 2026-01-15 12:55:58

▲ This Yonhap file photo shows the Seoul headquarters of K-pop entertainment agency Attrakt. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Yonhap) -- Attrakt, the agency of girl group FIFTY FIFTY, has partially won a legal dispute against outsourcing firm The Givers and its CEO Ahn Sung-il over allegations of contract tampering.

The Seoul Central District Court ruled Thursday that The Givers and Ahn must jointly pay Attrakt 499.5 million won (US$373,000) in damages in a lawsuit seeking compensation totaling about 2 billion won.

The court also ordered a director surnamed Baek to jointly pay 449.5 million won of the amount along with The Givers and Ahn.

In September 2023, Attrakt filed the damages suit, claiming that The Givers and Ahn violated their service contract obligations and caused financial losses through deception and breach of trust.

FIFTY FIFTY became embroiled in an exclusive contract dispute with Attrakt following the group’s global success with the 2023 hit song "Cupid." Attrakt suspects that The Givers was behind the dispute.

Ahn, a music producer who worked on "Cupid," signed a five-year project management service contract with Attrakt in June 2021, under which he was responsible for discovering new girl groups and serving as their main producer.

Attrakt has filed multiple civil and criminal complaints against The Givers and Ahn, alleging "tampering," or unauthorized prior contact with artists before the expiration of their exclusive contracts.