Attract CEO Lawsuit Dismissed Over Fifty Fifty Broadcast Controversy

The court has dismissed Attract CEO Jeon Hong-joon’s 300 million won defamation lawsuit against SBS’s investigative program It Wants to Know, following the show’s coverage of the girl group Fifty Fifty’s explosive contract dispute with their agency. Episode “Billboards and Girl Groups – Who Broke Their Wings,” aired in August 2023, spotlighted the meteoric rise and shocking collapse of the group’s relationship with their agency, raising serious questions about artist treatment in K-pop’s mid-tier companies.

The Seoul Southern District Court, under Judge Kim Chang-hyun, ruled in favor of the SBS production team, stating the broadcast did not include any falsehoods. The court emphasized that the show’s content was backed by expert interviews, financial records, and testimonies, thus not meeting the legal standard for defamation. As a result, Jeon’s claim for 300 million won in damages was denied, and all legal costs were charged to him.

Attract CEO lawsuit centered on disputed broadcast content

The original broadcast drew wide attention for exposing behind-the-scenes details of Fifty Fifty’s sudden legal dispute with Attract. Despite debuting under a small agency, the group soared into international charts with “Cupid,” staying on the Billboard Hot 100 for over 21 weeks. But just as their popularity peaked, they filed to suspend their exclusive contracts, alleging mistreatment and financial mismanagement.

The court validated the members’ claims that their music revenue was missing from settlement statements. Though Attract denied this, evidence showed that income from music distribution was excluded from financial summaries as of March 2023. The judge ruled that such omissions could not be deemed misrepresented and were supported by third-party expert analysis and government-disclosed figures.

The program also revealed troubling claims from the members’ families, including an incident where the agency head allegedly insulted them by discarding food brought by parents. Attract tried to downplay this by stating a subcontractor was responsible. However, the court determined the testimony from family members and other corroborative reports supported the broadcast’s version.

The judge also cited Attract’s repeated refusal to engage with the show’s producers—over 10 formal interview requests were ignored—undermining their claim of one-sided reporting. The court stated that a lack of balance in tone does not equate to defamation when efforts for fairness were demonstrably made.

Though SBS’s segment was previously criticized by the CRTC for being biased, this new court ruling legally clears the program of wrongdoing. As of now, Attract retains the right to appeal the decision, though no formal appeal has been filed yet.

Following the dispute, only one original member, Kina, returned to Attract, while the other three exited permanently. Fifty Fifty has since relaunched with four new members added to form a five-member lineup.