Kim Gab Soo criticized FIFTY FIFTY as the group is currently in a legal dispute with their agency, ATTRAKT, over exclusive contracts.
On July 11th, cultural critic Kim Gab Soo appeared on a broadcast along with and broadcaster Heo Jae Mu and spoke on the current situation of FIFTY FIFTY.
Recently, Jeon Hong Joon, the CEO of ATTRAKT, claimed that The Givers’ An Sung Il, tried to sell FIFTY FIFTY to Warner Music Korea. Due to opaque settlements and a breakdown in trust, the members of FIFTY FIFTY filed for an injunction to suspend the effect of their exclusive contracts.
In response to Choi Wook’s claim that, “The members siding with An Sung Il is incredibly foolish,” Kim Gab Soo said, “It seems more like they’ve been ruined rather than just being foolish.“
Kim Gab Soo stated, “It’s difficult for them to restore their image. Although they claim to be active on international stages, strangely, K-pop fans overseas have a lot of interaction with the domestic scene. It won’t be easy.”
He added, “The amount of media coverage is beyond imagination. There are not only many news outlets but also an enormous number of YouTube channels. I think the betrayal in the narrative played a role in causing such a significant social impact. We witnessed someone who grew up in a difficult environment become a global star.“
Heo Jae Mu remarked, “They could have been even more successful than BTS.“
Choi Wook chimed in, “Their story is even better than BTS’. How miraculous is it that the CEO sold his watches and home appliances?.”
Kim Gab Soo commented, “When the underlying expectations are shattered, people react with feelings of betrayal. It’s not surprising that some people say, ‘Isn’t this going too far?’“
He further speculated, “Small agencies often can’t afford to have exclusive trainers, so they resort to outsourcing. FIFTY FIFTY appeared on a radio show, and the girls cutely said, ‘It’s our CEO’s birthday.’ That CEO was the CEO of the outsourcing agency (An Sung Il). He was the person who had been fully dedicated to FIFTY FIFTY’s music production. They had a deep emotional connection with An Sung Il.“
Kim Gab Soo continued, “The members of FIFTY FIFTY are relatively young. I’m not trying to defend them, but it’s possible to deduce. An Sung Il probably had some unfavorable business plans. They thought it was the right time, so they persuaded their parents and strategically overturned the situation. The members probably didn’t have any thoughts about it. They just followed him.”
He criticized, “The clause they presented, saying that FIFTY FIFTY would leave ATTRAKT, is absurd. It’s only been seven months, so what kind of settlement is this? They touched something they shouldn’t have.“
Kim Gab Soo concluded, “The members thought it was a good opportunity, and the parents thought it was a good chance without any thoughts. They were trying to terminate the contract due to the pursuit of commercial profit by the outsourced production. They probably didn’t expect it to become such a huge and chaotic situation. Even if they go back to ATTRAKT, who would want that?“
Source: nate.
