K-pop singer Taeil leaves NCT due to sex crime allegations

SM Entertainment announced on social media platform, X, that South Korean singer Taeil from NCT is leaving the boy band after being accused in a criminal case related to a sexual crime. The agency did not release any details about the allegations but it was said that he is fully cooperating with the police investigations. 

Translation: “This is SM Entertainment.

We have recently confirmed that Taeil has been sued in a criminal case related to a sexual crime. 

While trying to ascertain the facts, we recognized the severity of the matter and have decided that it would no longer be possible for him to continue team activities. After discussions with Taeil, we have decided on his departure from the team. Taeil is currently cooperating fully with the police investigation, and we will provide additional statements as the investigation progresses.

We sincerely apologise for the controversy caused by our artist.”

Taeil himself has not yet publicly commented on the allegations.

Taeil was a part of NCT, also known as Neo Culture Technology - a well-known South Korean boy band that debuted in 2016. The group has over 24 members divided into a number of subgroups, including NCT 127, NCT Dream, and NCT Wish. Taeil was recently active in NCT 127.

NCT members unfollow Taeil on social media

Immediately after the announcement, NCT’s official Instagram accounts, including those for NCT 127, unfollowed Taeil’s personal account. This move was soon mirrored by several individual members, indicating a clear effort to distance themselves from the controversy.

Taeyong was among the first to unfollow Taeil and took things further by unfollowing all other accounts he had previously followed, reducing his following list to zero. He also deleted multiple photos featuring Taeil.

Following Taeyong’s lead, Doyoung unfollowed Taeil and also cleared his entire following list.

Other members, like Haechan, Johnny, Winwin, WayV, Mark and Jungwoo, also chose to unfollow Taeil’s account, further reinforcing the group’s collective stance.

NCT Zone announces that it will delete all content related to Taeil

NCT Zone, the mobile game released by SM Entertainment in December 2023, has announced that it will no longer post content related to Taeil and will even delete pre-existing content about him. 

The game allows players to collect cards based on the NCT members and there is widespread concern about what is going to happen to the cards related to Taeil. Players are commenting on the post, requesting the administrators to convert his cards to that of other players.

NCT Zone has not declared any further action but is responding to complaints with “We are carefully reviewing the situation and the team is coming up with ways to resolve this fairly for all players in the game. We ask for your patience and understanding.”

Taeil’s club activities surface on social media

Netizens quickly began scrutinising Taeil’s past behaviour, particularly his club activities. A photo allegedly showing Taeil at a nightclub during his injury-related hiatus in March 2024 resurfaced on social media. Initially shared by a user on X (formerly Twitter), the image sparked discussions about Taeil’s behaviour. 

However, it is uncertain when the pictures were taken and there are some speculations that it might have been taken before his injury in July 2023.

Fans are furious over his actions

Nonetheless, many of his fans are expressing disgust over his actions on X and this is indirectly causing turbulence to NCT’s fanbase as well.

Some are closing fan accounts and others are going as far as destroying merchandise.

However, it is important to note that no facts about this case have been presented yet. All we know as of now is that he has been indicted for an unspecified sexual crime.