FIFTY FIFTY’s label, ATTRAKT, scored a partial victory in its damages suit against outsourced production firm The Givers and its chief, producer Ahn Sung-il.
On Aug. 15, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 33 ordered The Givers and Ahn to jointly pay ATTRAKT 499.5 million won in damages. The ruling also named executive director Baek Jin-sil as a defendant in the case.
Calling the decision overdue but welcome, ATTRAKT said the court recognized The Givers and Ahn’s liability for obstruction of business and embezzlement. “We’ve pursued this suit on the principle of putting our artists’ rights first and responding firmly to any conduct that harms them. We wanted the truth on the record, and it’s reassuring to see a bit of karmic justice for the defendants,” the company said.
ATTRAKT also thanked fans for sticking by FIFTY FIFTY, promising to “repay that support with better music and activities.”
The label first filed the damages claim in September 2023, alleging The Givers and Ahn breached their service contract and caused financial losses through deceit and breach of trust, seeking more than 2 billion won.
Ahn, who was involved in producing FIFTY FIFTY’s breakout hit “Cupid,” began working with ATTRAKT in 2021 under a project management services deal that included discovering a rookie girl group and serving as lead producer, according to the label.
Separately, ATTRAKT said it is pursuing an approximately 13 billion won damages suit against three former members―SAENA, ARAN, and SIO―their parents, The Givers, Ahn, and Baek; and another suit seeking around 20 billion won against Warner Music Korea and Clayton Jin (Jin Seung-young).
ATTRAKT CEO Jeon Hong-joon added, “For the future and health of K-pop, we intend to set a good precedent, not a bad one. We’ll see this through to the end.”
Photo: Baik Seung-Chul
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)
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