Moon Taeil, a former member of NCT, quit the SM Entertainment K-pop boy group towards the end of August 2024 after being “accused of a criminal case in relation to a sexual crime.” The South Korean entertainment label also swiftly issued an official statement, “While assessing the facts related to this matter, we recognized the severity of the issue and determined that he can no longer continue team activities. After discussing with Taeil, it’s been decided that he will withdraw from the team,” per Variety’s report.
The case has largely remained out of the headlines, as the specific details surrounding the allegations against Taeil remain hazy. Nevertheless, as the case moves forward, the Seoul Bangbae Police confirmed on September 13 that the former NCT singer’s sexual crime case had been handed over to the prosecution. However, the accused hasn’t been detained.
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What do we know about the allegations against former NCT member Taeil so far?
The 30-year-old singer’s case cast an eerie cloud of doubt over the K-pop fandom when a female victim filed a police report against him on June 13 in connection with a sexual crime. However, the news only came to light over a month later. Authorities ultimately summoned Taeil on August 28. Per the more recent reports from South Korean media outlets, the Seoul Bangbae Police has ascertained that details about the case that has been labelled as a “sexual crime” so far won’t be revealed to the public before an indictment. This protocol is being followed the ensure the victim’s (an adult woman) safety.
Preliminary reports disclosed at the time police summoned Taeil for his first investigation said, “Taeil did not use drugs at the time of the crime.”
As soon as the news broke to the public, NCT members unfollowed the eldest ex-member of the band from social media. Meanwhile, the accused himself switched his SNS account to private.
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NCT contracts complicate the issue further
Although Taeil has been removed from NCT and its subunits, NCT 127 and NCT U, his name still appears individually on the artist chart under SM Entertainment. In July 2023, the agency clarified that the members’ contracts won’t expire until the end of 2024. A company spokesperson told Herald Business, “At the time that NCT signed their contracts, we factored in elements such as their military enlistment and overseas activities, so their contract periods were set to be longer than the usual [seven years].”
“Although there are differences between individual members, there is no member whose contract expires this year. All of the members’ [contracts] are set to expire starting from the end of next year or later.”
Taeil’s mention on the SM website caused quite an uproar in the fan community once accusations against him were announced. As far as the information regarding the artists’ contracts goes, his name will presumably still be included in the roster until the aforementioned contract period is over.