On October 23, ATTRAKT announced: “We have filed a lawsuit for damages of 20 billion won (about 14.5 million dollars) against former CEO Clayton Jin and current executive director Yoon Hyung-geun of Warner Music Korea, suspected of tampering (contacts before expiration of the contract).”
The company also stated: “Warner Music Korea played a crucial role in the contract dispute with the former members of FIFTY FIFTY during the tampering process.” Them too added, “These individuals held a tampering meeting with the parents of former members at Warner Music Korea headquarters on May 17, 2023, and we have collected all key evidence from that time.”
They also underlined, “The company suffered enormous damage due to illegal actions that interfered with the normal activities of former FIFTY FIFTY members,” and he reiterated it “We will hold former CEO Clayton Jin and current Executive Director Yoon Hyung-geun of Warner Music Korea, who are complicit in the tampering, strictly accountable.”
Jeon Hong-jun, CEO of ATTRAKT, who filed a damages lawsuit against Warner Music Korea, specifically highlighted: “The attempt by a subsidiary of Warner Music, one of the three major record labels in the world, to forcibly take away valuable artists from a small South Korean agency is an absolutely unforgivable and shameless act.” and added, “The actual amount of damages is higher, and we are initially asking for 20 billion won with the intention of increasing the compensation amount in the future.”
FIFTY FIFTY, who debuted as a four-member group in November 2022, gained global popularity with their song “Cupid” released in February 2023, earning the title “The miracle of a small agency idol group.” However, in June of that year, the four members filed an injunction to terminate the contract, claiming that ATTRAKT had failed to fulfill obligations such as providing settlement data and managing members’ health. This injunction was rejected in August.
In response, ATTRAKT announced the suspension of the group’s activities in June last year due to the members’ worsening health, strongly suggesting that during this period there were external forces approaching the members causing them to violate their exclusive contracts with the agency. They specifically pointed to Warner Music Korea as these external forces.
Although the members continued their legal battle by appealing the dismissal, member Keena withdrew her appeal and returned to ATTRAKT on her own. The agency then replaced those who left with three new members and finally announced their return in September 2024.
The remaining three members – Saena, Sio and Aran ended their exclusive contracts with ATTRAKT and signed new exclusive contracts with MASSIVE E&C, a label under IOK, in September. They also filed a settlement lawsuit against ATTRAKT CEO Jeon Hong-jun for approximately 300 million won (approximately $217,000 USD).
Source: Naver
