SM Entertainment has confirmed that Taeil has left NCT. On Wednesday, Aug. 28, the South Korean entertainment company released a statement on X revealing that the singer left the K-pop group after being accused of a sex crime. The agency did not give any further further details regarding the accusation made against Taeil. However, according to a translation by Soompi, SM Entertainment said that after “assessing the facts related to the matter,” the company has decided that Taeil could no longer continue as a member of NCT.
NCT’s Taeil Accused of A Sexual Offense, Confirms SM Entertainment
After talking it over with him, both the K-pop star and SM Entertainment have decided it would be best if he departed the group. His activities with NCT have been halted immediately.
The company added that Taeil has been “cooperating fully” as investigations continue regarding his sexual offense allegations. It promised fans that it would release more details in follow-up statements “as the investigation progresses.” SM Entertainment ended its message by apologizing “for the concern and distress caused by our artist.”
Check out SM Entertainment’s full statement addressing the situation below.
The news has understandably shocked K-pop fans around the world who had been following Taeil for years. The singer, whose full name is Moon Taeil, debuted under the rotational subgroup NCT U in April 2016. Later that year, he also joined the subunit NCT 127.
Apart from his group activities, Taeil has also released several solo songs over the years. Some of his music has even been featured in K-dramas like Twenty-Five, Twenty One and Love to Hate You.
Since the sexual offense allegations have been made public, Taeil has not released his own statement addressing the controversy.