Once celebrated as the 'Miracle of the Small and Medium-Sized Idol,' how did FIFTY FIFTY end up becoming an icon of 'ingratitude'?

FIFTY FIFTY, composed of members Saena, Keena, Aran, and Sio, held their first hearing at the Seoul Central District Court yesterday (6th) on the suspension of their exclusive contract filed against their agency, Attract.

With each side firmly sticking to their stance, a fierce battle was predicted, tracing back to FIFTY FIFTY's debut, the success of 'Cupid', the mudslinging feud with Attract and outsourcing company, TheGivers, and the dispute between the members and their agency. We have collated a timeline of the complexly intertwined 'FIFTY FIFTY situation.'

◆ Debut, and FIFTY FIFTY's Ascension to 'The Miracle of Small and Medium-Sized Idols'

FIFTY FIFTY launched their career on November 18, 2022, with a mini-album. They marked the beginning of their world with their first single 'The Beginning: Cupid' released just 99 days after their debut album.

Their hit track 'Cupid' set off a global sensation through short-form content, achieving the miracle of entering the U.S. Billboard's main 'Hot 100' chart. FIFTY FIFTY made a record as the K-pop girl group that entered the Billboard chart in the shortest time, and since then, they have been hailed as the 'Miracle of Small and Medium-Sized Idols'.

They held a press conference in April to celebrate their achievement just four months into their debut, expressing their gratitude to their agency, attributing their success to the company's focus and support.

◆ Sudden Internal Dispute Stemming from "External Forces"

When the group was at the height of their activities, member Aran needed surgery, and the group was forced to halt. Thus, the internal strife began.

On June 23, their agency claimed that external forces were confirmed to be enticing the members to breach their exclusive contract during the 'rest period.' They pinpointed Warner Music, who has been in charge of FIFTY FIFTY's international distribution since April, as the culprit. Warner Music Korea refuted this claim, calling it "groundless."

On the 27th, a new player entered the field: TheGivers, led by An Sung-il, who produced 'Cupid.' Attract accused TheGivers of encouraging members to breach their contract and claimed that they engaged in delaying business handovers, obstructing business, destruction of electronic records, fraud, and embezzlement. TheGivers denied these allegations.

◆ Agency vs Outsourcing Company, and FIFTY FIFTY Members Start Moving

The conflict seemed to be a feud between companies, but this time, the members of FIFTY FIFTY, who were on 'rest', raised their voices.

On the 28th of last month, they announced through their legal representative, Barun Law, that they had filed an injunction to suspend the effect of their exclusive contract on the 19th, and the trial is currently underway.

They pointed to the agency's opaque accounting process, neglect of mental and physical care obligations, and lack of human and physical resources as reasons for the ongoing contract termination dispute.

Online communities reported that Attract's CEO, Jeon Hong-jun, had used his luxury car and watch sales, and even his mother's $90,000 to fund FIFTY FIFTY, which drew significant attention. This led to some backlash against the members, labeling them as 'ungrateful.'

At the hearing on the 5th, FIFTY FIFTY's side, conscious of such 'ungrateful' public opinion, emphasized that it was not a matter of asking for money quickly, but that they could no longer work together due to several instances of breached trust.

It was confirmed that the trademark registration for FIFTY FIFTY has been completed. According to the Patent Information Search Service on the 5th, the group name FIFTY FIFTY and the names of the members Aran (Jung Eun-ah), Keena (Song Ja-kyung), Saena (Jung Se-hyun), and Sio (Jung Ji-ho) were registered as trademarks on the 19th of last month.

Attract only registered the English FIFTY FIFTY, which is used for their activities in the United States, as a trademark. The applicants for this trademark registration were confirmed to be the same names as the families of the four members of FIFTY FIFTY.

◆ Another issue revealed during the legal battle: The agency's 'abnormal advance payment'

The long battle has begun.

At the hearing on July 5th, the legal representative of FIFTY FIFTY cited "insincerity in providing settlement materials such as omission of revenue items, violation of obligations to take care of creditors' physical and mental health, and lack of ability to possess and support human and material resources" as reasons for terminating the exclusive contract.

The representative also accused the management of 'embezzlement'. Despite Attract's previous claims that they had no money to settle, it was pointed out that they had already received an advance payment of KRW 9 billion (approximately $7.5 million) from Interpark through a distribution contract. Surprisingly, this contract was not signed with Attract, but with Star Crew Entertainment (with whom the members had signed when they were trainees. They have now terminated their contracts), which was criticized as an "abnormal advance payment distribution contract". They are also planning to file a criminal complaint.

"It is difficult to verify whether KRW 6 billion (about $5 million) out of the KRW 9 billion advance payment was used for the members," the representative expressed doubts about Attract's financial ability to pay FIFTY FIFTY's revenue settlements in a timely manner if all the advance payment received by Star Crew Entertainment had been used.

In response, Attract claimed that the members had agreed during the contract process. They also refuted the "doubts about ability", indicating their hope that FIFTY FIFTY continues their music activities.

With FIFTY FIFTY wanting to leave due to the 'broken trust', Attract wanting to stay with the members who had previously succeeded with 'Cupid', and the alleged behind-the-scenes power The Givers, their past battle is expected to continue for some time.

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