The Seoul Central District Court has ordered The Givers and its CEO Ahn Sung Il to pay approximately 499.5 million won (roughly $340,000 USD) to FIFTY FIFTY's agency ATTRAKT in damages.
The court ruling, delivered on Jan. 15, 2026, found that both The Givers and CEO Ahn bear joint responsibility for the payment. Director Baek Jin-sil was also ordered to contribute jointly, covering the total damages amount.
The decision represents a partial victory for ATTRAKT in a lawsuit filed in September 2023 that originally sought approximately 2.1 billion won (roughly $1.4 million) in compensation.
Presiding Judge Choi Jong-jin determined that The Givers and Ahn had violated their service contract obligations with ATTRAKT, engaging in deception and breach of fiduciary duty that caused financial harm to the agency, according to allkpop.
The court acknowledged allegations of what the K-pop industry terms "tampering," which refers to unauthorized contact with artists before their exclusive contracts expire.
ATTRAKT's complaint centered on several specific claims. The agency alleged that Ahn misappropriated approximately 150 million won (approximately $100,000) through an unauthorized service contract entered into without prior agreement.
ATTRAKT also accused The Givers of obstructing business operations by rejecting advertising proposals without permission, shutting down the official fan cafe, and deleting email accounts. Additionally, ATTRAKT claimed The Givers failed to fulfill proper financial settlement obligations.
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The Givers countered these allegations by arguing that the service contract was terminated by mutual agreement rather than unilaterally breached, and that the company had minimal involvement in the contract dispute between ATTRAKT and FIFTY FIFTY members, Sports Khan reported.
The legal case emerged following FIFTY FIFTY's global success with the hit song "Cupid" in 2023. Shortly after, the original members filed an injunction to suspend their exclusive contracts with ATTRAKT, citing mistrust and unfair treatment.
ATTRAKT suspected that Ahn Sung Il, who had served as a producer on "Cupid" and held a five-year project management service contract with the agency beginning in June 2021, was the external force behind the members' actions.
The ruling allows for provisional execution of the damages order. Meanwhile, ATTRAKT continues pursuing a separate 13 billion won (about $8.8 million) damages lawsuit against three former FIFTY FIFTY members—Saena, Sio, and Aran—along with other defendants, including the members' parents.
Member Keena previously withdrew her appeal and returned to ATTRAKT, which reorganized the group as a five-member unit with new members, as per MK.
