Members of K-pop boy band NCT cut ties with Taeil on social media after his agency announced that he is being investigated by the police for a sex crime.
Taeil (real name Moon Taeil), 30, a member of K-pop boy band NCT and subunit NCT 127, left the group after being accused in a sex crime case.
Taeil (Instagram)
Taeil's Instagram account
NCT members and official accounts of NCT and NCT 127 unfollowed Taeil on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mo.on_air) .
Taeil, who set the Guinness World Records title in 2021 for the fastest time to reach one million followers on Instagram, quickly lost followers after the announcement and news about the alleged sex crime spread.
From more than six million followers on Instagram, Taeil now has 5.3 million followers as of 9 a.m. on Aug. 29.
Taeil’s YouTube account lost 6,000 followers overnight. He now has 234,000 subscribers.
Sex crime
The Seoul Bangbae Police Station in Seoul confirmed that it is investigating Taeil as a suspect in a sex crime.
“It is not a sex crime against a minor of the same sex,” a police official told Korean media outlet Chosun Ilbo on Aug. 28.
Before the allegations surfaced, Taeil attended NCT 127’s eighth anniversary fan meeting in Seoul on Aug. 3 and 4.
Taeil with other NCT 127 members (Instagram)
On Aug. 28, SM Entertainment, NCT’s agency, announced Taeil’s departure from the group and information about the criminal case.
“We have recently learned that Taeil has been accused in a criminal case related to a sexual crime,” the agency said.
It added, “While assessing the facts, we recognized the gravity of the matter and decided that he could no longer continue his team activities. After discussing it with Taeil, we decided to have him leave the team.”
“Taeil is currently cooperating faithfully with the police investigation, and we will provide additional information as the investigation progresses. We deeply apologize for the controversy caused by our artist,” it said.