SM Entertainment terminates former NCT member Taeil's contract after criticism; K-pop fans celebrate
Trigger Warning: Descriptions of rape and sexual assault.
Former NCT member Taeil
Trigger Warning: Descriptions of rape and sexual assault.
After days of backlash, SM Entertainment released an official statement on October 16, 2024, to officially state that the former NCT member Taeil's contract with the company had been terminated.
The music agency in a statement said, "This is SM Entertainment. We wish to inform you that as of October 15, 2024, Taeil's exclusive contract with us has been terminated. Taeil is currently under investigation by the prosecution for criminal charges, which falls under justifiable reason for the termination of the exclusive contract. Of course, trust in him as an artist cannot be continued, and it was decided upon discussion with Taeil himself that the contract would be terminated. We wish to apologize once more for having worried everyone with our former artist Taeil’s matters".
About Taeil's case:
Moon Taeil is being investigated by authorities for aggravated quasi-rape, according to a report released on Monday, October 7, 2024. He was questioned at Seoul's Bangbae Police Station before being transported to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on August 12. If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison.
The investigation revolved around charges that Taeil, along with two acquaintances, sexually attacked an inebriated woman in June. On August 28, two months after the accusations were made, he was called in for interrogation. It is worth noting that none of his accomplices are prominent individuals.
K-pop fans celebrate:
Soon after SM Entertainment made the announcement, K-pop fans were ecstatic as they cheered that Taeil would no longer earn money from the agency and would be away from the rest of NCT for good. However, they are still angry at how SM Entertainment handled the case of Seunghan from the band RIIZE and are awaiting his return to the group.
About Taeil:
He made his debut in April 2016 as part of 'NCT U' and soon became popular, particularly in Japan and China. He eventually joined another subgroup called 'NCT 127'. Despite the ongoing investigation, Taeil attended public events, including the NCT 127 8th anniversary fan meetup in Seoul on August 3rd and 4th, as well as the group's most recent full-length album.
Updated: October 16, 2024 05:27 PM IST
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