NCT’s Taeil leaves K-pop group after sex crime allegations

SM Entertainment – ​​the K-pop agency that owns NCT, Aespa, Riize and others – has announced that a member of NCT has been expelled from the band following allegations of unspecified sexual abuse.

In a statement uploaded to XSM Entertainment said 30-year-old Taeli was “charged in a criminal case for a sex crime.” A spokesperson for the agency said diversity“When examining the facts of this matter, we recognized the seriousness of the problem and determined that he can no longer continue team activities. After consulting with Taeil, it was decided that he would resign from the team.”

The agency further stated that Taeil was “fully cooperating” with the ongoing police investigation and apologized “for the controversy our artist has caused.”

NCT is the original unit of the NCT Universe, SM Entertainment’s take on a multi-unit boy band project. Originally designed with an unlimited number of members, the NCT Universe also includes sub-units NCT 127, NCT Dream, and more. Taeli was part of the parent NCT unit as well as the sub-unit NCT 127.

Earlier this year, SM Entertainment had to address another scandal involving NCT members Johnny and Haechan, as well as Heechul from the group Super Junior. The latter was accused online of having sexual affairs with bar hostesses. SM Entertainment denied these rumors at the time.

NCT 127’s Sticker – The Third Album is their most successful and longest-running album in the United States. It peaked at number 3 in 2021 with 3.6 million streams and was by far the best-selling album of its debut week, thanks in part to the strategy widely used in the K-pop industry of selling the CD in a variety of physical deluxe packages.