K-Pop Agency Attrakt and Warner Music Korea Legal Battle Begins

The multi-million dollar legal battle between K-pop agency Attrakt and Warner Music Korea over former members of Fifty Fifty begins on September 11.

A 20 billion won ($14 million) legal battle over Warner Music Korea allegedly trying to poach former members of girl group Fifty Fifty from K-pop agency Attrakt is set to begin on September 11. The first hearing takes place at 11:30 AM that day for the civil suit that Attrakt filed against Warner Music Korea back in October.

According to the filing, Warner Music allegedly tried to talk members of Attrakt’s girl group Fifty Fifty into breaking their contract with the agency to join Warner Music Korea instead. This act is known as tampering in the sports and entertainment world, and is a violation of the exclusive contract that a talent signs with their agency.

In 2023, former members of Fifty Fifty tried to sue their own agency in order to break off their contract with Attrakt and sign with another company. Attrakt claims it was executives at Warner Music Korea who persuaded them to do so; Warner Music denies the allegations.

Four of Fifty Fifty’s members filed the lawsuit, but one of them withdrew. The other three lost their lawsuit and were subsequently kicked out of both the group and the agency. Fifty Fifty returned as a quintet with four new members on September 20, 2024.

Back in May, a separate lawsuit also involving Fifty Fifty was concluded not in Attrakt’s favor. The Seoul Central District Court dismissed the agency’s bid to claim copyright ownership of the group’s breakout hit, “Cupid.” The song was instead recognized as belonging to The Givers, a production company that was allegedly also involved in attempting to poach members of Fifty Fifty.