Three members of the K-pop group FIFTY FIFTY, Sio, Saena, and Aran, have found their contracts terminated by their label, ATTRAKT, following a contentious legal wrangle concerning alleged contract breaches.
In a statement to Sports Seoul, the record label revealed that the move came as a result of the trio’s repeated failures to address severe contractual violations. They have been accused by the agency of disseminating misinformation, slandering the company, and consistently raising unfounded accusations.
The label’s statement on Monday read, “We notified Saena, Sio, and Aran—the remaining members of our agency’s girl group FIFTY FIFTY excluding Keena—of the termination of their exclusive contracts as of October 19.” It further emphasized, “We have taken action in response to the three FIFTY FIFTY member’s lack of corrective measures or reflections on their serious contract violations. We will discuss follow-up measures against the members in the future.”
The fissures between ATTRAKT and FIFTY FIFTY first became evident when the group endeavored to put their exclusive contracts with the label on hold, citing contractual breaches. Legal proceedings were initiated by the group against ATTRAKT in June, with the goal of getting their contracts suspended. However, the efforts suffered a setback in August when a Seoul court declined FIFTY FIFTY’s petition, prolonging the tension between the artists and the agency. Fast forward to October 19, ATTRAKT officially relayed to Saena, Sio, and Aran the decision to end their contracts.
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Earlier this month, there was a twist in the narrative as Jeon Hong-jun, the CEO of ATTRAKT, informed South Korean media that Keena, a member of FIFTY FIFTY, had revoked her lawsuit against the agency and had since rejoined the label. Yet, Korea JoongAng Daily reported that the trio of Saena, Aran, and Sio persisted in their appeal process.
FIFTY FIFTY first made waves in the K-pop scene in 2022 with their debut EP titled The Fifty. This year, they received worldwide acclaim following the release of their hit single “Cupid”. This song rocketed FIFTY FIFTY into the record books as it became the longest-charting song by a K-pop girl group on the Billboard Hot 100, eclipsing a milestone previously held by BLACKPINK. In another notable feat, they became only the second South Korean group to feature on the Adult Pop Airplay chart, emulating the globally renowned BTS.