SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean singer Taeil has left K-pop band NCT after being accused of an unspecified sex crime, his label announced Wednesday.
His agency, SM Entertainment, released a statement about The label did not specify the nature of the crime.
“We recognized the severity of the issue and have determined that Taeil can no longer continue team activities,” the label said. “We 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 twenty members divided into various sub-units, including NCT 127, NCT Dream and NCT Wish. Taeil was recently active in NCT 127. The group is known for experimental music across a variety of genres and has gained international attention with a number of releases that hit the Billboard charts.
SM Entertainment’s statement was viewed more than 45.7 million times in less than three hours.
The criminal case report could not be independently verified and police declined to comment.
K-pop originates from South Korea and is a fusion of pop, R&B and hip hop sounds from the West, while combining cultural elements of the country. It has become a global phenomenon, especially after the success of the boy band BTS in late 2010.
