A K-pop singer Taeil who is a former NCT group member, became involved in a sexual crime scandal on 28 August. It has shocked everyone as fellow members started to slowly unfollow him, abruptly, he left the group. The controversy surrounding one of K-pop’s most popular groups still remains a mystery even as police investigations continued and the group took a break from the limelight.
Who is Taeil?
Taeil has his full name as Moon Taeil and he is a singer from South Korea born on 14th June 1994. He is popularly known as a member of the NCT, one of the most prominent boy bands that hail from SM Entertainment. NCT is famous for its idea that allows any number of members and the division into subgroups. Taeil first joined NCT U in 2016 and moved to NCT 127, which is one of the subgroups of NCT. Based on his voice and talent, Mark played an essential role in NCT and contributed to the group’s success in the international market such as songs Kick It and Cherry Bomb.
Over the years, Taeil has attracted a vast number of fans, especially in South Korea and the rest of the world. It is sad that his exit from NCT is not a pleasant experience given his time with the group and the services he rendered to the group.
Official announcement of Taeil’s exit from NCT
On 28 August, SM Entertainment released an official statement on social media explaining that Taeil was dismissed from NCT as he was involved in criminal charges, including sexual assault. The agency emphasized the severity of the allegations and claimed that they had no other choice but to terminate the contract with the idol. This was a significant change for the group as Taeil had been a member of the group since its formation.
NCT members unfollow Taeil on social media
In the hours following the announcement, NCT’s official Instagram accounts, including NCT 127, unfollowed Taeil’s personal account. This move was quickly mirrored by several individual members, seemingly in an effort to distance themselves from the scandal.
Taeyong was one of the first to unfollow Taeil, going further by unfollowing all other accounts he previously followed and removing several photos featuring Taeil, including images from a post shared on 15 April during his military send-off. Doyoung followed suit, clearing his entire following list. Other members like Haechan and Johnny chose to specifically unfollow Taeil without further altering their social media presence. Winwin, a member of both NCT and WayV, also unfollowed Taeil, with Mark and Jungwoo making similar moves. These actions strongly signalled the group’s collective disassociation from the scandal.
K-pop Singer Taeil
The controversy has significantly impacted NCT’s promotional activities. Following Taeil’s removal, it was announced that Jaehyun’s solo fan sign event for his debut album J would be postponed.
Likewise, SM Entertainment notified fans via WithMUU that scheduled video call events for NCT DREAM, featuring Mark and Haechan for their album DREAM( )SCAPE, would also be delayed. The agency cited “unforeseen scheduling conflicts” and promised that new dates would be confirmed at a later time.
Taeil sexual case police statement and ongoing investigation
Later on 28 August, the Seoul Bangbae Police Station released a brief statement confirming that an investigation was underway concerning Taeil’s involvement in alleged sexual crimes. The police clarified that the allegations did not involve sexual crimes against minors or individuals of the same gender, but refrained from providing further details at that stage.
Lee In Chun, the director of the youth and women’s division at Bangbae Police Station hinted that more information could be revealed on 29 August as the investigation progresses.
Online confusion and clarifications
Taeil’s involvement in a criminal case has caused widespread confusion online, particularly among those unfamiliar with K-pop. Many mistakenly believed the individual involved to be Shin Tae Il, a controversial internet streamer known for his involvement in illegal activities. Shin Tae Il quickly received a flood of messages and had to clarify on social media that he was not the person implicated in the sexual crime case.
Netizens discuss Taeil’s past club activities
As the scandal unfolded, netizens began examining Taeil’s past behaviour, particularly his alleged clubbing activities. A photo purportedly showing Taeil at a nightclub during his injury-related hiatus in March 2024 resurfaced online. First shared by a user on X (formerly Twitter), the image sparked debate about Taeil’s conduct, with some speculating that the photo might have been taken prior to his injury in July 2023.
Fans’ response and withdrawal of support
Fans have reacted strongly to the allegations, with many withdrawing their support for Taeil. Several fan sites dedicated to him have shut down, while some fans have gone as far as destroying merchandise featuring the idol, including burning photo cards. Taeil’s Instagram follower count has seen a sharp decline, with approximately 500,000 followers lost since the scandal broke.
This scandal has left a deep scar on NCT’s fanbase, who are now struggling to come to terms with the shocking revelations and the uncertain future of the group.
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