On Aug. 28, K-pop agency SM Entertainment issued a public statement announcing that Moon Taeil, the main vocalist of the boy group NCT, has been removed from the group due to sex crime allegations. In their statement, the company explained that they had “determined Taeil can no longer continue his activities with NCT” after “recognizing the severity of the situation.”

Although the nature of the accusations has not been fully disclosed to the public, according to the police, Taeil was first reported to the police on June 13, and was officially investigated on Aug. 28. The news of Taeil’s removal and the allegations against him have left fans in shock.

“At first, I couldn’t believe it because he’s the eldest in the group, who’s supposed to set an example for his bandmates,” Jenny Park (11), fan of NCT, said. “Taeil’s scandal became well-known to many people and exacerbated the public perception of not only Taeil but also NCT as a group. Also, SM’s decision says a lot about how bad the situation is because they rarely remove a member instantly after a scandal.”

Historically, SM has been known to protect its artists through controversies, as seen with Super Junior’s Kangin and Lucas Wong.

Despite being involved in repeated controversies including drunk driving and assaults, Super Junior’s Kangin remained with his group until 2019, a decade after his first scandal. Similarly, NCT’s Lucas, now known as Lucas Wong, faced significant criticism since 2021, when allegations about his promiscuous private life started surfacing from his ex-girlfriend, leading to a series of accusations. Despite the controversy and the emergence of multiple accusers, Lucas continued as a member of NCT until his official departure in 2023. However, even after leaving the group, he continued his career as a solo artist under SM.

Taeil’s quick removal from NCT highlights the seriousness of the allegations against him and a more assertive stance from SM Entertainment. This represents a significant shift in the company’s approach to managing scandals involving its artists.

“Although many celebrity scandals happen, scandals involving sexual crime are just unacceptable,” Hailie Lee, entertainment enthusiast, said. “I wish idols can set a good example for their young fans.”

​​The repercussions of such scandals ripple through the fan community, impacting the ways people connect with the artists they once admired.

“I really like Taeil’s vocals,” Minseo Park (11), K-pop fan, said. “It’s sad that now whenever I listen to NCT songs, it will feel uncomfortable listening to his voice. I never imagined this would have happened to Taeil—his character seemed so mature and nice.”

In the aftermath of Taeil’s departure, significant disruptions have occurred in NCT’s schedules. Notably, a signing event for NCT’s Jaehyun, who had recently made a solo comeback, has been postponed. Similarly, a video call event for NCT members Mark and Haechan has also been canceled. These cancellations highlight the profound impact of such scandals, affecting not only the individuals involved but also those surrounding them.

Following the incident, SM Entertainment and the members of NCT 127 have begun unfollowing Taeil on official social media accounts, actively working to distance themselves from him. Fans have also turned their back on him, with his Instagram followers dropping from 6 million to 4.93 million as of Sept 5.