Fifty Fifty's agency to launch new girl group next year

Company to start an audition program to debut a new group

A poster of Fifty Fifty agency Attrack's new girl group project (Attrakt)

Attrakt, the company behind the beleaguered girl group Fifty Fifty, is gearing up to debut a new female team next year through an audition show.

"Attrakt is kicking into a new project to nurture a new girl group. All the members of the group will be selected through an audition show, and the whole process will be made public," the company said in a statement, adding it aims to debut the group next year.

While not much has been unveiled so far, Attrakt said the main point of its new audition lies in the "viewers' pick."

"Contestants who get along with the public and get chosen by them will get to debut. This will also be a main element in the evaluation procedure," the statement added.

In the Monday statement, Attrakt CEO Jeon Hong-jun said, "I feel responsible to create new content for the investors who have trusted and supported the company, as well as all the staff striving on the field and for the future of the company," and added, "With the new girl group and other projects, we will take our steps forward one by one."

Attrakt has been embroiled in a legal battle with its first girl group, Fifty Fifty, regarding the group's exclusive contract with the agency.

The four bandmates in June applied for an injunction to suspend the effectiveness of their contracts with their agency, only to be recently denied by the court. The quartet said it will appeal the case.

Separately, Attrakt is seeking to drum up investment. On Thursday, it announced it signed a memorandum of understanding with Evergreen Group Holdings, which outlined the Singapore-based enterprise's 10 billion won ($7.5 million) investment into the K-pop label.

By Choi Ji-won(jwc@heraldcorp.com)