Haechan has opened up about his feelings for the first time since his former NCT groupmate Taeil was expelled from the group due to sexual crime allegations.

On August 31 KST, Haechan shared a lengthy message on fan communication platform Bubble.

During one point of his message to fans, Haechan wrote, "What started as a passion for singing and dancing turned out to be something much more important, with a lot to consider. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is always to try not to be deluded. I didn't achieve anything only because I’m talented. If it weren’t for the members who were by my side, I wonder how far I could have gone. It’s all possible because they were with me."

He continued, "What we’ve achieved may seem like nothing to some, but we’ve worked really hard. Most of the time, our schedule is incredibly tough, both mentally and physically, but I’m so thankful to my fellow members who have kept me going and stayed by my side. Thanks to them, I will continue to work as hard as I have been. NCT is everything to me. It's a name we have to protect together, so I’ll keep striving to make sure it continues to shine."

Meanwhile, earlier this week, SM Entertainment announced that Taeil had been accused of sexual crimes and would be leaving the group, also stating, "After verifying the facts related to this matter and recognizing the seriousness of the situation, we have determined that Taeil can no longer continue his activities with the team and have decided to remove him from the group after discussions with him."