FACT CHECK: Are FIFTY FIFTY’s Meal Allowances Just $165 a Month for Food?

Before getting with the case, let us first navigate the underlying issue here–

Body image in K-pop is a repressed concept that ought to have an open discourse. Although Korean beauty and body standards are firmly rooted in the culture, it’s high time that people realized the health complications and mental implications of imposing such standards among young trainees.

These beauty standards are even more elevated for K-pop idols. K-Netz have been notorious for tearing apart the Idol’s body proportions and posting harsh comments. Although most agencies are taking action against such malicious comments, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Several anecdotes have surfaced in the past generations where idols would undergo bizarre diets– like Momo from Twice would eat ice, Jimin from BTS would have only one meal in ten days, and soloist IU would go on strict diets before her comeback, among several others.

There needs to be a representation of healthy body positivity and dietary practices. However, it seems like even in the 4th gen era, it’s a long road to body acceptance.

In a recent revelation, the rookie girl group FIFTY FIFTY exposed their agency of providing insufficient meals that accounted for around $165 a month. They further stated how the company mistreated them by throwing away the food they brought home. The allegations are severe and thoroughly messed up, regardless of whether the company has financial retrains or wants the idols to go on a strict diet.

Are FIFTY FIFTY’s Meal Allowances Just $165 a Month for Food?

On August 19, an episode of ‘Unanswered Questions’ dived deep into the FIFTY FIFTY controversy.

Here are bullet points on the allegations against ATTRAKT–

• ATTRAKT allotted insufficient meal allowance to FIFTY FIFTY, consisting of four members.
• ATTRAKT’s account for the meal expenditure showed shocking numbers. For about 2 years before their debut, the agency reportedly spent an average of only $165 per month.
• Out of 33 months of providing them meal allowances, they did not give a single penny for 12 months. Some reports suggest that they only paid 55,00 KRW (~ USD 41) per month for the rest of the time.
• The girls were put on a strict diet of chicken breast and butter coffee. In over three months, the total amounted to 1.72 million KRW ($1287). But at the same time, the accounts showed that this expenditure also included staff’s meals in March 2021.

• In May 2021, the agency spent 1.02 million KRW on detox ingredients, implying that the members were subjected to unhealthy dietary practices.
• FIFTY FIFTY’s trainer also complained during the second half of 2021 that the girls are not getting sufficient nutritional values, stating, “insufficient protein and vegetables,” “please have breakfast,” “lack of nutrient supply,” and “konjac jelly should only be consumed as a snack, not as a meal replacement.”
• After raising concerns from their parents, from August 2022 to February 2023, the girls were allowed to grab a salad from the nearby shop, but the budget was only 11000 KRW ($7-8) per day.

• CCTV cameras were installed inside and outside the agency and dorm. The girls were thriving in highly controlled and under-surveillance environments if they were found eating outside the diet.
• In one such account, ATTRAKT and The Givers staff threw away the food the members’ parents bought for them and then made them pick it up from the floor as an added insult.

Here are the official and legal statements from representatives–

FIFTY FIFTY’s legal representative, Attorney Yoo Young Seok of the law firm Barun– “The management company only provided meal schedules to the members. The members largely handled the purchase, preparation, and consumption of meals themselves and reported to the company through photographs.”

FIFTY FIFTY’s official representative explained–

“July 2021 was a time when ATTRAKT and The Givers were operating as a single entity, so the members didn’t even distinguish between the two companies. It’s meaningless to distinguish the two labels and compare which one was worse. Both staff members from ATTRAKT and The Givers excessively controlled the members.”

“If you look at the photo, there are a lot of surveillance cameras installed. There are surveillance cameras installed even in their dorms. This is from the surveillance footage on July 6, 2021, but they kept the record even now. It appears everything was recorded for the purpose of keeping watch and control. It can’t be considered to have been installed for ordinary purposes. Also, it is known that these surveillance footages can be monitored directly from ATTRAKT CEO Jun Hong Joon’s office.”

These reports are yet to be confirmed, while ATTRAKT has not made any statements yet. However, if these allegations hold true, they reveal the level of exploitation an idol has to endure.

Previously, FIFTY FIFTY was under fire for allegedly betraying their CEO and making false claims against their agency ATTRAKT. However, these recent allegations of insufficient meal allowances might give a perspective on the girls’ plight as well.

What are your thoughts on the alleged mistreatment of FIFTY FIFTY?

Do you think that strict dietary practices should be abolished? Let us know in the comments section below.