"We proposed to take over all of the members": Warner Music Korea's phone call conversation with FIFTY FIFTY's agency, ATTRAKT, leaked

On July 3, 2023, rookie K-pop group FIFTY FIFTY's agency, ATTRAKT, initially accused Warner Music Korea of trying to poach their artist. To this, the company responded by denying the same. However, ATTRAKT further pushed their stance by revealing a phone call conversation between a representative of Warner Music Korea and the CEO of their agency, Jun Hong-joon, to the press, which later met the internet through a YouTube video.

Warner Music Korea: "We proposed to take over all of the members and such..."

Earlier, ATTRAKT made a statement sharing that some third-party companies were trying to lure the Cupid singers by breaking their exclusive contract with them, which they followed up by stating that one of the companies was Warner Music Korea. However, the latter soon replied the statement saying that the accusations made by the agency were groundless and invaluable.

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ATTRAKT reveals phone call conversation with Warner Music Korea as proof that the company tried to poach FIFTY FIFTY

The feud between the two establishments, ATTRAKT and Warner Music Korea, began a week ago when FIFTY FIFTY's agency initially revealed that a few companies were trying to poach the group.

The same was a believable accusation since the group has been doing particularly well in the music charts and among the fandom, with only one song, Cupid, sitting in their discography. The song went viral worldwide, attracting all kinds of fans, even the ones who aren't interactive with K-pop.

When ATTRAKT revealed that Warner Music Korea, the company that manages the overseas promotions of FIFTY FIFTY, was trying to poach them, they were quick to deny it. However, the agency has more to prove with the reveal of the phone call conversation.

The conversation started with a Warner Music Korea representative stating that they need to make sure of something with the CEO of ATTRAKT. However, when the representative asked if he was aware of the dealing that was in the talks between the two establishments, he said that he wasn't.

Note: Warner Music Korea's representative will be referred to as WMK and ATTRAKT's Ceo Jung Hong-joon will be referred to as CEO JHJ.

WMK: "We have proposed 20 billion KRW for the buyout to Ahn Sung-il."

CEO JHJ: "I have not heard of it."

WMK: "You are unaware of it?"

Furthermore, the representative said that there was a plan to buy FIFTY FIFTY from ATTRAKT.

WMK: "So... in simple language, we proposed to take over all of the members and such."

CEO JHJ: "No, not at all."

Through the phone call conversation, FIFTY FIFTY's agency aimed to prove that CEO Ah Sung-il, owner of The Givers, was trying to sell the group without the knowledge of ATTRAKT's CEO. The Givers is an external music production company that ATTRAKT hired when their company was initially established, and the four-member K-pop group is a collaborative production between them.

Since The Givers were availed of the management and music production aspects of the contract, ATTRAKT's efforts were to showcase the ways in which FIFTY FIFTY was tried to be sold off. However, The Givers have also responded to the phone call reveal, explaining their stance.

"ATTRAKT is distorting it as if Ahn Sung-il, our company's CEO, had a discussion with Warner Music Korea about the future of the FIFTY FIFTY members out of his own will, but this is not true. Warner Music Korea made a suggestion about structuring a 'label deal', and a source from Warner Music Korea wanted to discuss it with ATTRAKT CEO Jeon Hong-joon, so the two companies were connected. "

They continued:

"We passed the word of Warner Music Korea's proposal onto them because we thought it would benefit the company and artists in the long run. CEO Jeon Hong-joon expressed his intention to reject Warner Music Korea in hopes of listing ATTRAKT."

The Givers concluded by saying:

"We are not a decision maker and have not played any unnecessary role in this. ATTRAKT claimed that the company is plotting behind-the-scenes out of dissatisfaction due to them not accepting the Warner Music Korea label deal, but that isn't true at all."

As the confusion around the label's stances with third-party companies trying to poach them continues to build up, the situation gets more complicated for fans who wonder about the future of FIFTY FIFTY, given that they debuted not too long ago.