| K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty / Courtesy of Attrakt |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Fifty Fifty members Keena, Saena, Sio and Aran have finally broken their silence about their ongoing dispute with their agency Attrakt.
In June, the members filed a lawsuit against Attrakt seeking to suspend an exclusive contract. The group cited a lack of financial transparency and disregard for their health conditions as reasons for the legal action. The court ordered mediation, but Fifty Fifty did not agree to settle the dispute out of court.
In a handwritten letter to fans on Thursday, the K-pop girl group explained why they have remained silent on the recent controversy.
“Misunderstandings and accusations have been snowballing. We were deeply shocked by this and have been going through a tough time. Nevertheless, we believe there is a truth that needs to be uncovered despite these difficulties,” the group wrote in a letter.
Fifty Fifty members claimed they filed the lawsuit against their agency because they believed that taking this issue to court was the right way to solve the situation.
“We first wanted to take this opportunity to right the wrongs that have been forced in our relationship with the agency. And to protect our music, we had no other choice,” they said. “We had hoped that the truth would be uncovered during the trial process and or right would be guaranteed. This is something we hope for even to this day.”
The group filed a criminal complaint with police on the same day against Attrakt CEO Jeon Hon-joon for fraud and malpractice.
Fifty Fifty burst onto the music scene with their debut EP “The Fifty,” released in November last year. The group's hit single “Cupid” has stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for 20 consecutive weeks.
Meanwhile, Attrakt filed a criminal complaint with the police against The Givers in June, on charges of obstruction of business, damage to electronic records, fraud and malpractice. The company also filed a criminal complaint against Ahn Sung-il, the head of The Givers and the main music producer of FIFTY FIFTY's first album, over embezzlement and document forgery in July.