According to legal sources, Ahn Sung-il, CEO of content production company The Givers, filed an appeal on January 26. On the same day, Attrakt, the agency of girl group FIFTY FIFTY, also filed an appeal, officially moving the case to the appeal phase.
Previously, on January 15, the Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 33 ruled partially in favor of Attrakt in a damages lawsuit filed against The Givers, Ahn Sung-il and executive Baek. The court ordered The Givers and Ahn Sung-il to jointly pay KRW 499.5 million in damages to Attrakt. Baek was held jointly liable for KRW 449.5 million of this total amount.
Attrakt CEO Jeon Hong-joon filed suit in September 2023, alleging that Ahn and Baek violated their service agreement, hindered business operations, deceived the company and committed acts of breach of trust resulting in financial losses.
The case arose amid controversy following FIFTY FIFTY’s global success with their hit song “Cupid,” which entered the Billboard charts in the United States. Shortly thereafter, the group’s former members filed an injunction seeking to suspend their exclusive contracts, triggering widespread accusations of tampering with illegal pre-termination contacts with artists.
During the trial, Attrakt alleged that Ahn Sung-il signed a services contract without prior consultation, resulting in the alleged misappropriation of KRW 150 million. The company also alleged that Baek interfered with business operations by rejecting advertising pitches and deleting the company’s email accounts. Furthermore, Attrakt accused The Givers of failing to adequately fulfill its liquidation and accounting obligations.
In response, The Givers denied the allegations, stating that the service contract was terminated by mutual agreement and that the the company had little to no involvement in the contract dispute between Attrakt and the former members of FIFTY FIFTY.
Despite these defenses, the court ruled partially in favor of Attrakt. With both parties are now appealingThe legal fight between Attrakt and Ahn Sung-il is expected to continue, attracting the attention of the K-pop industry and legal observers.
Sources: Daum
