Entertainment
“We recognized the seriousness of the issue, and we have decided that Taeil can no longer continue team activities,” the brand said.
South Korean singer Taeil, right, poses with other members of K-Pop group NCT 127 upon arrival at the 2021 Mnet Asian Music Awards or 2021 MAMA in Paju, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021. AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korean singer Taeil has left K-pop band NCT after being accused of an unspecified sexual offense, his record company announced Wednesday.
His agency, SM Entertainment, released a statement on X saying that the NCT member will be leaving the boy band after learning that he has been “accused in a criminal case related to a sexual offense.” The label did not indicate the nature of the crime.
“We recognized the seriousness of the issue, and we have decided that Taeil can no longer continue team activities,” the brand said. “We have discussed this matter with Taeil, and it has been decided that he will leave the group.” The label added that he is fully cooperating with the police investigation.
Taeil was part of NCT, or Neo Culture Technology, a globally popular South Korean boy band that debuted in 2016. The group currently has over two dozen members divided into several sub-units, including NCT 127, NCT Dream, and NCT Wish. Taeil was recently active in NCT 127. The group is known for experimental music that spans various genres and has gained international attention with some releases on the Billboard charts.
SM Entertainment’s statement received over 45.7 million views in less than three hours.
The report of a criminal case could not be independently verified and police declined to comment.
Originating from South Korea, K-pop is an amalgamation of pop, R&B and hip-hop sounds from the West while mixing cultural elements of the country. It has grown into a global phenomenon, especially after the success of boy band BTS in the late 2010s.