He is no longer an artist of the company.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 16, South Korean music and management label SM Entertainment announced that its contract with former NCT member Taeil has been terminated the day before.
“This is SM Entertainment. We wish to inform you that as of October 15, 2024, Taeil’s exclusive contract with us has been terminated,” the first part of the statement read.
It went on to divulge the primary reason being Taeil’s status as currently being under investigation by the prosecution for criminal charges, which SM said “falls under justifiable reason for the termination of exclusive contract.”
The company then shared that upon deliberation with Taeil, they have decided to terminate his contract.
It was in late August when SM removed Taeil from NCT following the revelation that he has been alleged to have committed sexual offenses, with police investigation already underway at that point in time.
“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 wrote then.
SM also confirmed that Taeil has been cooperating with a police investigation and “will provide further statements as the investigation progresses,” before apologizing over 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.