NCT fans burn Taeil's photocards, destroy merch as alleged nightclub photos surface amid sexual crime

NCT member Taeil has been removed from SM Entertainment following serious sexual misconduct allegations, leading to outrage.

NCT member Taeil has been officially removed from SM Entertainment following allegations of sexual misconduct. The decision follows a recent scandal that has rocked the K-pop group. This move has been met with a wave of strong reactions from fans, who are expressing their anger and disappointment by destroying merchandise and burning photocards.

NCT member Taeil has been removed from SM Entertainment following serious sexual misconduct allegations, leading to fan outrage and the destruction of his merchandise. (NCT)

News of Taeil's exit has sparked curiosity, with many eager to learn more about his alleged club activities that have been buzzing across social media. Meanwhile, in response to the allegations, all of Taeil's fellow NCT members have unfollowed him on social media, with Taeyong even deleting all his pictures with him.

NCT Taeil officially removed from SM Entertainment

SM Entertainment told the Associated Press that they're dropping NCT member Taeil from the band because of some serious sexual misconduct claims that came out on August 28. They also mentioned putting all the group's activities on hold for now. The company explained that the gravity of the accusations compelled them to end Taeil’s association with the group.

The police on the other hand clarified that the investigation does not pertain to sexual crimes involving minors of the same gender but did not provide further details at this time.

Rolling out the statement, SM Ent wrote, “We have recently confirmed that Taeil has been implicated in a criminal case related to sexual crimes.”

After the news broke, Moon Taeil himself decided to withdraw. “While looking into the situation, we recognized that the issue is very serious, and we have decided that Taeil could no longer continue team activities. We have discussed this matter with Taeil and it has been decided he will be removed from the group.” The agency continued, “Currently, Taeil is faithfully cooperating with the police investigation. We will share additional statements as the investigation progresses.”

“We deeply apologize for the controversy caused by our artist.”

Fans burn photocards in protest, destroy merch

Taeil, who used to be a big deal in the K-pop world as part of NCT, is facing a dramatic decline in popularity following allegations of misconduct. Fans have quickly and without hesitation taken down his concert passes photocards and merchandise from their collections. Photos of burning photo cards and other items have circulated online.

As a member of the NCT subgroup NCT 127, Taeil was part of the original lineup of seven members including Taeyong, Yuta, Jaehyun, Winwin, Mark, and Haechan. Several fan accounts dedicated to Taeil have closed down, expressing their disappointment and offering support to the victims.

Taeil’s past club activities in spotlight

If the scandal wasn't bad enough, things got worse when a picture supposedly showing Taeil at a club while he was recovering from an injury in March 2024 popped up on social media. Fans were really upset to see him having a good time while the others were dealing with his absence.

But, some fans stood up for Taeil, thinking that the picture could have been taken before he got hurt in July 2023. On March 30, 2024, someone on X (used to be Twitter) posted a picture of a guy who looked like Taeil, saying he was at a club. Taeil's Instagram was mentioned in the post, but there wasn't any solid evidence that it was really him.