Seoul, South Korea — Singer Taeil has left the K-pop group NCT after being accused of specific sexual misconduct, his agency announced today.
His agency, SM Entertainment, released a statement to X on Wednesday, saying the NCT member would be leaving the boy band after learning he was “involved in a criminal case involving sexual misconduct.” The label did not specify the nature of the crime.
“We recognized the seriousness of the matter and have decided that Taeil can no longer continue with the group,” the label said. “We have discussed this matter with Taeil and he has decided to leave the group.” The label added that he is fully cooperating with the police investigation.
Taeil was a member of the globally popular South Korean boy band NCT, which debuted in 2016. The group currently has over 20 members, divided into several sub-units, including NCT 127, NCT Dream, and NCT Wish. Taeil was most recently a member of NCT 127.
SM Entertainment’s statement garnered more than 45.7 million views in just three hours.
K-pop is a music genre that originated in Korea and is a portmanteau of the words pop and R.&It is a mix of Western take on B and hip-hop sounds, as well as elements of the country’s culture, and has grown into a global phenomenon, especially following the success of boy band BTS in the late 2010s.
