According to legal sources on January 27, Ahn Sung-il, CEO of content production company The Givers, submitted 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 into the appellate phase.
Previously, on January 15, the Seoul Central District Court’s 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 499.5 million KRW in damages to Attrakt. Baek was held jointly liable for 449.5 million KRW of that total amount.
Attrakt CEO Jeon Hong-joon filed the lawsuit in September 2023, alleging that Ahn and Baek violated their service contract, obstructed business operations, deceived the company, and committed acts of breach of trust that resulted in financial losses.
The case arose amid controversy following FIFTY FIFTY’s global success with their hit song “Cupid,” which charted on the U.S. Billboard rankings. Shortly afterward, the group’s former members filed an injunction seeking to suspend their exclusive contracts, triggering widespread allegations of tampering illegal pre-termination contact with artists.
During the trial, Attrakt argued that Ahn Sung-il signed a service contract without prior consultation, resulting in the alleged embezzlement of 150 million KRW. The company also claimed that Baek interfered with business operations by rejecting advertising proposals and deleting company email accounts. Additionally, Attrakt accused The Givers of failing to properly fulfill settlement and accounting obligations.
In response, The Givers denied the accusations, asserting that the service contract was terminated by mutual agreement and that the company had little to no involvement in the contractual dispute between Attrakt and the former FIFTY FIFTY members.
Despite these defenses, the court ruled partially in Attrakt’s favor. With both parties now filing appeals, the legal confrontation between Attrakt and Ahn Sung-il is expected to continue, drawing sustained attention from the K-pop industry and legal observers alike.
Sources: Daum