The agency made the announcement regarding the K-pop idol.
On Wednesday, August 28, Korean entertainment agency SM Entertainment announced that Moon Taeil has formally withdrawn from NCT and its sub-unit NCT 127.
This update comes as the Korean pop idol was allegedly involved in unspecified sexual crimes, with police investigation already underway.
In its official statement, as translated by Korean entertainment website Soompi, SM wrote that they “have recently learned that Taeil has been accused in a criminal case related to a sexual offense.”
“As we were assessing the facts related to the matter, we recognized the severity of the situation and determined that Taeil can no longer continue his activities with the team (NCT). After discussing with Taeil, we have decided on his departure from the group,” the agency added.
SM also confirmed that Taeil is currently cooperating with a police investigation and “will provide further statements as the investigation progresses.”
The company also apologized for the matter.
Taeil made his debut with NCT in 2016 under the rotational sub-unit NCT U, releasing ‘Without You’ with Doyoung and Jaehyun.
In July that year, he, along with the two above-mentioned members, joined the final line-up of the permanent sub-unit NCT 127.
In August 2023, he went on hiatus after a road accident, but made his return to the limelight through the release of NCT 127’s sixth album ‘Walk’ in July 2024.