Why is Taeil leaving NCT 127? Explained

I have some bad news for NCT fans and K-pop fans in general: if you feel like you know your favorite idol, chances are, you really don’t. All it takes is 10 minutes on social media to realize that South Korea is not like K-Dramas like to depict it, and it’s high time we accept that we don’t truly know these celebrities at all.

While it may be a hard pill to swallow, we must remember that we just don’t know what our idols are doing on a daily basis. Truth is, acknowledging that any South Korean man could be capable of despicable actions might be the best way to protect ourselves from future heartbreaks when it comes to our favorite idols. Such was recently experienced by Neos, who woke up to the worst possible news: Taeil is leaving NCT 127, and here’s why.

What happened to NCT’s Taeil?

NCT 127’s Taeil is reportedly the subject of a police investigation related to an undisclosed sexual crime. The news of Taeil’s situation was reported by SM Entertainment, NCT, and Taeil’s label, which announced not only the investigation but also the termination of Taeil’s contract with the company. The news was announced via X.

“We have recently learned that Taeil has been accused in a criminal case related to a sexual offense,” the announcement stated. “As we were assessing the facts, we recognized the severity of the situation and determined that Taeil can no longer continue his activities with NCT. After discussing the matter with Taeil, we have decided on his departure from the group.” The notice also informed fans that Taeil is cooperating with the police in the investigation and included an apology on the singer’s behalf.

Details of the accusation were not disclosed, which is not uncommon in cases involving sudden allegations of this nature. However, companies often have difficulty or even show reluctance in parting with their idols when such allegations arise, leading many netizens to believe that Taeil may indeed be implicated in a far more serious crime than imagined.

Taeil’s departure coincides with a much bigger movement in South Korea, where young women and teenagers are being targeted by their own sons, brothers, and friends for sexual and even emotional abuse. This intense social climate has only been further confirmed by the “Nth Room” case, a criminal investigation involving blackmail and cybersex trafficking through Telegram, between 2018 and 2020. It is believed that over 60,000 men were involved in sharing and purchasing this content.

Naturally, this does not imply that Taeil is connected to this case at all. However, it does highlight that the current wave of social media accusations against South Korean men and their abusive behavior is, sadly, very warranted. Taeil is also not the first, and likely won’t be the last, male idol and celebrity involved in such a scandal of a sexual nature.

Seungri, a former member of the K-pop band BigBang, Jung Joon-young, a popular singer-songwriter, and Choi Jonghoon from the rock band F.T. Island, are just some of the idols involved in the infamous Burning Sun sex scandal that shook South Korea to its core in 2019. Himchan from B.A.P., charged with three accounts of sexual assault, was sentenced to ten months in prison.

Another popular name among these criminals is that of Kris Wu. Although not South Korean, he is a major name in K-pop circles due to his time in the legendary Chinese-Korean group EXO. In 2021, Wu was sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted of rape. Unfortunately, these names only scratch the surface of idols who have been accused of sexual misconduct, and while many of these abusers and criminals remain free, only time will tell what will happen to Taeil.

If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.