Taeil ‘Sexual Crime Accusation’ Aftermath… Members and Fans Quickly Cut Off

Taeil of the boy group NCT has left the group after being accused of a sexual crime. It seems that Taeil's fans are quickly turning their backs on SM Entertainment, which has been lukewarm in its response to the misconduct of some of its artists.

On the 28th, SM stated, “We recently confirmed that Taeil was indicted in a criminal case related to sexual crimes,” and “While looking into the facts, we realized the severity of the matter and decided that he could no longer continue team activities. After discussing it with Taeil, we decided on his withdrawal from the team.”

Despite being a key member who was the backbone of the team's vocals, SM quickly moved to "erase Taeil" as soon as they announced the news of his departure from the team. The NCT 127 introduction photo on the fan communication platform "Weverse" was replaced with a photo without Taeil, and NCT 127's official Instagram account also unfollowed Taeil's account. Fellow NCT 127 members Doyoung and Taeyong have also unfollowed Taeil's account.

SM's response is somewhat unusual compared to other cases involving their artists. For example, Kangin, formerly of Super Junior, caused numerous controversies, including a drunk driving accident, but he continued his activities and left the group in 2019. He has not been active since, but Kangin announced the news of his contract renewal with SM through a YouTube video last year.

NCT fans are also moving quickly to 'cut ties'. In particular, overseas fans are posting on X (former Twitter) such as, "The fact that he was kicked out of the group right away while the investigation is still ongoing shows how serious the issue is," "I hope everyone will stand on the victim's side and cheer him on," and "Sexual criminals can never be defended."

https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/005/0001721296?sid=102

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It's nice to see a quick cut-off. It's a culture I hope will take hold in the entertainment industry in the future.