K-pop band NCT drops singer Taeil amid sex crime accusations
August 28, 2024
Taeil will be leaving the boyband NCT after being "accused in a criminal case related to a sexual crime," according to the group's label. The nature of the crime was not specified.
Taeil (right) will leave K-pop group NCT 127 after being accused of an unspecified sexual crimeImage: Lee Jin-man/AP Photo/picture alliance
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South Korean singer Taeil has been kicked out of the popular K-pop group NCT after he was accused of having committed an unspecified sexual crime, his label SM Entertainment said on Wednesday.
"We recognized the seriousness of the issue, and we have decided that Taeil can no longer continue team activities," SM Entertainment wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"We have discussed this matter with Taeil, and it has been decided that he will leave the group," it said, adding that Taeil is fully cooperating with the police investigation.
The singer is also the fourth member of NCT to leave the group in recent years. Earlier this year, SM Entertainment released a statement denying allegations that NCT members Johnny and Haechan were involved in a sex scandal.
K-pop: Scandals and tragedies
South Korea's K-pop industry is hugely famous across Asia. While K-pop artists enjoy massive popularity among their fans, a series of scandals and untimely celebrity deaths have put a spotlight on K-pop's ugly side.
Image: Getty Images
More and more deaths
Cha In-ha, a popular South Korean actor-singer, was found dead at his home on December 3, 2019. A police official told media that the cause of Cha's death was not immediately known. The 27-year-old celebrity made his film debut in 2017 and was part of the Surprise U band, which released two albums. There were no reports to suggest that Cha had been a target of personal attacks or cyberbullying.
Image: picture-alliance/Yonhap
Popularity and despair
Cha's death comes after another popular K-pop singer, Koo Hara, was found dead at her home last month. Koo, 28, had been subjected to personal attacks on social media about her relationships with men. South Korean police found a handwritten note in her home in which she expressed despair about life.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/C. Sung-Jun
Sex and corruption
Lee Seung-hyun, a former member of K-pop group Big Bang, is currently on trial over allegations claiming he paid for prostitutes for foreign businessmen to attract investment to his business. The scandal involving Lee, who goes by the stage name Seungri, saw the shares of his band's agency, YG Entertainment, plummeting.
Image: picture- alliance/AP Photo/A. Young-Joon
Artists as bullies
In November 2019, K-pop stars Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon were jailed for assaulting drunk, unconscious women. The Seoul Central District Court sentenced singer-songwriter Jung to six years in prison and former boy band member Choi to a five-year term. Both men were members of online chat groups that shared secret sex videos and made jokes about drugging and raping women, the court said.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Yeon-Je
Challenging conservatism
Choi Jin-ri, a former member of a girl group, died in an apparent suicide in October. Choi, popularly known as Sulli, was critical of cyberbullying. She was attacked on social media after she spoke out about not wearing a bra in the conservative K-pop industry.
Image: picture-alliance/Yonhap
K-pop managers
In June, Yang Hyun-suk, founder of YG Entertainment that manages Seungri and other K-pop artists, resigned as the company's chief producer in the aftermath of drug and sex scandals. In this picture, K-pop group 'Twice' poses on the red carpet of the 2016 Asia Artist Awards in Seoul in November 2016.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/Ed Jones
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What is NCT?
Taeil was a member of NCT, or Neo Culture Technology, one of several South Korean boy bands that have achieved some success on the global stage. The group debuted in 2016.
The group is known for its experimental music that spans multiple genres and has gained international attention with some of its releases appearing on the Billboard charts.
The group currently has more than two dozen members and is divided into several subunits, including NCT 127, NCT Dream, and NCT Wish. Taeil was active in NCT 127.