Fifty Fifty
Small and medium-sized idols who have never been on the stage, even the miracle of the ‘2nd BTS’ is a waste
It’s a dispute between an idol and an agency, but public opinion of sympathy for the agency is exceptional.
Until this May, 55 Fifty was the Cinderella of the idol world. She stood on stage and she didn’t even sing. But she also tore apart pop’s original British music industry after America. The popularity of FiftyFifty, ‘small and medium-sized idols without faces’, was explosive. Exactly 100 days ago, following the US Billboard, the UK Official Singles Chart Top 100 soared for 6 consecutive weeks. It was the first K-pop girl group to land in the top 10 on this chart.
On the latest chart released on May 5 (local time), “Cupid” climbed 9 places from the previous week and ranked 9th. ‘Cupid’ first entered the chart at No. 96, then rose vertically from No. 61 → No. 34 → No. 26 → No. 18 → No. 9. Until then, Blackpink and Lady Gaga’s collaboration in 2020, “Sour Candy,” ranked 17th.
The UK’s official charts were also ready. “As ‘Cupid’ became the first top 10 song by a K-pop girl group, Fifty Fifty made British chart history”
It is a record that has not been achieved by K-pop’s ace girl groups such as Blackpink, New Jeans, and Twice. “Cupid” was a historical feat that proved that K-pop could be successful in Britain, the origin of pop, following the United States. At the time, “Cupid” was on the rise for six consecutive weeks on the US Billboard singles chart Hot 100, the two biggest charts in the world.
But it was good luck. Fifty Fifty is in a position to become a bubble after the ‘miracle one hit’. I once met Jeon Hong-joon, the CEO of this small idol’s agency. It was through Choi Seung-ho, who was vice president with him for 30 years. My first impression was that he didn’t seem like someone with a lot of bones in the pop music industry. It looked like a ‘culprit’ who lived a clear, bright, and kind life.
‘If I had worked on that floor for 30 years, I would have had a rather different impression… ‘ It was very surprising. They congratulated the first idol’s invitation by applauding silently. Around that time, he also wrote a column praising Fifty Fifty’s accomplishments. But along with the good news, the creaking has also begun. It’s a field I don’t know well, so I had forgotten about it hoping it would be well organized.
Then it spread to a legal dispute, and there was a buzz outside the market. however… When there was a dispute between an agency and an idol, the public was usually on the side of the idol. That must be the ‘strong fan spirit’…
Surprisingly, this time, public opinion sympathizing with the agency was overwhelming. It is because Jeon Hong-joon confessed to a media outlet that “I even sold a watch and a car to release a physical album.” He honestly revealed the difficult production process and aroused sympathy. After that, the field tilted sharply.
In early July, key evidence also came out. Even the recording of Attract’s phone call with Warner Music Korea was released, which served as an opportunity for a decisive reversal.
Senior Vice President Yoon: “I have something to check”
Attract CEO Jeon Hong-joon: “Yes, yes.”
Senior Vice President Yoon: “I made an offer of 20 billion won to CEO Ahn Seong-il for a buyout before.”
Jeon Hong-jun: “I haven’t heard of it.”
Executive Director Yoon: “Haven’t you heard of it?”
Jeon Hong-jun: “Yes.”
Jeon Hong-jun: “What is a buyout?”
Executive Director Yoon: “No, that label… ”
Jeon Hong-joon: “A label, which one?”
Senior Vice President Yoon: “So we all. ”
Jeon Hong-jun: “No, no.”
It was the contents of the file recorded on May 9th. The agency Attract was a local agency. That’s why I relied on Givers’ side of my personal network from Warner Music Korea, who is well versed in overseas streaming. Everyone’s eyes turned upside down with Cupid’s ‘One Hit Wonder’.
The birth of a ‘miracle small and medium-sized idol’ invited even the ambition that caused the disaster. Warner Music Korea plans to swallow Fifty Fifty, whose contract has expired, without even pulling out his hair? Ahn Seong-il, CEO of Giverse, is a former Warner Music graduate.
The “buyout of 20 billion won” revealed the end of luck. ‘Bang Shi-hyeok of BTS!’ That ambition overlapped with the members’ parents’ greed, resulting in a disaster. The legal proceedings proceeded in two directions. The civil case will be concluded soon in the Seoul Civil Court. Detectives are also complicated, but that takes time. The problem is that even if the members of Fifty Fifty beat Attract in court, it is an honor that only scars them. There is no future for them whose fandom has left them.
Winning the case does not guarantee a fresh start. Jeon Hong-joon, a purebred, is a loser who has lost a lot in the short term. All the big companies that were courting me for advertising have all left. But he will be bound to be a winner in the long run. He tried to grow small and medium-sized stones by selling cars and even watches. He said that it garnered public sympathy. Large corporations also watched this process. Fifty Fifty is a ‘group without a face’. With just one song, ‘Cupid’, I got up in the air in a short time.
In the future, Jeon Hong-joon just needs to grow new dream trees. It is because it is trusted by the public of society. He has no asset as important as his trust. The public’s reaction to his existing members is cold. It also means they can’t go on stage.
Can I do individual activities abroad? It won’t be easy either. Domestic fans treat them as ‘renegade idols’. They have crossed the ‘Bridge of No Return’. It was a disaster that overlapped with the overeager of the parents and the overseas idiot. There are many examples of idol groups not getting the treatment they put in. Fifty Fifty are rookies who debuted last November. The dissatisfaction of the group, which debuted less than a year ago, was excessive. After consulting with their parents, the members took legal action.
In the complaint, he made an absurd claim, saying that the settlement was wrong. However, the rationale for this was not precisely established. It is true that ‘Cupid-English Version’ became popular overseas. Thanks to streaming and SNS shorts, I benefited from the change of the times. They were Cinderella idols who did not even stand on the stage and made a fortune. He gained popularity abroad through music he listened to and streaming. Most of the revenue they will earn comes from overseas copyright fees. This revenue is not a structure that can be paid immediately. The same goes for domestic music sites. It will be paid on a monthly or quarterly basis. Overseas revenue is also a matter of time, but it comes to the domestic copyright association, and it will inevitably take time.
This is the dominant reason for the public opinion that the demand for members is excessive. Attract’s side suspects Dugibus CEO Ahn Seong-il as being behind the 55-fifty ‘extortion’ attempt. Two months ago, it was also sent as a proof of contents. Warner Music Korea denied that it was “unfounded.” This issue has spread to the popular music industry’tampering controversy’. It refers to a scam that tricks transfers without the permission of the affiliated team. It was even pointed out that the National Assembly should conduct a fact-finding investigation.
Desperately needing advanced manuals to prevent similar disputes between idols and agencies
In many cases, disputes over exclusive contracts are caused by attempts by other entertainment agencies to steal singers. Controversy over tampering sparks in the music industry as well. On August 25, at the National Assembly Culture and Sports Committee, “The standard of fairness is the most important. We are watching the situation with that standard” (Minister Park Bo-gyun).
Representative Lee Yong said, “Fifty Fifty was selected for the music division of the Disney investment project, but the contract was terminated due to this controversy. This is Korea’s loss,” he pointed out. I agree with his assertion that an investigation into the reality of tampering in the entertainment industry is essential. Celebrities are the ‘most valuable asset’ in small and medium-sized agencies. Celebrity tampering is compared to ‘stealing technology from small and medium-sized enterprises’. SBS ‘I want to know (that egg)’ picked a beehive. The public is sympathetic to the agency, talking about ‘betrayal idols’. Even so, it was a biased broadcast to the members. After only 5 days, they made an apology broadcast and lowered their tail.
There was even a petition campaign to “abolish the program”. Nearly 7,500 people agreed to hundreds of critical comments and a petition to the National Assembly demanding abolition. “I deeply apologize for hurting the hearts of the people and fans who work in the K-pop field” (‘The Egg’), “I will fill in the missing parts in the follow-up broadcast,” he said.
This is how the controversy over biased broadcasting of the ‘Billboard and Girl Groups – Who Broke Their Wings’ episode was raised. ‘Both the agency Attract and the agency Dugiverse have problems. As a result, Fifty Fifty members became victims’. It mainly talked about the members giving up their personal lives and working hard at a young age. The problem was expressed as if the members had to repay all of the 6 billion won worth of the agency’s investment advance payment. The money to be repaid is 3 billion won for the ‘direct cost’ of fostering. It was also said that if there is no profit during the exclusive contract period, the agency bears the debt. Without confirmation, I only listened to the member’s lawyer and broadcasted it. It was also problematic to criticize the content by citing internal officials. This man was an imaginary figure neither Attract nor Dugibus knew about.
It’s just a fan leaning on Fifty Fifty’s side, but it’s manipulated. The epicenter of biased broadcasting seems to be the parents of the members. Parents told ‘Gal’ that they were treated unfairly, saying, “There is no way to return to Attract.” However, before the lawsuit, the parents of the members applied for trademark rights for the team name. It is a reasonable suspicion that they broke the contract in advance and tried to do business with the ‘Fifty Fifty trademark’. The broadcast, however, did not cover this part at all. Even the closing comment, “talented artists have the right to choose talented producers” (host) was biased. Major domestic entertainment organizations have demanded an official apology and corrections from the production team.
The Korea Management Association criticized, “The report was made without even checking the exact facts due to one-sided claims, emotional appeals, and unconfirmed revelations.” “Disparaging the pop culture industry as a gambling board” “Disparaging normal producers as gamblers” The Korea Entertainment Producers Association also said, “We strongly urge an official apology and corrections from SBS and the production team of ‘Gal’.”
Viewers were even more angry at the formal apology from ‘Gal’. In less than a day after the apology, more than 900 comments were posted. Most of the criticism was that the production team’s apology was just an excuse. “Are you saying that the people feel biased because they are fools?” “What a follow-up broadcast without sincerity or apology!”
Viewers’ complaints were also raised to the vigilance committee. After review, the complaint will be transferred to the deliberation subcommittee. ‘Gal’ did not verify the member’s claim. Most of all, it is that they followed the reporting style that fit into the ‘relationship of power’ between the agency and the idol. Biased reporting in a disputed situation is highly likely to violate the ‘broadcasting review regulations’.
“The CEO did not participate in the end-of-month evaluation,” “He threw the food sent by his parents on the floor,” and “The members did not properly provide meals.” These revelations of ‘Gal’ are not basic. You should have confirmed with the opposing party and reflected their counterarguments. Is there something written in the eyes of the production crew, or is there another background? Reasonable doubts are raised even in the biased ‘Gal’ broadcast. Fifty Fifty’s image is on the decline. How good would it have been if they had grown up as ‘small and medium-sized idol BTS’ instead of ‘betrayal idols’? This situation is truly unfortunate. Consuming disputes between artists and agencies do not help at all in the ‘long run of K-pop’. It is necessary to introduce advanced systems such as contract manuals in the United States and Britain, which are developed countries in popular art. Investigation of tampering in the entertainment industry and reasonable resolution of disputes between agency artists are urgently needed.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism needs to fix irrational and pre-modern contracts and practices in the entertainment industry as soon as possible. This is because K-Korean Wave and K-Pop are one of the driving forces that raise the status and national prestige of Korea.
