Taeil has left the group NCT after being sued for a sexual offense. SM Entertainment, which has previously been criticized for its lenient handling of some of its artists' misconduct, has taken a firm stance this time, leading even Taeil’s fans to quickly turn their backs on him.

On the 28th, SM Entertainment announced, “We have confirmed that Taeil has been sued in connection with a criminal case involving a sexual offense. As we were verifying the facts, we recognized the severity of the situation and concluded that he could no longer continue his activities with the group. After discussions with Taeil, we decided on his departure from the team.”

The company added, “Taeil is currently cooperating fully with the police investigation. We will provide further statements based on the progress of the investigation.”

Taeil debuted in 2016 as a member of NCT's unit NCT U and has been active as a member of NCT and its sub-group NCT 127. He played a key role as the main vocalist of the group due to his exceptional singing ability.

Despite being a pivotal member as the team's main vocalist, SM swiftly moved to erase Taeil from the group following the announcement of his departure. The profile picture for NCT 127 on the fan communication platform Weverse was replaced with one that does not include Taeil, and the official NCT 127 Instagram account unfollowed his account. Fellow NCT 127 members Doyoung, Taeyong, Jungwoo, Mark, Haechan, Johnny, and Chenle have also unfollowed Taeil’s account, the cover photo on the fan platform Weverse was also changed to one that does not include Taeil.

NCT fans are also quickly distancing themselves from Taeil. Notably, international fans have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to express their support for the victims, posting messages such as, “The fact that he was immediately expelled from the group shows how serious the matter is”, “I hope everyone stands by the victims”, and “I can’t support a sexual offender.”

Meanwhile, other NCT members have been canceling their scheduled individual activities. Notably, Jaehyun, who made his solo debut two days ago on the 26th, canceled a fan signing event that was planned for the following day, leaving many fans disappointed. Fans have left comments such as, “This must be so upsetting” and “I hope he continues his music show activities.”

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