[Exclusive]Former FIFTY members set to make a comeback as the appeal trial regarding 'An Sung-il's 1.6 billion won tampering' begins in May.

*This content was translated by AI.

The appeal hearing in the damages lawsuit filed by Fifth Harmony's agency, Attrakt, against Deegibus, is set to resume in May.

The Seoul High Court's 4th Civil Division (Case No. [G]) is scheduled to hold the first appeal hearing on the 28th in the damages lawsuit filed by Attrakt against The Givers and An Seong-il (CEO), Baek Jin-sil (Director).

In a January ruling, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Collegiate Panel No. 33, presided over by Judge Choi Jong-jin (Director), partially ruled in favor of the plaintiff, ordering Dagi Bus and An (CEO) to jointly pay 499.5 million won for the attraction. Following this decision, both the side of Ahn Seong-il and both parties representing the attraction filed appeals, leading to the resumption of the trial.

Attraxt stated in an official statement after the first-instance verdict that "although late, this is a very welcome outcome as it marks the first case where the court recognized Daegivebus and An Seong-il (CEO) for obstructing business and embezzlement." Attraxt added, "Through this lawsuit, we wanted to demonstrate our sincere and fair-minded heart, and it is somewhat comforting to see that the defendants have received the consequences of their actions. We will repay the warm support we received by delivering even better music and activities."

It also announced that it is simultaneously pursuing a 13 billion won damages lawsuit against former members Sana, Aran, and Shio, who left the team without authorization due to the tampering incident, along with their parents, DeGivers, An Seong-il (CEO), and Baek Jin-sil (Director), as well as a 20 billion won damages lawsuit against Warner Music Korea and Clayton Jin (Jin Seung-young).

Jeon Hong-jun, CEO of Attrakt, stated, "In order to ensure a bright vision and development for K-pop, we will devote our utmost effort to the lawsuit to set a positive precedent rather than a negative one," and added, "We bow our heads in deep gratitude to everyone who has offered their passionate support and encouragement thus far."

Meanwhile, according to the complaint filed by Attrax in this lawsuit, DeGivers An Seong-il (CEO) and Baek Jin-sil (Director) not only violated their obligations under the business service contract concluded with Attrax but also obstructed the plaintiff's work, deceived the plaintiff, and engaged in fiduciary misconduct contrary to the plaintiff's interests, thereby causing property damage to the plaintiff.

Attraction stated in court that "basically, this is a claim for damages regarding the defendants' tortious acts and breach of contract. An Seong-il (CEO) committed embezzlement exceeding 150 million won by entering into a business service contract that was not pre-negotiated, and Baek Jin-sil (Director) committed illegal acts such as rejecting advertising solicitation proposals, leaving the fan cafe without authorization, and deleting email accounts," while also asserting that "Deegebus failed to properly fulfill its settlement obligations."

However, An Seong-il's side stated, "This case has already been widely reported in the media in a manner favorable to the plaintiff," adding, "The defendant has not responded to these reports at all, and since specific factual details will be clarified through the trial proceedings, we have chosen not to respond, which is how we have arrived at this point." They further noted, "Ultimately, the claim is that the defendant unilaterally terminated the service contract, but the contract was actually terminated by mutual agreement, and the defendant was hardly involved in any disputes between the plaintiff and the members." They added, "While we will need to examine the specific factual details, there are ongoing investigative aspects, and the outcome will likely depend heavily on those facts. We will address each specific issue one by one with rebuttals as the court proceeds."

An Seong-il (CEO) is known as an indispensable figure in the Fifty Fifty incident. Following the designation of external forces by Attrakt's Jeon Hong-jun (CEO), disputes have continued over allegations of tampering with Fifty Fifty and controversies surrounding the copyright of the hit song "Cupid." As a result, criticism toward An Seong-il (CEO) has intensified, intertwined with positive stories about Jeon Hong-jun (CEO), who has long experience in management within the K-pop scene and the broader pop music industry prior to it.

Nevertheless, An Seong-il (CEO) is preparing for a comeback by reuniting with Sana Shio Aran, who announced a return to activity after establishing a new home under the label MASSIVE E&C, a subsidiary of iOK Company.

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*This content was translated by AI.