The glitz and glamor of the K-pop industry has recently been overshadowed by even more unsettling revelations surrounding the group FIFTY FIFTY. The group’s management company, ATTRAKT, has come under fire for allegedly failing to provide adequate meals. However, the plot thickens as both the girls’ agency and The Givers, an external company, were implicated in the infamous food dumping incident.
Documents obtained by media outlet Ten Asia revealed that ATTRAKT claimed to have supported FIFTY FIFTY‘s meal expenses from June 2020 to March 2023. The total expenditure amounted to 7.26 million KRW (~5,416.82 USD) over 33 months. This translates to a meager 55,000 KRW (41.04 USD) per member per month.
If what I just read about what fifty fifty were put through in attrakt is a correct translation… I fear my anger might actually over boil
— em ★⁵ (@Emzileenie) August 22, 2023
However, there were 12 months during this period when the agency gave no food support. Moreover, beginning October 2022, when the members began their debut preparations in earnest, the manager provided meals. The financial statements didn’t distinguish between members’ and staff’s meals. In reality, ATTRAKT didn’t bear any costs as they divided the 726 million won among the members.
The diet provided by the agency consisted mainly of butter coffee and chicken breasts. From June to September 2020, this was the only food provided. In June, the agency calculated that the girls consumed 1 million KRW worth of food. This amount included the share of FIFTY FIFTY trainees. Over three months, they spent 172 million KRW on the aforementioned butter coffee and chicken breasts. In March 2021, they also included the cost of meals for photo staff (36 million KRW) in the members’ food expenses. In May 2021, they spent 102 million KRW on detox ingredients.
this is just a small portion of what needs to be unpacked in this new information that was revealed.. and there’s ALOT
— em ★⁵ (@Emzileenie) August 22, 2023
The mistreatment of FIFTY FIFTY
Members and their families were concerned about their diet, fearing it would harm the members’ health. Feedback from a trainer in the second half of 2021 noted a lack of protein and vegetables and emphasized the need for essential nutrients. Responding to these growing concerns, the agency consulted a nutritionist in June 2022.
After the consultation, members were given a daily meal allowance at a salad restaurant. However, this allowance was capped at 10,000 KRW (7.46 USD) per day. FIFTY FIFTY‘s legal representative revealed that the agency only provided a diet chart, and the members managed food preparation by themselves. They would report to ATTRAKT by sending photos.
Fifty fifty were given the food charges for 33 months worth of food costs which included ex-trainee and staff food in their settlement. Attrakt bared NO charges in relation to food. so not only were they given so little money or choice for food, they bare ALL the cost of it.
— em ★⁵ (@Emzileenie) August 22, 2023
Adding to the controversy, an episode of Unanswered Questions shed light on the mistreatment of FIFTY FIFTY. The episode highlighted an incident where management tossed out food sent by the members’ families. It took place in July 2021 at the agency’s training center in Gangnam. ATTRAKT and The Givers operated as one entity then. Both companies controlled the members excessively, so distinguishing between the two would be meaningless.
Adding to the members’ distress, surveillance footage from the same month revealed an excessive number of CCTV cameras installed at the members’ dorms and the training center. These cameras, believed to be for monitoring, could reportedly be accessed directly from ATTRAKT CEO Jun Hong Joon’s office.
This in itself is an incredibly disgusting mindset to have.
not once has it occurred in that air between your ears that extremely restrictive diets are unethical no matter what group it is or the way the idols looks and shouldn’t be normalised to be part of idol life. https://t.co/5x5aL5iAFS— em ★⁵ (@Emzileenie) August 22, 2023
Challenges and hardships
A representative from another agency weighed in on the issue, highlighting the challenges faced by small to mid-sized companies in managing idols. They pointed out that although dietary management is essential, not considering the artists’ health is an outdated management approach.
@saenasundrop Replying to @soyliarrzz there is proof #fyp #fiftyfifty #urwrong #cctv #extremediets #kpop #viral #abuse
These latest developments in the FIFTY FIFTY controversy shed some light on the darker aspects of the K-pop industry. While fans see the glamor and success, the artists often face challenges and hardships behind the scenes. It’s a stark reminder that the well-being of artists should always be a priority. – K-Pop News Writer
Featured Image: They were practically starved by their agency. Source: Twitter/@fiftyfiftylog.
