[FACTCHECK] How Cupid's arrow backfired on girl group Fifty Fifty

Once dubbed a “miracle from a small company,” girl group Fifty Fifty is now the butt of the joke. The “icon of betrayal” and the “golden goose that disemboweled itself” are some of the new, mocking monikers it has earned ever since it became ...

Girl group Fifty Fifty performs its megahit "Cupid" during a press conference in April 2023. [NEWS1]

Once dubbed a “miracle from a small company,” girl group Fifty Fifty is now the butt of the joke.

The “icon of betrayal” and the “golden goose that disemboweled itself” are some of the new, mocking monikers it has earned ever since it became embroiled in a legal battle with its agency Attrakt last month.

The saga started in late June when Attrakt alleged that outside forces were attempting to poach the Fifty Fifty members after its overnight rise to stardom through the TikTok sensation "Cupid." Shortly afterward, however, the four members of Fifty Fifty sued Attrakt to suspend their exclusive contracts, pointing to the lack of transparency in financial documents and the constant pressure for members to perform despite poor health conditions.

Fifty Fifty’s legal action was not only met with skepticism, but also intense criticism and ridicule.

Of course, Koreans are known for holding celebrities to a higher standard of moral conduct. But the Korean public has also usually sided with the artist in similar legal battles, as seen the cases of boy band TVXQ! in 2009 and girl group Loona earlier this year.

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BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]